The Quiet Shift in My Recent Paintings

Over the last few months, I’ve noticed a quiet shift happening in my paintings.

It wasn’t something I planned out consciously at the start. More something that slowly emerged through experimenting, paying attention, and following certain ideas further to see where they might lead.

A lot of my recent work has become more focused on atmosphere — looking through trees and foliage into light, using contrast and layered space to draw the viewer deeper into the painting. I think I’ve become increasingly interested in the feeling of being inside a landscape rather than simply looking at one.

Part of that shift has come through changes in my brushwork and mark making. I’ve been experimenting with more single linear brush strokes of varying lengths, allowing the surface to feel more alive and directional. There’s probably a little Van Gogh influence in there somewhere, although I’m trying to let it evolve naturally into my own visual language.

What I enjoy about these marks is that they create movement and help lead the eye through the painting. They also allow forms to dissolve slightly as you move closer to the surface. From a distance, the viewer can recognise a tree, a shrub, or a pathway of light, but up close the image begins to break apart into colour, gesture and texture. Finding the balance between atmosphere and recognisable form is something I’m constantly working through.

The garden around our home has also started becoming a much stronger influence on the work.

When my wife and I moved here just over four years ago, we completely cleared the garden and started again from scratch. Since then we’ve slowly planted trees, shrubs and native flora, shaping it over time into a space we genuinely love spending time in. Now that the garden is becoming more established, I’m noticing endless small shifts happening within it — changing light, moving shadows, misty mornings, filtered evening sun, and the constant movement of birdlife through the trees.

At certain times of year we get regular visits from Carnaby black cockatoos, king parrots as well as the regulars - magpies, willy wagtails, honey-eaters and 28's. Sitting quietly and observing these moments has become a real source of inspiration for me. I think some of that calmness and sense of reflection is naturally finding its way into the paintings.

Works like Brand New Day, Day’s End and The Secret Garden all feel connected through this evolving direction. They’re less about describing a specific place in detail and more about trying to capture atmosphere, memory, movement and light.

At the moment, this path feels right to me. There’s still a lot of experimentation involved, and not every painting succeeds in the way I hope it will, but that sense of exploration is an important part of the process. I’m learning to trust it a little more and allow the work to keep evolving naturally over time.

I’m looking forward to seeing where it leads next.