Ross Harvey Girl with a Red Hat
For me painting is an exploration of reality and I
can only hope to discover the magic and mystery of
what is commonly considered ordinary if I observe
it directly. Every time I begin to paint an apple, for
instance, it is as though I have never seen one
before. I never use photographs or any other
mechanical aid, but paint directly from the subject
as painters of still life have done for centuries.
I studied at the Julian Ashton Art School from
1971-74. I found this school quite by accident, yet
as it happened it was the only school in Sydney
which provided a thorough training in academic
drawing and tonal realist painting, which are
fundamental to my art. After four years' study I had
achieved considerable competence in realist
painting and drawing, but had no idea what to do
with these skills. It was only after two long study
trips to Europe that it dawned on me that I was
drawn to precise, detailed realism rather than to the
broader, painterly style I had been encouraged to
pursue as a student. I also realised that still life
would be the subject which would best enable me to
combine my fascination with the particularities of
things with my concerns for composition, form,
space and light.
Every picture is begun roughly until I am
satisfied with the composition and balance of tone
and colour, and then I proceed to paint each object
in as much detail as I can. I hope to show the
observer that nothing is commonplace, and that
people think that "ordinary things" are so merely
because they have never really looked closely at
anything. The world is an infinitely wondrous place,
yet most people never notice. I hope in my small
way to reveal that wonder.
www.rossharvey.com.au