Vanessa Rowe
This collection of paintings and drawings explores the coastal landscapes around my home in Sydney. Whilst the focus of the works is the landscape, they are also about the familiar rituals and personal stories within those spaces.
At times figures find their way in, such as a silhouette at dusk through a neighbour’s window, or myself – reflected in a window.
Along with the stories, I am drawn to looking at the landscape’s detailed, chaotic parts. The tangled tree trunks, clusters of leaves, man-made structures, the light or the ocean’s changing form - I’m chasing a mix of calmness, energy and beauty.
These works were made both plein air and in the studio using oil, acrylic and water soluble wax pastels.
Photo: Vanessa Rowe, 2022
1969, 2023, oil on linen, 86 x 76cm
Nearby beyond, 2023, oil on linen, 40 x 30cm
Nearby beyond 2, 2023, oil on clayboard, 35.5 x 28cm
Night roar, 2023, oil on linen, 40 x 30cm
Sea doorway, 2020, oil on canvas, 60 x 50cm
The 13th moon, 2023, oil on linen, 50 x 40cm
Twilight, 2021, oil on canvas, 20 x 20cm
Candyland, 2022, oil on canvas, 26 x 20cm
Mood lights, 2021, oil on canvas, 30 x 40cm
In his blue gardens, 2020, oil on canvas, 25 x 35cm
In the deep night, 2020, oil on canvas, 40 x 30cm
The moon shines everywhere, 2020, oil on canvas, 30 x 25cm
Hotspot, 2022, oil on canvas, 20 x 26cm
Shimmer in all directions, 2022, oil on canvas, 20 x 26cm
Sweet spot, 2022, oil on canvas, 20 x 26cm
Too much reflection is pointless, 2022, oil on canvas, 26 x 20cm
Night gardening, 2021, oil on canvas, 30 x 40cm
Rich, deep crawl space of possibility, 2020, oil on canvas, 30 x 40cm
Tree climbing, 2021, oil on canvas, 40 x 50cm
Lying on warm grass, 2022, acrylic on clayboard, 30 x 40cm
Parklife 1, 2020, oil on canvas, 24 x 18cm
Parklife 2, 2020, oil on canvas, 40 x 30cm
Playtime 1, 2022, watercolour on paper, 21 x 29cm
Playtime 2, 2022, oil on canvas, 20 x 26cm
Portal 1, 2022, wax crayon on paper, 21 x 29cm
Portal 2, 2022, wax crayon on paper, 21 x 29cm
Sleeping entanglement, 2020, oil on canvas, 40 x 50cm
Look out, not in, 2021, oil on canvas, 30 x 40cm
6am sunrise, 2021, oil on canvas, 30 x 25cm
7am sunrise, 2021, oil on canvas, 30 x 25cm
No one can see us, 2020, oil on canvas, 30 x 40cm