“Cannas”, 2017

James Brown

“Cannas”, 2017

Pastel and oil on canvas

Size: 25.5 x 20.2 cm

Painting flowers has been an ongoing interest and the striking reds of Canna lily flowers are particularly attractive. Their vibrant hues are impossible to overlook, commanding attention and filling space with energy.

My artistic journey with this piece began with a pastel drawing on canvas, a medium I adore for its ability to create soft, fluid blends of colour. However, the inherent challenge of pastels—their tendency to smudge—prompted me to incorporate oil paint into my process. By layering glazes and brushstrokes of oil paint, I ensured that the colours would remain vibrant and fixed on the canvas. This combination of pastels and oils yields an effect reminiscent of watercolour, as the white gesso layer beneath plays a crucial role in enhancing the luminosity of the image.

Regarding composition, this painting represents a departure from my usual approach. Typically, I prefer to illuminate my subjects with light entering the composition from the upper left, providing a sense of depth and perspective. In this instance, I consciously chose a different angle of lighting, allowing the light to come from the lower right and slightly behind the flowers. This technique, known as “contre-jour” (against the light), was intentional, aiming to create a dynamic interplay of shadows and highlights that amplifies the intense orange-reds of the Cannas.

“Ross River Floods”, 2023

James Brown

“Ross River Floods”, 2023

Oil on canvas

Size: 45.5 x 35.5 cm

The trees that have fallen into our local Ross River in Townsville, Australia, serve as poignant reminders of the flooding and fierce winds that characterize the cyclone and monsoon season from November to March each year. Remarkably, many of these trees do not succumb to the torrential rain and gale-force winds; instead, they tell a story of resilience and survival. Some, like the one depicted in this painting, manage to endure and continue to thrive, stretching their branches horizontally across the water. Their uniquely collapsed formations of sprawling limbs and stunted foliage provide refuge and resting spots for a variety of wildlife, including turtles, cormorants, and even pelicans.

This painting has undergone almost a decade of gradual evolution before its completion. Initially, the distant riverbank featured strong tones and reasonably fine details. However, after years of contemplation on how to progress, I decided to embrace a new narrative: the arrival of the monsoon rains. Intentionally, I sought to suggest the wet season by using vertically stroked washes of white paint, which dissolve the far edge of the river as if it were drenched in rain. In diminishing the background, I aimed to shift focus to the foreground, where the resilient tree remains anchored.

James Brown

“Barron Falls Pool”, 2019

Watercolour on heavy wove paper

Size: (sheet) 42 x 29.7 cm; (image borderline) 21 x 21 cm.

While the title of this watercolour suggests that the painting depicts the rocks at the base of Barron Falls in Kuranda, Australia, the image leans more towards fantasy than a faithful representation. Having previously sketched the smaller tributary cascades of the waterfall from a distance, this piece zooms in on a specific section of the falls, enabling me to incorporate fine details such as grooves in the rock face and runnels that redirect the water flow. I aimed to enrich the rock colours by blending deep blacks and soft ochres with hints of green and blue to evoke the presence of moss and mist. Ultimately, this artwork serves as an exploration of pictorially sculpting and reimagining the rocks to align with my vision of a rock face, characterized by jagged crevasses, prominent fault lines, and an outer layer smoothed by the relentless passage of time and erosion.

 

“Barron Falls”, drawings 1 to 4, 2017

James Brown

“Barron Falls”, drawings 1 to 4, 2017

Sketchbook drawings

Size: 21 x 13 cm

These drawings were created over the course of several months, during my time spent in doctors' and dentists' waiting rooms. I discovered that time passes quickly when contemplating how water flows over rocks. While the concept of a waterfall—specifically, a series of tiny cascades that contribute to the grand Barron Falls at Kuranda in North Queensland, Australia—may seem simple, the intricacies of capturing the water's route as it navigates lumps and hollows in the rock face were truly engrossing.

To represent the flow of water, I experimented with smudging pencil marks using my finger and incorporating strokes of colour to convey the overall dynamics of each drawing. Reference photographs provided insight into the broader scene, yet my interest extended beyond mere representation. In my mind's eye, I was crafting a fantasy of movement, with water flowing in various directions, ultimately destined for its downward journey.

“From the Overflow, Lake Tinaroo”, 2024

James Brown

“From the Overflow, Lake Tinaroo”, 2024

Oil on wood panel

Size: 61 x 61 cm

At the beginning of 2024, my friend David Jarman very kindly took Isabelle and me on a drive around the Atherton Tablelands in Far North Queensland, Australia. One of our stops was to see Lake Tinaroo, officially known as the Tinaroo Falls Dam. My recollection of the exact site of the scene has sadly faded from memory, but it was from the top of the spillway to the river below (see reference photo).

The subject, in terms of an arrangement of trees partially blocking and framing the view of a river bend, has a great appeal. In fact, I have painted numerous landscapes based on this composition. For me, there’s an inherent allure in the way that trees can partially obscure a view. This is possibly linked to anticipation about the future—the moment of pause, curiosity and reflection—what lies “around the corner”, but I’m not sure.

As for my choice of medium, lately I prefer to paint on wood panels rather than traditional canvas. The durability of wood allows for a more expressive and dynamic approach to my work. While I don’t aggressively attack the surface, the resilience of wood grants me the freedom to scrape, scumble, and manipulate the paint without fear of damaging the support. In short, I like painting on wood.