Coco Elder

My greatest inspiration for my work is the Australian bush. Having lived near Ku-Ring-Gai National Park, and more recently within the Bellingen Shire, the Guringai and Gumbaynggirr country have been a source of subject matter that aspires to my senses. I resonate with the energy and spirit of this land and its past people for whom I have great respect. Over the last decade, I have been painting with oil on board and then carving back through the surface using various engraving tools, which allows me to bridge the two practices of drawing and painting. Cezanne’s process of building up forms of colour and simplifying the landscape into geometrical forms inspires the initial process of oil painting and allows me to transcribe observations of interlocking patterns in nature that are evident to me via perceiving shadows and light. The forms then come to life with textural overlays created by the carving process. By carving back through the surface, I’m able to create another layer, one that is more playful, and a gestural expression of the form and place that resonate in its essence and life force. I hope to lead my audience on a journey and have them reflect on the grandeur of our natural landscape. One that is to be revered and protected.