29/08/2026
A painting is not a copy of a reference.
Paint what you want to see.
It is something I heard from the very beginning when I first picked up my brushes — and something I am still learning to practise today.
When I paint, I often find myself focusing on two things first: composition and colour.
For this magnolia painting, I spent time observing the structure of the flowers — their distinctive form, delicate petals and almost waxy surface — as well as the relationship between the blossoms and the branches.
Rather than simply reproducing what I saw, I wanted to use those relationships to construct the composition. The branches lead the eye through the painting, while the placement of the blossoms creates a sense of depth and spatial rhythm.
Then came colour.
I was captivated by the beautiful, luminous pink of the magnolias, and I wanted that colour to become the visual focus of the painting. I surrounded it with a warm, muted brown-grey background, using tonal and temperature contrast to make the pink feel softer, warmer and more luminous.
Melbourne has started to feel warmer lately, and after mid-August, magnolias have quietly begun appearing everywhere. Spring is slowly making its way in.
I’m looking forward to the blossoms that are still to come — and to sharing more of them with you through my paintings.
