Whilst these paintings visually reference the actual locations they also involve a great deal of invention, addition and manipulation to evoke the diversity, spirit and energy of Tasmania.

So, these paintings are definitely not of the ‘Au Plein Aire’ school of painting; I did not tie myself to the apocryphal mast in a snow storm as Turner did. Although there have been a few occasions where I have been lashed by wild seas off the coast of Bruny and Strahn. But projection of sensation and an emotive response is key. I invite viewers to immerse themselves in the painting and travel within it.

Conceptually, the main influence on my thinking in the last year, layering upon my response to and appreciation of Turner and the 19^th century Northern Romantic tradition epitomised by Casper David Friedrich, has been the reading of American Ralph Waldo Emerson’s book, ‘Nature’ written in 1836. In this he expounds the concept of ‘Idea as Landscape’ and ‘Landscape as Idea’. Especially significant and influential in mid-19^th century America’s push into the uncharted territories of the west. Epitomised by artists such as Thomas Cole, Frederic Edwin Church and Albert Bierstadt.

Its resonance though can still be felt when responding to the wild environments of Tasmania and the spiritual connection of humankind experiencing the natural world.

I hope that viewers will appreciate these works as much for their finely tuned painted surfaces as the evocative nature of the imagery connecting us to a deeper and more personal appreciation of Tasmania.

Keith Lane