This painting was
created as a dedication to the vast unique beauty of the Tasmanian landscape
that I was able to explore during my brief stay there. Inspired by 5 different
landscapes in Tasmania, I tried to capture the remote beauty of the place as
well as it's otherworldly hidden treasures such as the numerous mountain caves
such as the one in Mole Creek.
Of course, the idea
behind this painting was not only to share the amazing natural wonders of
Tasmania, but also to share the darker story and
warning that travellers should heed. There's something missing from the glowing
part of the landscape, when the lights to the room turn off, the idea is that
the viewer's focus is moved from the land to the cave itself. If you've had the
pleasure to visit one of these amazing caves, you will know that the glow worms
are missing. This painting was designed as a warning that our presence does
make a difference and that while we should of course visit these amazing
places, we should also be careful to follow the rules and listen to the guides
instead of our self-interests.
I was
so amazed by the alien world of the caves that they inspired this, but I was
also furious at the single tourist I observed ignoring all of the rules and
possibly damaging that alien world for future generations. Sometimes, people
need to be reminded to care about more than themselves, this is a subtle
reminder of that and the fragile balance of nature and keeping its beauty
alive.
That's why this painting was created with care and many layers of
paint and great attention to detail. If you look closely the zoomed sections at the bottom show textures
and even hidden creatures. Fossilized seahorse on the lower right end can be
seen lights on and off. After around 2000 hours of painting, it was worth every
second to share even the smallest hidden creature.
