Clare Brodie

Clare Brodie is an Australian artist based in Sydney. Her artworks are predominately contemporary landscapes that respond to set locations where she has spent extended periods of time. She deciphers the complexities of the landscape, (and her life) into flat organic shapes with a clearly defined subject matter.

Preliminary watercolour sketches are made on location in Japanese sketchbooks to record her emotional response. This helps build the pictorial language which is repeated throughout her works.

Within her studio, canvases begin with vague pencil sketches with free-flowing washes. Layers of matt vinyl paint are built up slowly using flat wide brushes. Vigilant observation leads to incremental adjustments in an obsessive manner. Artworks progress slowly; each new shape alternating what went before to create an overall rhythmic harmony.

Through recurring motifs and repetition Brodie is creating a unique visual language that creates a physical sense of order and harmony. Small vignettes are deliberately placed at the edges of the painting to lead the view outwards and beyond.

Colours are heavily curated between series. A neutral palette is used with a combination of intensely saturated colours, often using complementary schemes. White is specifically placed to lead the viewer’s eye through the painting.