Shirley Peters Plein Air Painting - Near Appin Valley

Oil on Board - unframed 60*45

I start with a walk through the canyon or creek bed, armed with an oil paints, camera and sometimes watercolours.  I’ll make a painting and take many photos.  Then it’s back to the studio to start my large work, inspired. Sometimes I create a composite scene from two or three different places, and other times it’s a true representation.

My new work is becoming more detailed.  More patterns and textures. These combine and overlap, producing depth and a third dimension.  I love the ‘busyness’ that I see everywhere in dense bushland, and I love to paint these tight details. 

As a protest against the AI image, I am moving to thicker, gestural paint layers. I like to leave my knife-print, so to speak. So paintings are loosely based on realism, with many expressive strokes, and almost relief sculpture for trees and rocks.