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Shark Bay
I was overwhelmed by the brightness and colour of the west coast of Australia. We stood above this bay, looking down on the sharks below, small and harmless with distance.
aprox. size (cms)
89x 89
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Kalgoorlie Gold
Driving one evening to a game of 'two pennies' played by the locals in the gold town of Kalgoorlie, the sun was setting behind the Salmon Gums. These lovely trees, true to their name, moult every year to reveal a new, smooth, salmon pink bark. They go on for ever.
89 x 119
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Origins
On the west coast of Australia is a place called Hammelin Pool. This is a wide expanse of shallow, turquoise water contained within the arms of two sand spits. Here grow stromatolites, shapes on the shore and just underwater, formed by tiny organisms called cyanobacteria - said to be one of the first earthly life forms. I connected the Aboriginal people with these first forms of life.
89 x 88
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Praying Nun
Just north of Perth lies the Pinnacles Desert, a beautiful, undulating sea of deep yellow sand. A few bushes survive among the ancient fossilized tree stumps which form the pinnacles which grow like great whale or dinosaur teeth from the sand. Some of the pinnacles have been given names, and one of these is the Praying Nun. I had been exposed to different cultures, and this painting seems to embody both the Gothic and the Eastern ways.
89x 119
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Carnarvon Gorge - Ghost Gums
Up in Queensland, a few hours drive inland from the coast, this gorge cuts its way between two escarpments. It is full of gum trees and tree ferns, and there are two sites of ancient aborigine rock paintings. On my way up the gorge I was seeing each tree, rock and plant as individual. On my way down I was aware of the interaction and interdependence of everything that lived in this magical wholeness, including the spirits of the people who had long ago dwelt here. The outlines of their hands have been left for posterity.
89 x 119
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Yin and Yang
The earth and the sky, the fundamental search for balance.
89 x 88
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Garden Temple
In
Luang Prabang, Laos, this was one of the smarter temples, situated in
the Palace Gardens, in this fascinating old town which is a mixture of
ancient Buddhism and Colonial French.
61 x 51
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Phet
A
tiger who was born free, brought up in a village, but had lived in a small
cage for over a year, yet was still friendly and gentle and could be patted
through the bars. She purred and 'talked' when spoken to. By now she should
be installed in her new large enclosure. The name Phet, pronounced Pet,
means Diamond.
45 x 51
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Tiger in the Pink
Speaks
for itself
67 x 81
10
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Tiger in the Sky
I
kept singing in my head the Beatles song with slightly altered words -
Tiger in the Sky with Diamonds.
I didn't paint the diamonds, as the tiger's name was Diamond (Phet).
61 x 51
11
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Slow Boat - Mekong
Standard
transport to travel down the Mekong river from Northern Thailand to Luang
Prabang, a cramped two day journey.
77 x 61
12
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River Children
Swimming
in the river, a tributary of the Mekong, at Luang Prabang, tiger country
in the distance.
64 x 74
13
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Mekong
I
wanted to portray the colours and character of the river, swirling around,
drawing you in, just that, no more
66 x 71
14
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Harmony
Two
Buddha (-esses) - statues I came across in Sukothai, in Thailand. They
were not together at the time.
81 x 66
15
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Peace and Passion
Images
of Thai Buddhist culture
61 x 51
16
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Big Blue Elephant
I
had a great time out at the Elephant farm near Chang Mai in Thailand (the
colour isn't real!)
66 x 76
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Oh to be a Bird
In
Thailand and Laos, hens and cockerels roam free. So do the pigs in the
villages, but I didn't paint a pig.
66 x 76
18
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Floating Buddha
I
notice that the Buddhas I have chosen to paint all have quite a feminine
appearance. Lotus lilies are given as offerings in the Temples, but were
not so easy to find growing wild. These were at the ruined town of Sukhotai
- the Buddha wasn't really afloat, but I thought she would be happy among
the lilies.
65 x 72
19
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The Sunday Hat
A
Fiji villager whose Sunday outfit attracted me
51 x 45
20
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Fiji Woman
Planting
Cassava in the forest
86 x 66
Barbara's Hibiscus - Not for Sale - Cards in aid of Slanu Cancer Help Centre
Barbara Callan, while already suffering from cancer, wrote and sang a song for me at my last exhibition in November 2000. While I was in Thailand I noticed an especially beautiful white hibiscus flower, and thought that I would paint it and send it to Barbara. However I received a message a few days later to say that she had died. The painting is in the safe keeping of her friend Susan, and is not for sale. I would like perhaps to make postcards from it, which could be sold in aid of Slanu Galway Cancer Help Centre. If you would like to sponsor some, the cost is approximately £100 per 500 cards.