As Jack Kerouac wrote: “All he needed was a wheel in his hand and four on the road.”
Road trips are all about the crazy stuff that happens along the way and not necessarily the final destination, as I learnt when driving from Sydney out to Broken Hill some years back. Fifteen hours of endless horizons, open road and the detours I didn’t mean to make. The last two hours straight into the sun, kangaroos hovering at the side of the road.
THE LONG ROAD WEST
Acrylic on board
60 x 60cms
#roadtrip #endlesshorizon #headingwest #intothesun #adventuretime #discovery #ontheroadagain #destination #australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
There’s no point in hurrying and who cares how many steps you took today. Enjoy the beautiful monotony and observe the boundless individuality of trees.
FINDING FREEDOM
Acrylic on board
103 x 123cms
#freedomthinkers #findingfreedom #boundless #individuality #treesoflife #treesofinstagram #singularity #australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
🔴 Pink Lake left for its new home this week and a big thank you to the buyers for visiting the studio and spending time looking over my work. I always feel a touch of regret when the works leave but that’s all part of the rich and fulfilling painting process.
#pinklake #pinkaesthetic #australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Further to my last post, here I am at the end of the day. Incremental progress, continually debating what goes and what stays, gradually allowing the subject to emerge without losing too much of the layers of paint that are contributing to the overall effect. Swipe for details.
#layers #emergingart #treesoflife #treesofinstagram #australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
The underpainting is one of the most interesting phases of an artwork, the point where colours start to merge and blend as the figurative elements start to take shape. I often feel like walking away at this point and leaving things exactly as they are, letting colour be the main narrative, the definition of actual subject quite secondary. If you swipe you can see the tree stepping out of the layers of colour. The question is when to stop?
#colour #underpainting #abstraction #takingshape #bluesandgreens #mystery #technique #australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Thrilled to see my work hanging @mrmintys art gallery in Potts Point, Sydney. Here alongside artists Harold David and Henryk and what an interesting juxtaposition the curation makes.
AFTERGLOW and FIRST ENCOUNTER. Both acrylic on board and each measuring 40 x 40cms. They seem to make a perfect pair. Christmas presents anyone?
#mrmintys #artmoney #australianartist #artist #modernartist #christmasgiftideas #treesoflife #artbuyers #artcollectors artinthehome #australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #art #escapism #mikestaniford
A sketchbook randomly pulled off the shelf in my studio reminds me just how easy it once was to travel. Thailand and the islands of Koh Yao Yai and Koh Yao Noi. These were all made with an easy art travel kit…A4 pad, charcoal, ink and watercolors.
#travel #travelbug #overseas #sketchbookart #traveljournal #artkit #mixedmedia #joyoftravel #thailand #mikestaniford
AMBER DAWN
Thirty paces from the beach, you slip off your sandals and at 6am, the sand is powdery, soft and cold beneath your feet. Too early for a swim? Not when you get that first glimpse of slow undulating waves gently whispering to the sand and the fresh scent of the ocean is carried on the breeze.
Amber Dawn, now hanging @moochinside gallery in Killcare. For more information, contact the gallery direct and any one of the friendly, knowledgeable team will be able to help.
#amberdawn #dawn #firstlight #daybreak #fivesenses #earlymorningwalk #bestpartoftheday australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
“I’m the tree you are me
with the land and the sea.
We are one life not three
in the essence of life
we are one.”
KEVIN GILBERT
I came across these very meaningful words having finished this painting . They seemed to convey the state of emotion associated with this particular moment, with specific observations and experiences.
#meaningfulconversations #wordstoremember
#australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #treesoflife #treesofinstagram #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
🔴 A big thank you to the buyer who stepped out of the ME Artspace Gallery yesterday with Twilight Bay from my recent Moments in Time exhibition. Thank you for the support, comments, conversations and commitment from all my collectors and followers. It means a great deal to me.
#artbuyers #artcollectors #hugethanks #momentsintime #artshows #australianlandscapepainting #mikestaniford
When the sun slips away and the tide eases itself back across the bay, what better place to be. Nature confers upon the eye something quite magical. My aim was to capture the soothing and seductive moment of day’s end. Swipe for details.
Evening Reflections 2
Now available
@michaelreid.northernbeaches
Contact the gallery direct and one of the fabulous and dedicated team will be sure to help.
#michaelreidnorthernbeaches #centenaryshow #dusk #evening #lastofthesun #tidal #tidegames #tidelands #reflections #soothing #seductive #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Vanishing moments. New work in my ongoing ‘Trees and Trunks’ series.
#treesandtrunks #treestreestrees #treesofinstagram #vanishingmoments #harbour #foreshore #morning #dawn #sunrise #breakofday #australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Thrilled that this painting is part of @michaelreid.northernbeaches group birthday exhibition. Please contact the gallery if you’re interested in finding out more
A Moment of Solitude
Acrylic on board
60 x 60cms
Framed in Tasmanian Oak
#australianartists #emergingartists #artonline #northernbeaches #30artists #30daysbirthdayshow #australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Blue Green Landscape. SOLD earlier this year and a painting which typifies my love of trees and the identity of the Australian landscape. For me it sums up the dialogue between the opposing principles of figurative works and abstract concepts of painting.
#australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #contemporarypainting #figurative #abstraction #abstractpainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #concepts #ideas #representation #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Sunday up on Hawkehead and some playful sketching. Abstracting the landscape before me…looking closely and sometimes not looking at all. Weather’s hot and windy. After a couple of hours we packed our stuff in the car and walked through the bush to Box Head, where a Brown Snake slithered across my path! How’s your Sunday?
#fieldstudies #sketching #pleinair #sketchbooks #mixedmedia #mixedmediaonpaper #headland #freedrawing #charcoaldrawing #sketchingoutdoors #australianartist #mikestanifordsketchbook
Thrilled to see my work hanging in the 2021 Gosford At Prize. A diverse and dynamic collection of work. Congratulations to all the finalists.
HAWKEHEAD MORNING
Acrylic on board
95 x 82cms
Framed in Tasmanian Oak.
#australianlandscape #landscapepainting #abstraction #reductive #wideopenspaces #contemporarylandscape #landoflegends #landscapelovers #contemporarypainting #gosfordartprize #artprizes #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Back in the studio and reflecting on my trip to Lord Howe Island. Just letting the dust settle and thinking through which works might be developed into something larger. The second image, b/w was one of my first instinctive drawings and despite its economy of line still carries a lot of ideas for me. The concept of immediacy in painting really fascinates me. I spend hours thinking about how I want the picture to look but not once I’ve actually started the process of mark making. If things don’t go as planned, that’s ok. As Diebenkorn once said accidents cannot be erased but they move you from your present position.
#spontaneous #markmaking #immediacy #australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Who doesn’t love a late afternoon walk along the beach. The way the ocean plays tide games; shallow layers of waves that mirror the passing storm, toying with the ideas of perspective. One of my favorite times of day. Walking barefoot with my soul mate, companion, partner in life and art @debbiemackinnon
WALK WITH ME
Acrylic on board
83 x 83cms
Framed in Tasmanian Oak
#beachlife #beachwalks #endofday #tidegames #oceanlife #walkwithme #australianlandscape #barefoot #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Corporal Jack Edward Manning was my great uncle who served with the 23rd Battalion of The London Regiment. He joined the army in January 1916 and first fought in France, then to Salonika and to Palestine before returning to France again. He was badly wounded and died in a field hospital on 22nd October 1918, aged 23, just three weeks before the war ended. And he was something of an artist; the two postcards depicting drawings by him of his fiancée. He’s remembered with honor at the British cemetery, Wimille, in Northern France.
“Some told us we should meet no more, Yea meet no more!
Should wait and wish but greet no more, Your faces round our fires;
That in a while, uncharily and drearily,
Men gave their lives-even wearily
Like those whom living tires.”
Thomas Hardy
#lestweforget🌺
#rememberance
Delighted to hear that my donated painting to the @lanecoveartsociety has sold. An important fundraising event for women in need. I felt very privileged to be involved.
#fundraising #womeninneed #donated #artwork #agoodcause #australianlandscape
Back in the studio and the chance to evaluate the work of the last nine days. What a great trip. I flew two hours out of Sydney yet felt like I went to another world?
#greatescape #aworldaway #lordhoweisland #newhorizons #freshlandscape #australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Night time on Lord Howe, where the starry sky really does burn bright, especially Venus. Where the Mutton birds moan their night call, where you can hear the constant crash of waves across the reef. Back home and smack bang in the middle of a busy metropolis and the island seems like a million miles away already. Have I outgrown the city?
#backhome #metropolis #whatacontrast #drawingoftheday #softpastels #charcoal #nighttime #starrynight #greatmemories #thankyou #lordhoweisland
Last post so to speak as we pack our bags and begin the journey home. Memories firmly fixed in my mind along a bag full of paintings and drawings. Weather, mountains and incredible bird life. Back to the bustling metropolis of Sydney and time to reflect on my time here. Tomorrow I will pin the work all over the studio wall and evaluate…Good get to stay, Bad get reworked and the Ugly get torn up.
Mounts Gower and Lidgebird
Acrylic on paper
30 x 42cms
#lordhoweisland #headinghome #artistsoninstagram #australianlandscapepainting #landscapepainting #enpleinair #sydneybound #departureday
Huts by the jetty at Settlement Beach. So much to paint here and today saw the arrival of the Island Trader, the boat that brings…well everything, food, fuel and even cars! Just how important is that vessel to the island community.
#jetty #settlementbeach #lordhoweisland #islandlife #community #freshsupplies #islandtrader #australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Storm passing from the shelter of Settlement Beach. An afternoon painting fast, watching amazing clouds, shifting weather patterns before it swept itself out to sea. The evening was so calm, the lagoon perfectly still…see Debbie enjoying a dip amongst the fish and coral. Flying home tomorrow and hope to catch a glimpse of the island invite entirety, see last pic.
#weatherpatterns #stormclouds #lagoon #reflections #lordhoweisland #abrilliantweek
#islandlife #mikestaniford
A strong south-easterly, 25 knots across Lord Howe Island and I think my brushstrokes give it away!
#gustywinds #lordhoweisland #windward #islandlife #islandtime #mtgower #australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Exploring the fragmented light and shadow of lagoon glimpses through the Norfolk Pines and Kentia Palms which are the island’s hallmark trees. Different linear thicknesses help bring a sense of geometry to the subject. Despite my brush marks being quick and spontaneous I want them to create an understandable spatial effect.
#glimpses #lagoon #lordhoweisland #lordhoweislandtourism #fragments #lightandshadows #palmtrees #treesofinstagram #kentiapalms #australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #sketchbooks #sketchdaily #fieldstudies #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Colour comes first then the illusory subject of trees meeting mountain peaks, the light continually changing. Just watching it unfold throws the whole painting into and out of balance which fascinated me.
#composition #balance #colour #lightandshadow #mountains #lordhoweisland #lordhoweislandtourism #australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Huts at Lagoon Beach, Lord Howe Island. The back drop of the Norfolk Pines combined with the silvery green dune grass really caught my eye, the huts nestled in amongst the dark. You somehow instinctively know when a composition works, it stops you in your tracks. And the tiny red roof at the far end takes the eye way down the beach. I seem to have a huge craving for a connection with the landscape at the moment which I can only put down to the way we’ve had to live our lives over the past two years.
#pleinair #pleinairpainting #lagoonbeach #lordhoweisland #islandlife #beachhouse #australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Close up and personal on stunning Mounts Gower and Lidgebird. What impressive peaks they are and if you swipe through you come to my office for the morning’s work. The light breeze comes in from the south west, continually moving the clouds along and when the sun breaks out, the colours tip into something quite magical. I dreamed of places like this as a ten year old in England! Mum took me to see the Roger’s & Hammerstein movie South Pacific, which I adored enough to go back another three times 😂 Thing is I’ve hated musicals since then!!
The same wide brush used for 90% of the work, acrylic on paper.
#lordhoweisland #lordhoweislandtourism #twinpeaks #tropicalisland #pleinairpainting #pleinairpainter #lagoon #aqua #marinelife #australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
