BUSH FIRE SERIES

‘Ashes to Ashes’ was my first painting after the Black Saturday fires. It took quite a few weeks before I felt like working on my art, the whole experience was overwhelming. Along with the shock was the practical problems of no art supplies, no easels and most importantly no space to work in. Over time, we managed to get our new garage built and with the help of my dear dad, who made me a wonderful new easel and painting table and many friends who helped with brushes and paints, reawakened my desire to paint again. This painting means a great deal to me and I was amazed to see the spirituality of the scene unfold before me. There is a subtext of words relating to the fire, scratched into the surface to reinforce my thoughts and fears. It truly made me feel that I had somehow come to terms with the fire and our altered journey. My next paintings are triptyches of 120 x 120cm times three. The first triptych ‘Fire Angels’ again touches on the profound spirituality that we have with nature and a sense of a power outside the normal sense of consciousness, which I felt particularly that frightening night. ‘Fire Angels’, does not show winged angels, but rather an ethereal presence of the spaces within and above the burnt trees. Again words are scratched almost sublimally into the sky pertaining to words of guidance and vigil. My painting ‘Changeling’ again uses words at the base of the painting which focus on the change in our world and our plans and our life. It tries to address the lost reality of what once was and the acceptance of our new and much changed pathways. In my painting, ‘Metamorphosis’, there is text in the trunks of the trees which relate to regeneration. The beetle image refers to the sacred scarab beetle who in Ancient Egypt symbolized creation and resurrection. I feel that one can see a new sense of hope and healing within this painting.

In ‘Treetops’ I have felt a need to refer back to the way the trees looked just before the fire. I wanted to show a comparison between the past and present views of the trees, but also I tried to capture a dream like state with the trees and leaves seeming to represent a surrealist presence of ‘knowing’ of their impending fate.

‘Road to Recovery’ is of my beloved road that winds up a very steep hill, just up from our home. My husband and I have set off on many long walks along this road, and I feel spiritually connected and intune with the environment as I wander along this dramatic and inspirational pathway. It goes past where the old town hall, little school and fire station once stood before the Black Saturday fires. There is a rebuild of all three of them into one interconnected building which adds to our sense of renewal and hope for the future.