Collage (2017) Pintura por Susan Willemse

This is one of the first artworks I created in Australia with acrylics on canvas and has a lot of meaning because everything here was seen in our backyard, it was even created different to my other artworks in that I painted the birds first and the background second. The lilies I had grown myself from a bulb brought at Bunnings hardware store and they still continue to delight each spring- indeed I could not hide my impulse purchase from my husband who has grown to like these flowers too- they feature on my FB page. The birds are special too for "the wildest bird of all" our white dove that lived on our roof for many years could not be approached, wouldn't use the box we built for him, spent ages in the bird bath and had the flying disorder that made him tumult in the sky when frightened- but he gave us hope everyday and represented peace to me- he had two friends that lived with him a grey and white dove and a brown dove with curly feathers- they were a happy albeit odd family. The Koel is a migrant bird and seeing this one through the studio window was a delight- they come each year to eat figs and have a loud unusual call, thus the fig leaves appeared in my painting. the gum leaves are from the front- this tree I loved so much has become a huge problem for overgrown it's roots likes pipes with water in them and they actively block sewage drains keeping plumbers in business, it sheds a amazing amount of debris meaning weekly road sweeps, kills all beneath it and shades the entire cottage the whole winter which is definitely energy usage unfriendly- it is however protected and only when they fall on cars and neighbours property are they removed here. The rest of the birds Sulphur-crested cockatoos, Magpie, Eastern Rosella, Crested Pigeon, Galah, King Parrot, Currawong, Noisy miner are all local birds too that we have got to know well but they are by no means all the birds we have here, thus Canberra if you like birds is indeed a stunning destination to be in and I feel very privileged to be able to observe these beautiful creatures. I would however recommend planting more fruit trees rather than gums trees for them to enjoy- Koel especially likes cherries and will lose all her shyness to get one, sadly cherry trees that would grow so well here and supply so much to birds and humans are banned on "nature strips" here- a word I find quite odd as the eucalyptus sap kills everything underneath it and only the koala can eat it, there are however no koalas here anymore except in the nature reserves as they would be killed on the roads walking from tree to tree. Of note is the fact that these leaves that collect in gutters are highly flammable as well enabling whole streets to be destroyed during fire storms. Gum trees although beautiful in parks, rural and nature reserves are not suited to urban areas I have discovered. This artwork is framed with a Victorian Ash floating frame.

Temas relacionados

CollageSulphur-CrestedcockatoosCurrawongKoelNoisyminer