Stephanie Creigh
McCarthy Catholic College
MY COUNTRY
Painting
Acrylic on canvas
In my body of work I explore the sublime qualities of the beauty of Australia. My work is a dynamic blend of representation and exaggeration, where the natural world is expressed through colours that emphasise the need to redefine our relationship with the land. By distorting reality, my intent is to encourage the viewer to appreciate nature’s power and the beauty of the Australian landscape, but also to create a catalyst for imagination and emotion.
My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the artist Paula Jenkins.
Marker's Commentary
This impressive single panel landscape painting is alive with movement and energy. The rural vista has been built in stratified layers showcasing its raw natural beauty. Daubs of quickly applied acrylic paint are offset by different mark making and passages of sgraffito. They build an array of patterns and textures, symbolic of much of Australia’s outback. Yet the view is specific in its location. Swathes of dry undergrowth, rough stony ground and scrub in the foreground lead the eye to a more verdant river’s edge with a thin band of blue water dissecting the painting. Beyond is the creamy, sun-drenched ochre paddock and undulating rough bush-clad hills with shadowed crevices and valleys. Further ribbons of blues, mauve and pink define the clouded sky. Techniques of applying light on dark and dark on light contributing to a diversity of form and surface is evident. The rich tertiary colour palette is reminiscent of Indigenous painters of our land and this history, and the emotional connection is supported by the application of purposely applied dots and daubs. The range of olive tones in the gum trees adds density yet allows for views beyond. The land commands our respect and this body of work has captured this energy and sense of place. While there is a feeling of peace here, it is not quiet. The painting hums with life.