Emus of Hay Plains
SOLD
Artwork Details
71 x 71 cm (unframed)
Oak floating frame with wax finish.
Impasto acrylic with impasto medium applied with a palette knife on 100% cotton canvas. Finished with two isolation coats and one coat of matte polyurethane varnish.
Created with Australian-made, eco-friendly, zero VOC, and cruelty-free paints, impasto medium, and matte varnish. The canvas is made with FSC-approved sustainably sourced Swedish pine.
Artwork Description
This painting is based on a photo I took on the Sturt Highway between Balranald and Hay. I was captivated by the consistent presence of emus and the diversity of the unique combinations. I immediately knew how to turn this inspiration into a strategic palette knife painting. I wanted the emus to be the focal point, with a heavy focus on the distinctive vegetation of the Hay Plains. I intended to capture the landscape's colours and textures by utilising palette knives and impasto. Rather than accurately depicting the detail in the landscape, I wanted the detail to appear more implied, emphasising the intertwined and blended appearance of the vegetation. What I love most about this scene is the sense of vast openness. The paddocks seem endless, creating a feeling that there’s nothing beyond them, yet here stands a family of emus, thriving.
Framed by Angela Coombs Matthews, located in Temora NSW.
All of my original art and art reprints are signed with an ‘S’ logo. This logo was the Storey family brand used by my Great-Grandfather, on what is now my Grandparent's cattle farm. The farm has been in the Storey name since the mid-19th century however the brand was only in use from roughly the 1930s to the 1960s on sheep. After shearing, the brand was dipped in dye and pressed to the sheep’s hind quarter. It would stain the wool for quite some time and be used to identify the sheep if they strayed.
I have immense pride in my origin, and I love that I am able to attach a piece of family history to the art that I create. I strongly believe that when purchasing art, it is incredibly important to feel a strong sense of passion from the artist through the painting. I hope that combining my lineage with my art expresses this connection.