Down to Earth 2014

Bernadette Resha’s ‘Down to Earth’ is a lively oil painting, all blues and whites, with glimpses of gold and purple. I can imagine Resha building up those layers. Doesn’t it make you wonder what it must have felt like, the moment of making it? How she moved between the different registers, from the detailed floral pattern on the vase to the broad strokes of contrasting colours around it. There’s an interesting tension. The dark blocks of colour flatten the image, pushing everything to the front, while the foliage gives it depth. Take the blue on the vase, how it seems to shift and change as the pattern grows. The colour feels so precise and determined. It reminds me of other painters who celebrate domesticity and ornamentation, like Pierre Bonnard. He also worked on a small scale, exploring the intimate spaces of everyday life. In a way, all artists are in conversation, sharing ideas and approaches. It's an ongoing dialogue across time, inspiring one another to create. We’re all trying to see the world a little differently, together.