Early morning at the beginning of autumn and the light is golden, crisp and clear.
2024 selected and hung in the Stanthorpe Biennial Award this still life this oil on linen explores the quiet tension between fragility and permanence through a carefully staged still life. Everyday vessels—clear glass forms and a metal jug—are paired with curling, desiccated leaves whose organic movement contrasts with the solidity of the objects that contain them. Light is used as both a structural and emotional element, casting elongated shadows that echo the shapes above and extend the composition beyond the physical forms.
The restrained palette of warm ochres, soft yellows, and muted neutrals creates a contemplative atmosphere, inviting slow looking. Transparency and reflection in the glassware act as metaphors for memory and impermanence, while the fallen leaves suggest transition, decay, and the passage of time. Compositionally, the diagonal planes and overlapping shadows introduce a subtle instability, reinforcing the sense of a moment suspended but not fixed.
Through this work, I aim to elevate the ordinary and draw attention to the poetic resonance of stillness—where light, object, and shadow briefly align to reveal beauty in restraint and quiet observation.