Weeknight At Felons

$6,000

Acrylic

125 x 94cm

As a Gold Coast artist with a son living and studying in Brisbane, our family catch-ups usually end up at this famous place on the Brisbane River. For us, Felons and Brisbane at night, are a joy to visit – warm, relaxing, light, bright, colourful, friendly. I became quite enamoured with the vibe here, and felt compelled to paint it.

I wanted to convey the warmth and lightness (despite being night-time) through the interplay of light and colour on the water, the tables, and the highlights on the umbrellas and figures - and that of the Story Bridge. 

Vibrant though the setting may be, this is a place where friends and family come to relax and enjoy. So, portraying the opposing principles of a bright, energetic cityscape holding a story of a relaxed, pleasant social life became part of the challenge.  

The horizontals of the river’s edge, tables, procession of umbrellas and the Story Bridge temper the vibrancy of the lights and colour, portraying a feeling of calm and stability. Moreover, the relaxed figures seated - chatting, drinking and mingling, also impart sense of leisure and relaxation. In the spirit of Renoir, I focused on the warmth and friendship of Brisbane social life captured before the lively, beautiful backdrop of Brisbane’s cityscape.

WEEKNIGHT AT FELONS is my expression of what I think truly matters – warm, happy hearts catching up with warm happy hearts, at a place with a warm, happy heart.