ABOUT THE ARTWORK
2023
Pen and ink
A3
Several years ago, I answered a set of questions to help give an indication of the kind of career paths that would best suit me. Of course, most of them were art-related. Interestingly, interior designer was at the very top of the list - that was a bit of a surprise - a nice surprise. I’ve always been interested in decor, furniture and the like. Perhaps if I’d done the questionnaire back before entering tertiary studies my life may have taken a different path. I have, however, dabbled in interior design over the years as evidenced in my home and believe that there will come a time - in the Great City to Come - when I will be able to pursue it in a far more substantial way.
William Morris has won the hearts of many design-conscious men, women and children for over a century now - including mine. While his personal beliefs tend to verge from my own, I do love his approach to design and his exhortation to “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be beautiful or believe to be useful.” His beautiful “The Strawberry Thief” design was the inspiration for a pen and ink design that I created when my students and I were exploring his work with the intention to create designs that could be placed on various products. I chose to draw a sparrow resting in a blackberry bush for my design and stylised the shape of the branches and leaves - giving it a ‘Victorian’ feel.
The frame was found tucked away in an Antique store in Yarra Glen, Victoria. It was covered in dust, had broken glass and was looking very tired. It received a makeover - using gold and black paint. While choosing the matboards at the framers, I was delighted to discover they had a red-velvet option! The end result captured the Victorian-era feel that I was aiming for perfectly.
I named the design ‘Blackberry Harvest’ as a reminder to myself of Jesus’ teaching: “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” Matthew 6:26
This image will be printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag® paper (308 gsm) to best suit the original medium.