Silverton River Gum I- Oil sketch 40x30cm

‘ David, just sway in the breeze…like a tree.’  In saying this, a dear friend Tess gave me the best advice. On so many levels this is useful. For example, on an emotional level we can feel things, wobble a little and then let them go, let them pass. If a tree held on to the wind it would surely break. I’m not saying that life is gentle. At times we are in the grip of a cyclone, being thrown around and almost uprooted.  I can use this analogy to step back and observe my own ego, to feel the flow of emotion, move with it, surrender for a bit and then sway the other way and then back to my center. I find that this is equally useful for both good and bad feelings. I find peace when I remember to sway.

‘Mudita’ is defined in Wikipedia as a Buddhist word meaning rejoicing in others’ joy.  The term mudita is usually translated as “sympathetic” or “altruistic” joy, the pleasure that comes from delighting in other people’s well-being rather than begrudging it. To show mudita is to celebrate happiness and achievement in others even when we are facing tragedy ourselves. This definition to me implies a sense of separateness. For me, Mudita requires the acceptance of oneness and therefore a joy of all joy. What is joy anyway? I have found it sometimes very challenging to adopt the mind-set of Mudita and instead Compassion seemed more appropriate certain situations.

Either way, I am just a tree swaying with the breeze, dancing with all the other trees.

Silverton River Gum II- Oil sketch 40x30cm

This is a painting of some trees in a river bed not far from Silverton NSW. It is not uncommon here for rivers to be dry most of the time. Below the surface, the river may still be flowing slowly deep in the sand. These trees thrive in these conditions. They can endure many years of drought  and then flooding. They are like islands of life in the desert. They are homes for birds, reptiles, marsupials, insects and lots of them. They are food, shelter, habitat and a resting place for the weary traveler.  I am drawn to the shade as I walk along the sandy expanses. These trees create their own micro-climate and attract complexity of life to them. They are incredibly beautiful. I hope to capture something of this with my painting.

Fallen Log Neville- Oil sketch 8x10 inches

Dancing Light- Oil sketch 8x10 inches

I am very inspired by this dry sclerophyll forest landscape. In this forest it is not uncommon to see Kangaroos, Wallabies, Echidnas and even Koalas. This is also a nesting place for the Sulphur Crested Cockatoo which are very noisy at this time of year- Spring. It is fun just watching their antics in the tree tops. I came across an Echidna recently in the forest. They are fascinatingly ancient creatures. When it saw me approaching it began digging itself into the ground. Very anti-social animal. Strong too as the ground is quite hard. Although noisy and crowded by unfriendly wildlife, the dappled light I find very seductive and I enjoy the challenge of capturing the light that I see dancing before me.

Monuments- Oil sketch

Paintings are interesting things really. Funny things. Sometimes they can say more about the artist than the subject. For me painting is not just a thing to do, it’s more like a process that i can’t not do. I always look at paintings and wonder why they were painted. What was driving the artist. Of all things, why this?

I am enjoying painting these small oil sketches as part of  ‘Mudita’, I am moving through a lot of ideas more quickly and this is refreshing. This old car and collapsed house  are a  great example of how a subject can call to an artist. Perhaps paintings are self portraits – of things that they see / feel about themselves. This is me. Standing my ground, exposed, earthy, defiant, and growing in character and beauty as time passes.

Standing Still -Oil sketch

There are certain places that invoke a sense of wonder in me. Sydney Central Station and  Lygon Street in Melbourne are those kind of places. They are like moody characters that hold your attention because you are uncertain about what’s going to happen next. Even when nothing is happening it is interesting because you know that something might.  I almost find them overwhelming and yet I am captivated by the light, forms, activities, the aliveness and colours. They defy reason for being. They just are.

Such a place is Silverton, in Out Back NSW. This is a harsh and unforgiving landscape and where once there was a prosperous mining town, there is now the occasional stone and tin ruin slowly sinking back to the earth. The slowness and the inevitabile decay of  these very humble dwellings  brings me sharply into the present moment. No things are permanent.

• Learn more About me.

• View works in my exhibition, ‘Mudita’ which is on show now at the River Bank Gallery.

• Read some rambling thoughts in my Artist Blog.

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• See some more paintings.

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