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.