Southern Boobook
Gouache & Fumage on embossed paper
58 x 58
cm
framed
Journey then and now From sitting with my grandfather drawing animals at age 6, to studying Graphic Design in the 70’s and gaining a Visual Art degree in 2005 my love of art and drawing has never waned. Over the years my work has evolved and I now find that the theme of animals, nature, emotion and connection drive my art. Much of my work is about the emotional life of animals and their place in the ecosystem. What I love is the challenge of finding the right medium and approach for representing different animals. One of the first series I did were wetland birds which I felt lent themselves to mono-types, a one - off print that’s a painterly form of printmaking. Living near the bush I was and still am concerned about bushfires and loss of habitat. My aim was to marry my subject with my materials. I eventually came to blind embossing the paper with local plants and using a fumagé technique (smoke from a burning candle) to emulate fire for the bushland animals such as the owls, emus and kangaroos. In more recent work I have incorporated patterned backgrounds of local plants printed onto paper from etched zinc plates. Sometimes I felt that I needed to create an animal in 3D and not departing too far from my love of paper I created these in paper maché. The challenges and possibilities for my art practice are infinite and so my journey continues. Kay Gibson 2021
SOLD