Daintree

Research Background My painting titled Daintree responds to the ancient and environmentally sensitive forests of far North Queensland. For making this work I studied the 19th Century botanical painting. Edwin Dalton Smith representation of the Banksia Prolata (1800-1852) describes foliage that is both contorted and whimsical. This provided me with an example for thinking about depicting the body language of flora in my work. I also looked at prominent contemporary painters such as William Robinson. His painting Springbook with lifting fog (1999) incorporates landscape views from different perspectives. This influenced my decision to compose and combine different views in my own way. Research Contribution This painting is an original creative artwork representing four stages of viewing textures and tentacle-like limbs of the Ficus Watkinsiana (strangling fig). My aim was to explore ways that paint can represent the dynamic nature of plant life and its interactions within a forest context. The multitude of fragmentary marks made note the visceral nature of this site. I have also interpreted nature and its surfaces as a complex weave through which to negotiate pathways for viewing this fragile location. The painting is an original documentation of a world heritage site that can be a reference for art practitioners. Research Significance My painting Daintree, was exhibited in the John Leslie Art Prize which is a national landscape painting competition. The exhibition was held at the Gippsland Art Gallery in Sale. I attended the opening night on was on Friday 19th September and there were approximately 150 people in attendance. There were 416 entries to this competition nation wide. I was one of the 34 successful applicants for this prize. The judges for this exhibition were Gerard Vaughn (director of the NGV 1999 - 2012) and Tony Loyd (previous John Leslie prize winner 2013). (cont.)