Artist Statement
This began as a pure abstract, slapping and scraping heavy linear patterns of Prussian Blue across the hardboard with a large palette knife. I wasn’t aiming to achieve anything in particular other than shaking up my creativity – painting something, anything, rather than looking at the intimidating white blankness of a primed surface and wondering how to begin.
After the blue had dried I noticed one of the scraped curves looked like a hill, and as I’m used to painting landscapes that’s what this became. That initial layer of paint is still just visible, as the faint distant hill in the upper right. Another initial scraping forms much of the shadow in the lower foreground bushes.
As it developed, it had the feel of a misty cold morning, which is typical of Canberra, shapes of trees and bushes indistinct due to the low light and the blurring of the fog. Adding a border collie exploring off the leash, with its owner strolling along the path well behind – these were final whimsical touches rather than the initial aim of the painting.
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.