When I moved to a very beautiful, but flood prone, area on the mighty Clarence River in NSW, Australia, it seemed like everybody here had a flood story. Drinking wine and admiring the work of local artist Wayne Gilholm, I asked him about recurring themes in his paintings. He simply said, 'I like angels and boats.' Not long after I wrote this lovely ballad, while sitting on Wayne's front porch looking out at the river. For some reason, the theme has got into my soul, inspiring not only the song but dozens of images. (See gallery below.)
Block print 13" x 19" image, hand decorated with acrylic and oil paints, semi-matt glaze, and gold leaf. The visible 'panel' marks inherent in this design reminded me of stained glass windows in churches, so I added some joyful colour.
13" x 19' Block print. This version is over-printed on sections of gold leaf, with delicate, soft pencil shading. It is the beginning of the journey, with the original print design clearly visible.
13" x 19" Bock print. Partially glazed and decorated with acrylic paint, colour pencil, and gold leaf, this version was also under- printed with a soft green and taupe texture.
13" x 19" Block print. Under-printed with gold acrylic paint, with soft printing ink wash applied later.
13" x 19" block print image, with extended gold leaf and ink wash border. Decorated with ink and acrylic paint washes.
13" x 19" Block print. This version was partially under-printed with a soft grey, with paint, wash and gold leaf additions. The image is more elemental here, like an old mosaic or icon.
