Shadow & Light Series : Dubai 2013

I have been based in my Dubai studio in Downtown Dubai for just over 2 years now. It has been a time of adjustment in many aspects... to living in a new country and culture, discovering my new environment and  finding connections to my local neighborhood and to ways of expressing all these experiences in the visual language of my artwork. There has been an adjustment to working in a small studio from home, a lot smaller than the large warehouse spaces I have been used to for many years, however for now this is very practical particularly  in this hot climate.

For approx 8 months of the year it becomes too hot to go outdoors apart from a quick dash across the road... so working from home in air con is far more suitable, although I do really miss my expansive studio spaces I have had for many years....This has also contributed to the change in scale, subject matter and medium of my work. For many years I have mostly worked on large oil on linen paintings 183x137cm... The small studio space , lack of available professional quality art materials ( unless I ship them in), the extreme difference in location, environment and landscape... and also the desire to work in charcoal, have all contributed to the changes in my work,

The focus for my artwork has shifted from the vast views of the Australian landscapes, capturing the mood, atmosphere and quality of light of winter... to a more inward focus... observing all the details, finding beauty in the intimate details... the organic shapes in the nearby gardens, the shadow patterns from the plants and Arabic Lanterns and the quality of light, and shadows. Vast views of green, wintry, landscapes have been replaced by sun soaked more immediate views in the local neighborhood. The concerns in my work that have a long thread of investigation are still there for me.. Mood, mystery, harmony and balance, attention to detail, quality of light, beauty and sensual nature of organic shapes in nature are still my focus.

For the past year I have been concentrating on charcoal drawings and have developed this series : Shadow and Light. I have loved working with charcoal again, exploring and remembering with fondness the visual language of this very seductive medium. Throughout my career I have loved to work with charcoal, although I have not exhibited them much, preferring to keep them for myself! Also, the gallery and exhibition requirements have often called for my large  oil paintings.... So I am thoroughly enjoying the freedom now to explore and develop my work with charcoal. More on the visual language of charcoal soon....

Here is portfolio of the series from 2013 :The majority of the charcoals are image 72x52cm, with a few 52x52cm. The oil paintings on linen are 183x137cm and 102 x76 cm