Melanie Waugh ‘Due North’

My practice is process driven and painting has turned into a lifelong challenge by continuously aspiring to find rhythm and synergy on the canvas.

The intention when creating DUE NORTH has been to combine composition, tone and the application of paint so that I become completely immersed in the puzzle that is
painting. Each work in the series is vignetted by foliage predominantly from the bays and beaches north of Sydney’s Harbour Bridge. It is thrilling to stumble upon a view such as a Gum tree in nature at the right time of day where glimmering light falls perfectly on a branch, and then if I am able to use the action of just one brushstroke to captures this moment it brings me an enormous amount of satisfaction as an artist. I search for landscapes that are interesting to paint compositionally yet have familiar coastal shapes such as a palm tree contrasted with a sea of aquamarine.

Subjects such as the magnificence of a great Moreton Bay Fig that’s branches and roots lyrically show hundreds of years of growth history sat beside the emerald colours of Pittwater have captured my interest for DUE NORTH.