It's the Colour of Life

"Huli Tribesman" - by Toni Duffy

My inspiraition has been somewhat flagging lately - I am sure my muse is on vacation, & can just picture her reclining on a beach in the tropic's somewhere, absorbing the sun whilst slowly sipping at her Caipirinha.....
the daydream actually goes further than that - so all I shall say is that muse better return quick smart, before I start getting antsy!

Today I looked around the house - seeing with new eye's some of those things that once inspired me ....well, enough to pay top dollar for them anyway.
Isn't it strange how after something has been around for a while you tend not to notice it as you did when it was new?
I have a small collection of original art that I have purchased over the years of my working at the gallery. A lesson learned in the early days before I started working there was that if that if something calls you - you only have one shot at getting that piece.

The piece above is a perfect example - it came in destined for an exhibition opening. I had seen it before it was fully completed & even then it sang to me. Everything about it drew me in....subject, colour palette the loose placement of apparently random brush strokes. I decided it was going to be mine & let my boss know whilst hanging it on the day, knowing that if I waited until the opening that evening the window of opportunity would be gone forever. I'm so pleased I did.

At the time most of my family didn't like it ......in fact pretty much all of them from my Mum through to my kids openly stated they didn't, even Allan saw some at the opening that he prefered - lol.

In this house it hangs in almost the setting I had always envisioned for it - against a rich rustic red feature wall. Many have changed their opinion of since we moved...including my Mum ;o)

My tribesman is behind where I sit to relax or create while watching TV - so I don't get to sit back & enjoy him as I should.

When I do take a moment to stop & look at him, I realize that he draws me in just as he did when I first saw him - & I'm always impressed by those few quick, cleverly placed brush stokes that have created the illusion of deep set piercing eye's, wonderfully surrounded by the abundance of colour in his headpiece.

Ahhh yep - even in the middle of this miserable old southern hemisphere winter, while my muse has deserted me for warmer climes, there is still inspiration to be had here ....if I just take a moment to stop & look for it.

**The Huli Tribesmen are the idigenous people of the Papua New Guinea Highlands. For some interesting reading have a look here "Adventuring in Papua New Guinea"