alla prima impressions of drought, rain, fire and australia. poignant - not poignant enough? who can tell. emotions are skittish and rise and fall like an unleashed set of tides...
About Me
- joel
- the dandenongs, victoria, Australia
- an artist and it solution architect living in the temperate rainforest of southeastern australia
9 comments:
The second one might be my new favorite of yours - simple, but so daring! That took some guts to space things out like that - I can hear the Conventionalists screaming "it could never work!" but it's so damn right. QED!
"Damn it Orville! I keep telling that brother of yours that it'll never work!!!".
well, perhaps somewhat of an exaggeration...
i am very pleased that this could be a new favorite! it means that maybe i have crossed ridge "A" on the way to ridge "B". the spacing is RIGHT. it was always right. it is part of the sparseness - which IS the subject. "Yeah those fires sure passed by here mate...".
it may not please the conventionalists - but is sure pleases me.
Thanks Nick...
My dear mother used to recite this poem to me when I was a kid.
She's 89 in April and still recites it at my request from time to time.
Bannerman of the Dandenong
By Alice Werner
Born 1859
I rode through the Bush in the burning noon,
Over the hills to my bride, --
The track was rough and the way was long,
And Bannerman of the Dandenong,
He rode along by my side.
A day's march off my Beautiful dwelt,
By the Murray streams in the West; --
Lightly lilting a gay love-song
Rode Bannerman of the Dandenong,
With a blood-red rose on his breast.
"Red, red rose of the Western streams"
Was the song he sang that day --
Truest comrade in hour of need, --
Bay Mathinna his peerless steed --
I had my own good grey.
There fell a spark on the upland grass --
The dry Bush leapt into flame; --
And I felt my heart go cold as death,
And Bannerman smiled and caught his breath, --
But I heard him name Her name.
Down the hill-side the fire-floods rushed,
On the roaring eastern wind; --
Neck and neck was the reckless race, --
Ever the bay mare kept her pace,
But the grey horse dropped behind.
He turned in the saddle -- "Let's change, I say!"
And his bridle rein he drew.
He sprang to the ground, -- "Look sharp!" he said
With a backward toss of his curly head --
"I ride lighter than you!"
Down and up -- it was quickly done --
No words to waste that day! --
Swift as a swallow she sped along,
The good bay mare from Dandenong, --
And Bannerman rode the grey.
The hot air scorched like a furnace blast
From the very mouth of Hell: --
The blue gums caught and blazed on high
Like flaming pillars into the sky; . . .
The grey horse staggered and fell.
"Ride, ride, lad, -- ride for her sake!" he cried; --
Into the gulf of flame
Were swept, in less than a breathing space
The laughing eyes, and the comely face,
And the lips that named HER name.
She bore me bravely, the good bay mare; --
Stunned, and dizzy and blind,
I heard the sound of a mingling roar --
'Twas the Lachlan River that rushed before,
And the flames that rolled behind.
Safe -- safe, at Nammoora gate,
I fell, and lay like a stone.
O love! thine arms were about me then,
Thy warm tears called me to life again, --
But -- O God! that I came alone! --
We dwell in peace, my beautiful one
And I, by the streams in the West, --
But oft through the mist of my dreams along
Rides Bannerman of the Dandenong,
With the blood-red rose on his breast.
wow Dake! neat verse. not heard that one before.
Your Mum has taste in poetry.
:)
Hi Joel,
I/we have been thinking of Victorians and our empathy and support is extended to you all in these extremely difficult times: the bush fires, the struggle, the immeasurable stress, the uncertainty hour by hour during tumultuous days and nights..
Regarding these two watercolours you have here, they're both great imo, and i particularly admire the second, since you have amply succeeded in achieving a rare and difficult luminous effect through transparent watercolour, successfully applying a glaze of a complementary colour (violet-grey) suffusing downwards over (and towards/through) the yellow-orange on the horizon, yet transparently vanishing (ever so subtlely) to reveal the latter's pure luminous warm window at the horizon. I know how hard that is. I also like the minimalism (and the feeling i get here that light and space and/or atmosphere are ?the very subjects of the paintings..).
The wide open space to me is very generically Australian. There's a transcendent timeless quality.
Best wishes,
wayne
Thanks Wayne. Sorry to take so long to answer - but we have been dodging bushfires, wind and rain for the last few weeks.
i love complementary colors and the way they work in watercolors. i particularly like violets and yellows mixed.
BUT, you have to get the right combos. i find AS Aurelion (colder) works well with Maimeriblu Blue violet and that indian yellow (warmer) works with red violet.
getting the mix just right and getting the colors to suffuse in the right spots is the hard (and fun!!!) part.
-- Joel.
Bellezza nella semplicita`
Beauty in simplicity
Bravo.
wow. i love it when you speak Italian at me...
I adore simplicity. i adore complexity within simplicity. i adore simplicity within complexity.
thanks for your continued support - i really appreciate it...
Hey matey!! Love both of these! I had not seen these before. The amazing colors in the sky against the stark trees really makes these exciting.
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