绘画即热爱

The Space Between No. 2, oil and wax on canvas, 152 X 182 cmBelynda Henry’s expressive and vibrant work has garnered a committed following across the globe, but it’s home that continues to inspire the artist; Australia’s harsh, wild and boundless landscape is a constant source of inspiration and Henry’s next exhibition,To Paint Is To Love, presents her preoccupation in vivid colour.“I am always open to the adventure of a new landscape,”Henry tellsVogue Living. “Living in the same hidden and isolated valley [in New South Wales’sCentral Coast] for over twenty years is obviously a source of constant and endless inspiration but it is highly important as an artist to look further, to make yourself feel uncomfortable, to challenge and explore.”This pursuit of a challenge saw Henry take toSydney Harbour, idyllic spots like Shark Island, Camp Cove and Palm Beach, in the inclement weather of spring, to produce a handful of works for herTo Paint Is To Love, which will take place atAustralian Galleriesin Sydney’s Paddington. “Sydney Harbour is incredibly beautiful, we all agree [but] what better way than to work your way around the harbour in the September weather,” Henry elaborates. “Painted in my own unique style but referencing Australian artists such as Lloyd Rees, Sydney Long and Brett Whiteley.”Emerald,oil and wax on canvas. 152 x 182 cmThe exhibit, which opens November 28, will be Henry’s largest to date and will command both levels of the prestigious gallery. Hosting a mix of landscape and abstracted landscape pieces, the show will consist of large scale oil and wax paintings on canvas, a collection of new works on paper from the ‘Tangle’ series and six large scale watercolour paintings “created while painting en plein air” around Sydney Harbour.Opting to “push a little further” outside the realms of what constitutes a traditional exhibition, Henry is creating an immersive show that will capture the sounds and sights of her rural Central Coast studio to give visitors a sense of where her pieces are formed and how she works. Using bird song recorded on the 20-acre property and floral sculptures by artist Tracey Deep to “help create a hanging sculptural interpretation of the bushland and nature that inspires my thought process”, the show will offer a rare glimpse into Henry’s practice.Island No. 4 Sydney Harbour,watercolour on arches paper, 58 x 76 cmWhile the celebrated artist’s long-standing fascination with the Australian landscape will certainly be on show,To Paint Is To Lovewill also be a chance to see Henry’s evolving process and masterful use of colour up close. “Over the last few years my work has shifted from acrylic painting into the wonderful and powerful medium of oil paint,” Henry explains of her practice, noting she prefers a mix of brush work and a palette knife. “This change in material has allowed me to further extend technical painting applications. Colour choice comes naturally and instinctively after painting for over twenty years; all I like to do is have as many colours out as physically possible. Painting is usually automatic based on a mix of memory and new discoveries.”Mysterious Water No. 5, oil and wax on canvas, 182 x 152 cmThe show will also present a taste of Henry’s upcoming book also entitledTo Paint Is To Love, a sample version of which will be on display at the exhibit and available for preorder. “All together this body of work is a personal reflection, an emotional response and a further step forward in painting development and exploration of the subject: the Australian landscape,” the artist explains.That landscape has long been a fascination of Henry’s, the artist recalling her first attempt to capture it at age 10 with her father and a “little red suitcase of watercolour paints” one summer holiday. “I painted two farmhouse scenes which I still have,” Henry recounts, adding, “the second important memory was flying for the first time with my grandmother to Tasmania. The first time I saw the landscape from above. I have never let that vision subside.”Ordinance No.3, oil and wax on canvas, 182 x 152 cmNow, that vision extends to expressive, energetic and vivid works that capture what Henry describes as the “infinite possibilities” of the Australian landscape. That vision has also captured the attention of the world, with Henry recently selling out her New York show at the Olsen Gruin gallery, with a significant number of pieces acquired byChristian Louboutin.Pale Calm, oil and wax on canvas, 152 x 182 cm“Christian Louboutinacquired over half the show including the major work,” Henry tellsVogue Living, revealing a future collaboration with the designer may be on the horizon. “What a wonderful thought to imagine my creations hanging in his Paris apartment. It was said that he purchased the works as inspiration for his next collection.”Ordinance No.4, oil and wax on canvas, 182 x 152 cmFor now though,To Paint Is To Loveis Henry’s focus and the artist has laboured over each piece, ensuring that her quest to challenge herself and push her practice further continues. “I see them all as an extension of each other when I glance around the crowded studio; they are intertwined and speak to each other,” the artist says of the pieces. “It is important that they work as a series and they have all been laboured over with equal amounts of time and energy.”To Paint Is To Lovewill run from 28 November - 20 December, 2020 atAustralian Galleries.