Little Heath

"UP and UNDER"

July 2023

Oil Painting

Ready to hang

L 62cm

H 46 cm

W 5cm

Winter is here , paddocks are white with frost .
Fire wood is stacked high.
The open fire place is burning late afternoon into the night. The flames flicker and crackle and are of many colours, red , yellow , purple, blue and viridian.
The woolshed , art studio is very cold hence have placed easel in corner of lounge room .

My interest in oil painting began from a chance meeting with famous ,
" Brushman of The Bush" landscape artist Jack Absolom . Jack was painting the panoramic scene on the side of a road , which runs from Cobar to Gunderbooka in NSW . I thought he must be crazy standing out under the hot sun . So I pulled over my ute to have a chat .

He was a jovial & talkative bloke ,who didn't hold back in coming forward . I watched him paint for an hour . He was observant and meticulous in the way he applied the paint .He said, " oil painting is good for your soul " . I was inspired and returned the next day to talk about the technique of painting .

Weeks later I bought tubes of oil paint, linseed oil , brushes , canvases and began having a go . What began as something to do in my spare time has become an obsession ! My studio is in the corner of a 110 year old Wool Shed. Sometimes I paint out in the paddock , under a huge 200 year old Gum tree .

My oil paintings are about people and the wildlife who live in panoramic Outback landscapes . Where flocks of colourful parrots , herds of camels , wild horses , emus & groups of kangaroos roam free . And large ancient rock formations with their stark , majestic appearance , are the best sculptural exhibitions in the world.

The billabong is a favourite subject in my landscapes because they are a haven for bird life; Spoonbills, White Herons , cockatoos, budgerigars, early rising brolgas & parrots . Where the pelicans, who fly off at sunrise to avoid the heat, lazily riding the thermals high in the sky all day, descending in the evening to feed. Also spectacular thunderstorm clouds , marking the horizon.
I have driven off the beaten track and experienced the beauty and harshness of the Outback with its floods, droughts and bush fires . Watching people do all soughts of strange and wonderfull things as they go about their daily lives. All of which are subject matter for my paintings .

Someone said I am a " colourist " which is right because the Outback is composed of rich oranges, reds, pinks, mauves and vibrant blues . I frequently see awe inspiring sunsets , sunrises and swirling clouds of every colour in the spectrum .

My painting style is known as Primitive because I was not formally taught in an Art School . Though I am in good company with Broken Hill's Sam Byrne & Lowry ( Englands favourite artist) and Henri Rouseau of whom Picasso said was the greatest of all Modern Artists. These 3 were Primitive Artists.

To apply the oil paint I mostly use brushes , sometimes a bird feather , occasionally my finger to achieve the desired effect .
The surface is textural as I apply lots of paint to the canvas , (so they don't look like cheap, nasty prints ). The canvas edges are painted , so it is ready to hang without framing.

My main artistic influences have been Drysdale, Syd Nolan , Boyd , Jack Absolom , Pro Hart , Albert Namijira & Kuditji Kngwarreye. Also a Japanese artist named Hiroshige who painted little people in landscapes. Believe it or not , his art influenced Van Gough !

Music is inspiring , so I listen to old Aussie classics from Slim Dusty , Lee Kernaghan , Crowded House , Cold Chisel , INXS & Paul Kelly . With the help of a few glasses of wine or icy cold beer. This gets the creative juices flowing. Late at night , when deep " in the zone" I paint in complete silence .

My paintings are hanging on the walls of homes and offices all over Australia , including The High Court in Perth , a Margaret River Winery & Doctors' surgeries . Also overseas in the Board Room of Royal Bank of Scotland and a New York Film Producer's apartment !!!

Have a great day,

Little Heath .

P.S Every painting is new, original and authentic , signed and dated on the front . A printed explanation or story of the painting is attached to the back of canvas .