M O O N A H   paintings   2012      Deborah Brearley

Changing light, fluctuating weather conditions and the windswept Moonahs ( Melaleuca lanceolata)) are the images that inspire Deborah Brearley’s interpretation of the local landscape.

Sculpted by the prevailing winds the characteristic shapes of limbs and canopy are backlit in the fading light.

The paintings are about a play of opposites, capturing a fleeting moment against timeless and ancient Moonah woodland.

It is intended that the viewer feel part of or be drawn into the Moonah woodland environment while at the same time be invited to relate to the detail of the painting as an abstract painterly statement in gestural mark making and colour.

The use of high key and low-key colours are employed to reinforce the interplay of opposite forces. The vibrant light and silhouetted Moonah trunks and foliage are both a portrayal of reality and an abstraction of that reality.

Deborah lives and works in Point Lonsdale, a small coastal town in Victoria, Australia.

In her creative endeavours, she works across multiple disciplines, using various media including pencil, paint, cloth and thread.

Since childhood, she has been a keen observer of nature. Much of her personal artwork is influenced by the natural world and often presents an environmental message. Works are inspired by natural phenomena, domestic interiors and collected items. Objects gleaned, found and foraged find their way into still-life arrangements and constructions.

Her collected items and everyday surrounds, the garden, the home and the natural world, remain a constant source of inspiration and enquiry.