Linda Starkey

Australia's wild and beautiful country has always been an inspiration for me and in this vast expanse I often find portraits of natural objects. I only paint subjects that I have seen and with which I feel some connection preferring to paint plein air when possible, but due to difficulty of access, most of this work has been painted in my home studio using my photographs and pencil sketches as reference. Trees are an obvious portrait subject and I’m always attracted to those that show resilience. The pagodas in the Gardens Of Stone area hold a strong fascination for me and the strange weathered formations give the appearance of being guardians over the land. I have used an exaggeration of colour and design to bring forth the strong Sentinel feel.