Hercynia silva

You might be aware that Iam absolutely in love with forests especially cool climate forests with lots of pines. Recently I discovered the name of the mighty forest that once covered most of Germany and stretched all the way to the Carpathian mountains in the Ukraine. "Hercynia" and the old roman word for forest "silva". "Hercynia silva" doesn't that sound wonderful.
so last night I was searching for more info on the forest and came across this short film made by artists "Anna Abraham" and Jan Frederik Groot". This video is so close to perfect. To me it has the same feeling as my favourite black metal songs a kind of nostalgic longing mixed with dread. I cant explain it but I'm always chasing it.
hears the link. www.onlinefilm.org/en/film/43961

 

"In the northern region is the vast expanse of the Hercynian forest, untouched by the ages and coeval with the world, which surpasses all marvels by its almost immortal destiny." (Pliny, ‘Natural History’ 23-79 AD)

more watercolour

My watercolour explorations continue. This is a detail of a forest study I've been working on. I like how this part of it turned out but am not so happy with the picture as a whole. I painted this on canvas paper, which the watercolours swam on a bit and made more solid colours hard. The tree is drawn with ink and a quill. This is the first time I used a quill and I love it. I really like the accuracy and control of using the quill and it also makes lovely wispy effects as it runs out. Oh and it makes little scratching sounds on the paper which further adds to the basic and old fashioned feel of it. I'm won over.

New painting Pink stars/ silent night.

I finished my latest painting yesterday. This painting is inspired by night time walks in the tall wet eucalyptus forests of Victoria. I can almost hear the quiet chirping of the cicadas when I look at it.  I think I'll call it "silent night" or maybe "pink stars" or "cicada love song".

So here you go, not one, but three pictures of it, hee hee.