Style1½ inches thick (3.75 cm) Product Details Artist grade canvas, archival inks, wooden stretcher bars, and UVB protective coating
AvailablityUsually ships within five business days. ArtistPeter Wharton CollectionInsight
Description Lufa Child, acrylic on canvas 12x16 inches 1978This child comes from the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. This painting is loved by many and prints can be found in homes in theUSA, England, Australia and Japan. It was painted during an informal seminar at an exhibition as a demonstration of my approach to portrait painting and, incidentally, was completed in less than half an hour. The speed of execution is evident in the treatment of the hair and head-dress, the necklace and, in particular,the ear which was drawn-in at great speed with a minimum amount of detail. So what we have is a record of a first glance impression - with no time for elaboration back in the studio after 'the event'. A truly existential moment! If you could examine the original canvas you would notice that the highlights on the face have not been painted but are merely unpainted areas of pristine canvas. The value of the sketch, and the 'live audience' - is that one is driven to focus on what is important about the image in the heat and intensity of the 'now' with no luxury of reflection and selfconscious 'corrections' after the event in the quiet and solitude of the studio. I have captured a moment now 'fixed' in time and made available for a global audience. What an awesome idea, touching on metaphysical concepts of Time and Space. And hopefully still an endearing and enduring source of beauty. . . . . .
Peter Wharton, Brisbane Australia Member Since March 2008 Artist Statement After a period of service as a Radio Officer in the British Merchant Navy I took a degree in Fine Art in England and taught for ten years in Papua New Guinea secondary boarding schools. My passion is building learning support environments to help young people develop their creative potential.
I spent the final twenty years of my teaching career at one of Australia's leading Art education institutions, the Queensland College of Art at Griffith University. I now enjoy a small following in Japan where traditional draughtsmanship in human figure representation is highly valued, (accompanied, it must be said, by a touching respect and honour for the draughtsman!)