Artist Statement
I pursued three aims in this painting – firstly I was exploring light, which is something I love to do in everything I paint. Sun hidden behind clouds, shafts breaking through, tree obscuring the light but the leaves set ablaze by it, reflections off the sunlit foreground, the kangaroos in the shadows, and the benighted suburbs in the valley below with the blurry glow of its streetlights. And above all the golden light that surrounds you on a hillside in Canberra at sunset, there’s nothing like it.
This one was heavily inspired by the view from the Wanniassa Hills over Tuggeranong, a magical place that’s heavily populated by kangaroos, magpies and cockatoos. I liked the thought of the roos lazing in the last rays of the sun while the valley below fell into night – it’s as if they have the best seat in the house.
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.