Tim's Art Blog (1) - Visual Yoga

I have been through a bit of visual yoga over the last few years. Stretching the spectrum from the light at the hottest interiors of Australia has been very challenging, certainly changing my appreciation of reds, oranges and yellows. The cobalt blue skies radiating down provide an alien feel and the bleached vegetation with its desaturated greenery can be spooky to say the least. The crispness of the dry atmosphere also provides hugely sharp contrast to deal with.

Walga Rock, Western Australia, 60 x 90 cm, acrylic on canvas (2011)

Bergessen Ridge, Norway...an example of the use of 'Scottish colours', 40 x 30 cm, acrylic on canvas (2003)

One thing is that Australia has kicked me into action as all this stimulation is very inspiring. The dull-grey, rocky and lush landscapes of Scotland, the home of geology, still has a calming and homely feel for me. This will constantly be with me in my palette, however the spectral diversity available challenges and advances me to a wider perspective.

Last year our visit to Antarctica has challenged the eye once again. The effect of the light and conditions there was complicated and difficult to deal with, absorb and process in relation to previous experiences. This time there was a challenge of extreme low-saturation and high brightness. One material result of this was the purchase of 1 litre of Titanium White on our return.

Here is a list of the strange visual experiences in Antarctica:

• 24 hours of light, a dizzying feeling where midnight seems like midday 
• Low sun angle and permanent sunset sensation...constant yellowing of the sky at the horizon
• Glare from the snow and ice.
• Vertical cliffs of rock producing the harshest of shadows
• Atmospheric phenomena such as numerous haloes and sun dogs
• Totally dry atmosphere where objects on the horizon have similar contrast to middle-distance objects
• The blue colour of light that has passed through a foot or more of ice
• A surface of ice crystals
• When overcast, the occurrence of zero contrast conditions. Ultra-diffuse scattering of light results in the shadows caused by surface features disappearing, little for the eye to focus on, a nauseating, no horizon world.
• Bizzare arrays of ice-crystal clouds such as common radiating cirrus and then skies of lenticularis
• Extreme contrast means that tents and objects seem to be floating in white at an unknown distance
• Mirage effects, fata morgana producing cliffs of rock beyond the ice-sheet.
• No scale
• An inorganic world with minimal vegetation
• Gentle curves produced by enormous streams of glaciers
• A wind-sculpted snow surface seen everywhere
• Our brightly coloured equipment