ABOUT THE ARTWORK
2025
Chalk Pastel
A3
Beauty is a central them to my art and it is what draws me to certain types of art, music, literature and all kinds of creative expressions. The works of the Victorian and PreRaphaelite artists have long captivated me for this very reason. For many years, I have had a large print of John William Waterhouse's painting 'The Soul of the Rose' gracing one of the walls in my home. Beauty emanates from this work.
In 2024, a student asked to do some portrait work with chalk pastels. We decided to have a go at creating our own versions of Waterhouse's painting using pastels. It took longer than expected and I almost gave up on it but after a break, I saw my version with fresh eyes and decided to persevere. Then, everything started to come together. I made a clear decision at a particular point to diverge from the original and make the artwork my own. The most notable difference being the colour of the roses which were pink but are now changed to gold. I included some vivid colours among the foliage - giving a nod to William Morris and his colourful designs. The lady herself is a bit more rounded in features.
Upon completion early in 2025, I settled on the title 'A Greater Beauty', encapsulating a number of thoughts spawned by the image. The focus of my reimagined artwork goes beyond the woman and even beyond the rose to the Author of beauty itself. Both woman and rose are great in beauty and have admiration for one another and yet neither settle their worship upon their companion but through their intoxication, they find a resting place for their hearts' longings in a greater beauty - that which flows from above, bathed in Divine glory.
This image will be printed on Hahnemühle German Etching paper to best suit the original medium.
A Greater Beauty
Most of my original artworks are available in archival quality print form and are printed using the giclée process by ACME et al in Steels Creek, Victoria. Each stage of the printing process is carefully overseen by James, the printer (with nearly three decades of industry experience), to ensure the highest quality product. These prints are made to last for decades with minimal fading and are printed on high-end, sturdy papers.
Because the prints are made on demand and printed individually rather being mass-produced, please allow between two to three weeks for processing and delivery of your order (or a little longer for customers outside of Australia).
Please note that framing is not included with print purchases.