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"Instead of trying to exactly reproduce what's before my eyes, I use colour more arbitrarily, to express myself my forcibly." Vincent van Gogh |
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What Roland paints is
the conversation he has had with places, the country that plays and
goes on playing between him and these bluffs and trees and scarps and
tors and lightscapes and valleyfloors and firegrounds that stopped him
dead and quickened him and asked him to stay.
Mark Tredinnick, poet & essayist
Often I revisit a place in order to further explore other aspects of that landscape or to elaborate on a theme or a series. For me it's all about getting intimate with place. In order to do this I end up spending a lot of time just sitting or walking and of course sketching a particular landscape and generally just tuning in. I believe that country is sentient and if you listen close enough you'll hear Her speak. I'd even go so far as to say that certain places ask to be painted or even written about. In the same way as a person would commission an artist to paint a portrait . And so quite often I've found myself whilst on a painting trip taking a detour thereby gathering landscape commissions along the way. As for the artworks, my pastels are usually started on site but always completed away from the place. I do this for 2 reasons. The practical one is that under hot conditions both I & the pastels have a tendency to melt and secondly when I'm away from the subject I reflect upon what feelings and memories I retain. As for my oil paintings they are always done in the studio where I draw upon the sketches and also reflect and visualize being back out there. Aside from painting I also have an interest in the psychology of CG Jung, Eastern Philosophies, comparative mythology, poetry, literature and archaeology. I'd like to think that these interest also inform the way I create my artworks. So I bring all these elements together in the crucible that is my studio and I hope that my pictures, to once again quote van Gogh "speak". enquiries: rolandart@bigpond.com or phone 0447 621 556 or 02 4782 3168 curriculum vitae  Roland's artworks are to be found in corporate, private & overseas collections. Nov/Dec 2011 Arboreal (group exhibition) Macquarie University Art Gallery July/August 2011 Interior Journeys; Solo exhibition Links House in conjunction with The Milk Factory Gallery, Bowral and dinner event: Landscape as the Beloved the artist in discussion with Poet Mark Tredinncik and cultural critic/author Prof Deborah Bird Rose Feb/March 2010 Solo Exhibition “3 States” Weswal Gallery, Tamworth NSW Dec 2009 Christmas Group Show” Weswal Gallery, Tamworth NSW 2009/10 Images & text included on Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute Website for Stories of the Blue Mountains JUNE 2009 Red Earth Country SOLO EXHIBITION The Milk Factory Gallery BOWRAL NSW DEC 2008 Group Show The Milk Factory Gallery Bowral NSW JULY 2008 ARTWORK FEATURED IN MAGAZINE WORLD LITERATURE TODAY To illustrate an essay by Poet Mark Tredinnick DEC 2007 GROUP SHOW HATHILL GALLERY
BLACKHEATH JULY- AUGUST 2007 SOLO EXHIBITION LANDSCAPES HATHILL GALLERY BLACKHEATH APRIL 2007 BRANCHING OUT: STORIES OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS HOSTED BY BLUE MOUNTAINS WORLD HERITAGE INSTITUTE BY INVITATION ONLY SEPT 2004 SOLO EXHIBITION: WESTERN JOURNEYS L&S GALLERY BATHURST 2001 WORKS ON SHOW AT LILIANFELS KATOOMBA
2001 ARTWORKS ON CONSIGNMENT WITH DISCOVER ART AUSTRALIA SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 2000 WORKS ON SHOW AT LILIANFELS KATOOMBA 2000 GROUP SHOW INTERIOR JOURNEYS GALLERY ON LURLINE KATOOMBA  Working on site at Arkaroola,
South Australia
photo: Bill Forward |