This began as a pure abstract, slapping and scraping heavy linear patterns of Prussian Blue across the hardboard with a large palette knife. I wasn’t aiming to achieve anything in particular other than shaking up my creativity – painting something rather than looking at the intimidating white blankness of a primed surface, wondering what to do. Whenever there’s something there, I can find a way to work with it, but it’s much harder starting from scratch.
Anyway, after the blue had dried I noticed one of the scraped curves looked a little like a hill, and as I’m used to painting landscapes that’s what this became. That initial layer of paint is still just visible, as the faint distant hill in the upper right. Another initial scraping forms much of the shadow in the lower foreground bushes.
As it developed, it had the feel of a misty cold morning, which is typical of Canberra, shapes indistinct due to the low light and the blurring of the fog. Adding a border collie exploring off the leash, with its owner strolling along the path well behind – these were final whimsical touches rather than the initial aim of the painting.
“She’s off the leash” is acrylic and acrylic ink on 61x41cm hardboard, and will be exhibited in the Humblehouse Gallery in Canberra this coming October.
