Not For Sale
I was mentor to a young student who was born in Russia, now a Canadian. She is saddened by the Russia/Ukraine conflict, as I am sure we all are.
I had painted a chamomile flower (Russia) and a sunflower (Ukraine) flanking a lily (peace). The flowers were separated. We talked about how to engage the emblems such that peace could dominate.
This inspired me to create this watercolour. I had completed an acrylic painting earlier, which started as a three-tier composition at the base of which was hell and damnation, with Charon steering people across the river Styx, to the higher level of enlightenment and peace and tranquility. I believe there is much more to this painting than I imagined. I am considering a background to illustrate a peaceful landscape, or perhaps an enchanted landscape, similar to the background to “Conflict to Hope”. The base of the painting describes the atrocities of war which I now believe has to be more defined and distinct.
The flag of Ukraine has a bright blue top, representing the sky, and a yellow base, representing Sunflowers, which is why I chose those colours as background.
| Technique: | Watercolour on Winsor & Newton 140lbs Paper |
| Contents: | Flower, Plant, Person, Sunflower, Animal, Bird, Daisy |
| Edition: | Original, one of a kind artwork |
| Framed Size: | 18in x 14in |
| Unframed Size: | 16in x 12in |
| Frame: | Framed |
| Weight: | 7.7lbs (estimated) |
Ian Carter
Vancouver, British Columbia
In the tradition of the Impressionists, I mostly paint my watercolour paintings of landscapes en plein air. My paintings focus on light and shadow, filtering through the trees in the landscapes on the West Coast of British Columbia, Oregon, San Miguel de Allende and Vancouver Island.
"I constantly connect with nature to determine the best way to communicate. I like to paint waterfalls where I hope the viewer can "hear" the sounds of water splashing in the pools"