Colorful Paintings from North Queensland Artists

"What amazingly colorful paintings! Where did you find them?"

Shirley and Frank had recently returned from a wonderful holiday in North Queensland, where they had purchased several fabulous reminders of their trip, including the semi abstract paintings now hanging in the living room of their home in the south of England.

Two were ocean paintings, rather blurred and out of focus, inky blues hinting at depths below. In the distance, a suggestion of towering mountains ...or was it an island...reminded them of the day they had snorkeled the coral reef at Low Isles, just off the coast from Port Douglas.

Indigo blues of the Coral Sea - Snapper Island in the distance

Coming back to port on the Wavedancer in the late afternoon, all salty and slightly sunburnt, rocked by the motion of the slight swell, the sounds of the crooning guitar player lulling them almost to sleep ... yes...that is how the ocean had looked...

For many of North Queensland's artists, thought provoking and, often, colorful paintings develop from the stimulus of exotic surroundings and new experiences...whether diving the reefs, enjoying dinner at one of the many top restaurants...or swimming in the icy, green, rainforest-enclosed waters of Mossman Gorge.

Dreams of a romantic and idyllic lifestyle beckon.

Lured by visions of an idyllic lifestyle, they have come from other parts of Australia or from overseas to set up studios in the region and begin the compelling process of "pushing paint around".

Let this page take you on a voyage of discovery as you view their online gallery , read their stories or check out their latest journal entries.

The gallery itself, as well as the 'new art monthly' page, changes and evolves as artists finish new vibrant, colorful paintings, let them dry, snap a quick photograph and voila! Ready for you to see!

This web site reflects the changing scene for Australian painters, sculptors, photographers and textile artists. For example, Port Douglas Artists was a new group of artists who were part of the Beautiful Art Spaces project at the Meridien Marina in Port Douglas in 2011. The artists set up studio/gallery space there, with all the hard work that that exercise entails.

But the building's owners decided to demolish this twenty-or-so-years-old complex, to make way for up-market accommodation, so the group was, unfortunately, forced to disband.

Cream frangipani flowers

Subject matter is as varied as the artists themselves...landscape ideas...ocean paintings...self portraits...myths and legends...designs derived from patterns in Nature... symbols and metaphors...

Enjoy oil paintings of old cane-cutters' cottages , tropical sunsets or gentle watercolours of misty, cloud-topped mountain peaks.

Restful pace of life gives opportunity to experiment with colorful paintings.

Some Australian painters appreciate the unhurried pace of life in the tropics, in which to explore meaningful concepts and to “discover themselves”.

Others experiment with semi-abstract paintings, seeking to distil the essence of their experiences and perceptions into artworks that will give pleasure for decades to come.

Their artists' eyes respond to the abundance of unusual tropical fruit, ulysses butterflies and brilliantly coloured tropical flowers with well executed, abstract landscape paintings , drawings, screenprints and decorative or even symbolic still lifes.

And the delicious fruit is never wasted ...paint it, then eat it! What a shame that their visual poetry can't really tell you about tastes and smells...

Foxtail palm seeds

And the delicious fruit is never wasted ...paint it, then eat it! What a shame that their visual poetry can't really tell you about tastes and smells...

For a light-hearted approach, enjoy the perception of this artist's painting ideas.

However artists' ideas are expressed, their skills are the result of many years of experience...doing what they love best..painting!