Holding On for Dear Life

Acrylic on canvas

18 x 36 inches

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The inspiration for this painting came from a kayaking journey along the shoreline of Okanagan Lake. From my vantage point low on the water I looked up at cliffs and noticed how the tree roots were embedded into the crevises of the rocks and their branches curled and intertwined around each other. One or two trees seemed more periously perched than the others and seemed to “hold on for dear life.” This seemed to me to be a metaphor for the human condition as well as an environmental statement appropriate for the times in which we live. We cling to life which is temporary, fleeting, and rather tenuous. We need each other, our families, our community, our support group so we can survive.

The painting is done in bold acrylic colours. The trees especially are painted with warm, bright, exaggerated colours and situated on the lightest-valued rocky areas to help draw the eye toward them so they become the focus of interest. The shape of the painting is tall and thin to establish the sense of precarious height.