For many people, a still-life can be found in the back of a shed. Usually it is painted on a piece of masonite, often it is unfinished and it is generally in shades of brown. The subject is a group of bottles and a pot filled with plants of an everlasting variety. The artist is usually known but they’re dead now. It’s a heartless person who burns it so it is put back where it was found.

Why do artists paint still-lives? It may be an activity to fill in a long, cold winter. Mainly it is a very good exercise in placing objects in such a way that pleases the artist, in drawing the objects as well as possible and painting the arrangement by careful observation of colour and tone.

When I complain about painting flowers who drop their petals and open their buds, I’m sometimes asked why I don’t take a photograph and copy it. I think it is the input of a human being for the soul of a painting to appear. It won’t come from a photograph.

For this exhibition, my first idea was to arrange items collected on my travels to different countries. Hence the French, Mexican, Russian and American still-lives. I soon ran out of countries, not having travelled much, so the Tasmanian paintings took over. The models of birds were made by Eric Hiller.

My thanks to Madeline for making it all so easy, KIT HILLER.