Artist statement, June 2006

At the age of 15 I first discovered the northern end of the Illawarra. By this I mean the stretch of coast north of Bulli, encompassing the small towns to Stanwell Park.

At the time I lived near the university of Wollongong where my dad worked. I had started at a new school and my new best friends  lived in Thirroul and Clifton. On the weekends I would catch the train to Thirroul to surf with my friends. Even at that tender age I recognized there was something special about this place. From Bulli north, the escarpment and sea begin to move close to each other, thus creating intimate valleys nestled between headlands and boxed in by mountains and sea.

Around each bend in the road and over each headland you arrive at a unique place, beach or park. Despite the houses and road there is still a powerful sense of natural beauty in its raw form. It is not hard to find a spot on the beaches where all you can see is ocean, land and sky, and it is not hard to imagine the place before the arrival of non indigenous inhabitants.

Having said that there are visual reminders of the arrival of the white settlers. The planting of Norfolk pines about one hundred years ago has contributed a very powerful visual element to the whole. The dramatic geological structure of the area and its proximity to the Pacific Ocean create a dramatic micro climate. Most days see clouds forming on top of the mountain. This in turn creates interesting and dramatic plays of light and shade on the foot hills and over the water. One of the great joys of living here is the ability to enjoy the ever changing beauty of the place from day to day. As a surfer I am out in the ocean in all weather conditions and that bring another perspective to the land.

I tend to spend a lot of time looking at this place, enjoying it, soaking up the many feelings I get from it, and devising different ways of painting it. I have been painting this place for nineteen years on and off. The new work is my latest attempt to catch that special set of emotions that make me feel at home here. I can’t put those feelings easily into words but hopefully I can describe them in paint.

Paul Ryan.