Kerry Dunne - Mountain Creek

61cm x 61cm

Acrylic and oil crayon on canvas

Kerry Dunne

These four paintings illustrate my approach to painting abstracted, expressionist landscapes that convey a sense of place. Most frequently, my work focuses on the vast, often spare Australian landscape, its enigmatic and timeless character. Abstract shapes and gestural marks suggest the configuration of the terrain. Sgraffito and other marks capture the textures of the landscape. There is a stillness in the landscape that is regenerative, almost meditative. Environmental themes recur throughout my practice. Mountain Creek depicts the early stages of a creek in a rocky, austerely beautiful landscape. Abstract shapes made with a palette knife suggest rocks, mountainous terrain, and reflected light on water. Desert Plants 2 depicts the tenacity of life in the arid country around Broken Hill while Mundi Mundi Plains captures the rare beauty of seemingly limitless vistas in the same area with stunning palettes of evening colours. Is this how it is going to be... reflects environmental concerns about global heating. The landscape is spare, and insidious levels of dust, heat and perhaps fire are evoked using cold wax medium techniques. The brutal remnants of trees contrast with an indifferent, yet compelling landscape. I began painting toward the end of my academic career in 2011, studying part-time TAFE courses in Wollongong. From 2017 I continued my education through regular classes at NERAM, Armidale, and artist retreats with Judith White, Ross Laurie, Jon Bertini and Idris Murphy. In my practice I spend a lot of time in the landscape, observing, sketching and photographing. The works are then completed in the studio where I may use photos as a reference but at some stage the work takes over telling me what is needed. I paint in acrylics and oils, the choice at any one time determined by logistics, the weather and the effect I want to achieve.