This will be about the stories behind the paintings. Maybe the stories are triggers for the images, maybe they spark deas for stories after they are created. These are the reflections of my inner self, I am just the interpretor.
This painting, called "At a Crossroad" was painted after I returned from a trip to Paris. I live in Melbourne. My studio is above a Cafe, called Boheme Cafe. Before the chance to go travelling, I was feeling a little Lost, as in where was I going with myself, my art, my ideas. There was the chance to visit Paris for two weeks, so there I went.
I walked everywhere, for hours till my feet ached. But, what a joy, what an adventure to roam the streets, to visit the galleries, to sit and sip strong coffee in cafes surrounded by the buzz of this beautiful city.
So here was a painting I created after my return. The painting tries to straddle time and experience. From prior to leaving and then the return. Behind the head is the past, a time of confusion and no direction. The face looks outwards, to the future with hope and a little trepidation. This is the nature of embarking on a journey. The moment of decision is the crossroad. Taking off, crossing the boundary and leaving the earth or what is familiar and trusting the unknown. The future suddenly takes a turn, this is where my ordinary day ended and this is where my extraordinary day might begin. Colours are the notes that convey the "sound" of a painting. Much can be read into the placement of colour, the decsion to choose one colour instead of another. Red, White and Blue, remind me that it was to Paris I had gone. But within each colour another story evolves. The black stripes in the red are steps to the possibility of future achievements. Rungs in a ladder. Within the blue, is that water, or maybe air, marks and scratches comment on the physical world.
Deciding to do this Blog, is one such Crossroad. This is why I have chosen to begin with this painting. I look forward to your musings as I begin to articulate in words what previously I used in images.
Ciao,
Saren
