@jamesdicker.oilsoncanvas
I was less than ten years old when a wet oil-on-canvas captivated me—like a magical window into nature—it had undoubtedly sparked something within me. The warm lighting, the unmistakable smell of oil medium, a palette of harmonious colours, and the purposefully layered brushstrokes created the realism of a giant red gum clinging to the edge of an eroded riverbank.
These few early visits to my uncle’s studio in Bundeena ignited a unique awareness of the rugged beauty of the colour rich Australian landscape, providing me its gift of inspiration, an endless search for the perfect light and composition on every road, camping or fishing trip for the decades to come.
In 1992, as a Year 12 student, I was awarded the incredible privilege of visiting the late Arthur Boyd at his Bundanon property. Seeing Arthur effortlessly take to a four-foot-high canvas with a brush taped to a broom handle—painting a rocky cliff face beneath a heavenly blue sky—was another deeply influential moment in my life, leaving a lifelong imprint.
My aim is to continue creating works that capture the fleeting patterns of light and shade that fall upon this incredible land. I hope to evoke a visual—or perhaps a deeper—connection that endures, just as it has for me.
