Here we are. My first signed new painting in Australia. Called Arrival, it started in the UK and took years (!). It started as a copy of a drawing I did whilst being Artist in Residence, but that’s always a bad idea for me. The inspiration was too long a time before a reworking. I changed ideas, painted them out, changed it to portrait, changed it to landscape, even gave it a working name. Then I wrapped it up to come to Aus, with no idea of what would happen to it. If you follow my newsletters, you know that in February I made space to paint which I really love. By April, no painting. Then a plasterer arrived to work on our ceiling and asked me if I was the artist in the house (my work is all over the place). I admitted it, then he asked to see my studio. Well, I had to go and properly unwrap my brushes, paints and tools, didn’t I? Then I decided to warm them up on the big canvas…just to see how it would go. Suddenly it all started to happen and got its name. The next few times I keep going, confirming the dots, a traditional central Aboriginal motif, and realised that what I call the Divine, Aboriginal people call the Dreaming. I knew that I was being called to live in Australia for a whole host of reasons and the painting became my depiction of call, of travel, of arrival. One last change of direction, to upside down, and it all made sense.
The photo of the whole piece is from my phone in the studio, so a good shot will arrive in due course. Here we are. Arrival.