Into the Woods and encountering Wildlife

Into The Woods Invitation

I was invited by Studio One, a compact, thriving art gallery in the midst of a growing SOHO warehouse style art precinct in Noosaville, to participate in their exhibition entitled Into 'The Woods'. I had recently had a rather uninspired date and the subsequent ghosting by the fella had me thinking. My thoughts followed the fairy tale of the Prince, who was once pinned to come along and solve the 'how will I ever find a guy in this crazy, fucked up world of mismatched egos, years of accumulated baggage and broken dreams", scenario that seems to the road ahead, by appearing as if out of nowhere, and the stars are thus aligned. Inevitably, this line of musing led me down the track to the apple. The one rosy, red enticing piece; that once bitten, or gently kissed, will awaken the heart or poison it. I reversed the roles. Instead, the Prince has fallen, on his sword of course. He wasn't really a prince after all. He was a braggart in disguise. The woman, on her white steed, trots off into the verdant and mysterious woods. She looks briefly back at the man whose crown now lies askew. And what is the flailing trunk that hides behind a misty sky?

Another Prince Bites the Dust. oil on canvas, 91.5 x 91.5cm

On the Wildside is a group exhibition at the Cooroy Butter Factory Art Centre. There are several artists participating so there are many artworks on view. I decided to focus on the category entitled, Going, Going, Gone. I become quite upset when I consider we might and have already done so, caused the extinction of so many animals and birds and many creatures.

Comfort, 46 x 61.5cm oil on canvas ‘Comfort’ shows two very different creatures, both from my imagination but reflecting a koala and a baby monkey. I have been quite moved by instances I have seen on Instagram, of different species who comfort, rescue or feed each other. These interactions have shown me there is an innate altruism in animals where another’s suffering elicits an empathetic response. I see a kindness that ensures all creatures are treated with respect. No Way To Run, 46 x 61.5cm oil on canvas As a child growing up in Zambia, I was fortunate enough to see animals in the wild. I feel sorrow knowing that these magnificent creatures are endangered. Could vanish from the earth. They have no voice, and I have depicted this in No Way To Run. The Rhino is shackled and defeated.

Oh Dear, 46 x 61.5cm oil on canvas Wildlife is so vulnerable to the greed and ignorance and ultimately the violence of man who hunt with such sophisticated weapons. They have no chance. They have the acute sense that something is amiss. An antelope reacts with fear to an approaching threat.