Australian landscape icon Eucalyptus paints the humble, solemn and resilient tree trunks and branches dance in the wind, becoming narrow roads winding towards a heavenly destination through the techniques of Chinese painting, carving and calligraphy. 

My canvas painting serials titled Eucalyptus (or The Gum Tree or Jade Tree) explores the notion of painting Australian landscape through the techniques of Chinese painting, carving and calligraphy. 

Humble, resilient and iconic, the Australian gum tree has been drowned under roiling floods, consumed in flames, fallen to the buzz of the miller’s saw and slowly choked of thirst. Yet each year it endures. The trees spread back across the land, from scorching deserts to desolate mountains. In the twilight their majestic trunks soar towards the sky in ecstatic salutation, their branches becoming narrow roads winding towards a heavenly and spiritual destination. 

If you look closely, they become living things akin to human beings: their solemn trunks dance in the wind, their magnificent bodies transforming into awe inspiring male and female torsos. Gum trees are painterly subjects too, with the strokes breaking free and the colours both subtle and vivid. 

The Gum Tree is developed from my knowledge of Chinese relief carving, a unique method of composing 3D images within the narrow dimensions of the carving material to create striking landscapes. Thus the paintbrush becomes my chisel, ‘carving’ out the trees’ body shape, applying strong upward perspectives to manipulate the canvas surface to create powerful visual illusions. I also use “the art of line” from Chinese calligraphy combined with western Op art colour arrangement to paint the free flowing and gracious trunks and branches.

By revitalising old traditions, I provide Australians with a fresh perspective of their trees and country. The great ‘Australian landscape’ tradition, once emblematic of the Euro-centric vision of Australia has now embraced indigenous views of the landscape. It will be further strengthened when Asian artistic perspectives join in. The Gum Tree helps Asians and Australians understand both the cultural differences and the universal experiences embodied in the representation of our environment.

Australian landscape icon Eucalyptus paints the humble, solemn and resilient tree trunks and branches dance in the wind, becoming narrow roads winding towards a heavenly destination through the techniques of Chinese painting, carving and calligraphy. 

My canvas painting serials titled Eucalyptus (or The Gum Tree or Jade Tree) explores the notion of painting Australian landscape through the techniques of Chinese painting, carving and calligraphy. 

Humble, resilient and iconic, the Australian gum tree has been drowned under roiling floods, consumed in flames, fallen to the buzz of the miller’s saw and slowly choked of thirst. Yet each year it endures. The trees spread back across the land, from scorching deserts to desolate mountains. In the twilight their majestic trunks soar towards the sky in ecstatic salutation, their branches becoming narrow roads winding towards a heavenly and spiritual destination. 

If you look closely, they become living things akin to human beings: their solemn trunks dance in the wind, their magnificent bodies transforming into awe inspiring male and female torsos. Gum trees are painterly subjects too, with the strokes breaking free and the colours both subtle and vivid. 

The Gum Tree is developed from my knowledge of Chinese relief carving, a unique method of composing 3D images within the narrow dimensions of the carving material to create striking landscapes. Thus the paintbrush becomes my chisel, ‘carving’ out the trees’ body shape, applying strong upward perspectives to manipulate the canvas surface to create powerful visual illusions. I also use “the art of line” from Chinese calligraphy combined with western Op art colour arrangement to paint the free flowing and gracious trunks and branches.

By revitalising old traditions, I provide Australians with a fresh perspective of their trees and country. The great ‘Australian landscape’ tradition, once emblematic of the Euro-centric vision of Australia has now embraced indigenous views of the landscape. It will be further strengthened when Asian artistic perspectives join in. The Gum Tree helps Asians and Australians understand both the cultural differences and the universal experiences embodied in the representation of our environment.