On a clear night you will find my son and I outside gazing up at the stars. At the time of this painting, our home was in Kongwak, a little town on the South Gippsland Coast. The skies are clear there, and it’s about a 10-minute drive to a rugged surf coastline, where we spend a lot of time.
With home in mind, I painted Whales and Butterflies. We have an abundance of butterflies and often see whales cruising our coast when Michael surfs. I also wanted to capture the constellation of stars visible over the summer; the magnificent Milky Way and Orion’s Belt.
This piece shares a tale of hope, communication, change and new directions. Once we decide to take that brave step and leap out of the water, we’ll discover new opportunities and a completely different perspective on life.
The whales in this piece are playfully jumping out of the water. They are a symbol of wisdom and knowledge.
I recently read some research on why whales breach. They may do it to keep plankton and krill, their food source, near the surface of the water. The cool part is this actually helps the environment, because carbon dioxide is taken from the atmosphere by the plankton and krill and deposited at the bottom of the ocean. The researchers believe that the movements of whales are crucial in keeping a balance to our environment and ecosystems.
The butterflies in this painting are a symbol of great transformation, this is why they are vibrant pink and orange. They show us that in order to experience change you’ll need to be patient – it will happen in time.
When the time is right you will come out of the dark and spread those beautiful wings, so never give up hope.
The whales and butterflies together symbolise how two polar opposite creatures can have the same strength, abilities and beauty regardless of size. We are all individuals and bring different attributes to the table. So be the unique person you were born to be, because you are more than good enough.
The water in this piece is wild and raw, and the fish are flying, indicating our deep, raw emotions.
This magical moment is all set under a midnight Milky Way – my favourite place to be.
