Page 25 - Waltzing Mathilda

These paintings were all painted in the studio in Oxfordsire during Autumn 2014 and winter of 14-15. Late nights, large fires, Red wine' Rain, Snow, Frost, Wind, Mud
The soundtrack to the studio work was more Tom Waits than Banjo Patterson. His song, Tom Trauberts Blues slipped into my unconcious in the early morning hours in a bar in Brussels.
That memory bubbled into my mind and was the first spark to light this exhibition,
As we drifted away that morning, sun coming up, we talked of how poignant that song felt for us, being so far away from Australia and we fretted on just how it affected us as we humped our contemporary suitcases around the world. Of just how different the world is now and yet how the echo of the past came through to us
I hope this work speaks of of travel and home, the sadness mixed with anticipation of leaving, the delight of the journey and the excitment and sometimes dissappointment of arrival.
I hope they speak of hope and despair, love and desire, sadness, loss and gain..
I hope they still convey some grain of the idea of Waltzing Matilda in a world where we are no longer restricted to travel around Australia alone.