At Home With Phillip Russell – Part 2

Curator’s Notes

‘Renewal’ by Phillip Russell is a collection of three paintings that explore a landscape devastated by bushfires. A time in history that happened not too long ago and the after effects still ever so strong.
Renewal 1, 2 and 3 paintings have been created so the eye can travel zig-zag-like through the landscape, witnessing the black trees slowly replaced by new saplings as the land begins its spiritual journey back to recovery.

“I began painting this series as a way of exploring the possibilities of a landscape that had been devastated by bushfires. What interested me was how the landscape was regenerating.

The rocky hillside (renewal 2) revealed a way of creating a zig-zag pattern so the eye could travel over the land and make its own discoveries. The shapes are geometric here in contrast the more organic shapes of the hillside. I used a limited palette consisting of a variety of earthy and harmonious greys and muted sandy colours with mauve for the shadows, creating the mood of the painting.

The larger work (renewal 1) gave me the opportunity to expand my design and to continue the zig-zag approach. I didn’t include the sky as I wanted the focus to be primarily on the landscape itself with the foliage and plant life emerging and an expanded colour palette creating a more optimistic mood.

In the third work (renewal 3), I moved away entirely from the hillside and zigzag scheme to explore a different view, showing a fuller recovery. The main focus is a great eucalypt standing as a silent sentinel and a defiant witness to the destructive force of the fires”. Russell

Phillip Russell’s ‘Renewal’ paintings are currently exhibiting in our ‘Paintings & Ceramics’ Exhibition, 14 August – 26 September, open Friday and Saturday.

Artwork Feature

Available through Rochfort Gallery
Phone: 0438 700 712
Email: [email protected]
317 Pacific Highway, North Sydney NSW 2060