Artist Statement
Painted during the autumn of 2023, before the weather became too cold and everyone retreated to their homes for the winter. The birch trees were still clinging to the last of their faded leaves on an evening when I noticed a woman seated on a bench in one of Canberra’s parks, her beagle wandering off the leash.
Behind her, a spectacular sunset was turning to a glowing twilight, but she was seemingly oblivious, fixated on the glow of her phone.
The technical challenges in this painting fascinated me with its multiple light sources, the lamp creating a small pool of light, the glow of the sky and the trees lit by something else (the moon?) behind the viewer, along with the woman’s face lit by her screen.
About the Artist
Andy is a self-taught modern impressionist artist based in Canberra, Australia. Most of his works are landscapes inspired by the hills and wild places surrounding the city and the local region, though occasionally he paints scenes from memories or imagination.
He paints to intuitively express thoughts and emotions through his works, so his landscapes are notable for dramatic skies and intense use of colour. They often convey a conservationist theme, illustrating the damage done to nature yet seeking beauty and hope in what remains.
Andy also looks to explore light in all its nuances; his paintings are typically filled with brilliant ambient light and deep rich shadows. The scenes he creates are what he imagines them to be – landscapes as viewed through the prism of his soul.
His works are created with acrylic paints and inks, as his paintings are built up quickly through countless layers which necessitates a fast drying time, and acrylics allow the freedom to apply washes and tinted glazes over thicker impasto paint.
This exhibition, The Colours I Feel, is mostly inspired by Andy’s ventures into the wilds of Canberra during the autumn and winter of 2022 and 2023. He wanted to paint, not the scenes that the city is famous for, but rather the out of the way places where he found peace and inspiration.