Quietude is the title of this painting. A recent class with artist Ellen Leo gave me the chance to test ideas which have been surfacing in my mind. My interest still comes from colour and shape – with repetition of shape being an important feature for me. I used colour and shape to create perspective in this painting. There is a particular spot in Uralba and often when I pass by there, I stop and look and sometimes take photos. The area is very calming to me. I wanted this art work to include colour and shape but also wanted the areas to be contiguous with each other, like little pathways or gateways leading the viewer somewhere. The colours I used were calming to me and the repetition of shape contributed as well. The medium is gouache and finally I have given it a title – ‘Quietude’ – the dictionary definition is ‘a state of being calm, quiet or peaceful’.
Category: general
thinking of Japan
In November 2025 I went to Japan and a special moment was in the bamboo grove near Kyoto. We left Kyoto by train to Arashiyama. The bamboo grove was very calming. The tall bamboo appeared majestic in a way – it was awesome wandering through beside the towering bamboo. We got there fairly early in the morning as we heard it might get very crowded. The experience was magical and especially when we came to a section where a man was playing a Japanese instrument which I think was a Japanese bamboo flute. It has inspired me to draw on that experience with charcoal, ink and gouche artworks.
New ideas about water lilies
My environment is a source of inspiration for art.
There is a dam fed by an underground spring – it has fish, eels, tortoises and lots of ducks and water hens.
The water hens have just had babies.
There is an azure kingfisher which lives there as well.
My next mixed media will be the kingfisher, water lilies and dragonflies.
It reminds me of Monet’s water garden – I would love to visit there and is ‘on the list’!