INTERNATIONAL ARTIST - August/September 1998
Bi-Monthly Magazine, Australian Edition

MASTER PAINTERS OF THE WORLD - AUSTRALIAN SHOWCASE

ERNESTO ARRISUEÑO
Peruvian born Sydney resident
"A Wish With Peace Roses"
oil, 121 x 75cm (48 x 29 1/2")

Sensation
I am not a formal flower painter nor a painter of traditional still life, but rather a conceptual artist, a painter of ideas.

I am originally from Peru- a dry, mountainous country with grey skies. When I came to Australia, I was overwhelmed by the contrast. It is a land of flowers and greenery and the colours are far more vibrant than I was used to, especially the expanse of clear blue skies and the abundance of flowers- both in the wild and in people's gardens.

For this painting I had an idea based on the giving of flowers- a common practice in Australia. Flowers mean beauty and passion. I had the idea of giving not just a bunch but an infinity of flowers- so many flowers intensifies the concept of so much passion, behind the meaning, so I created a painting where a jug of flowers evolves into a landscape of flowers and continues until eternity.

The painting merges the colour of clear blue skies and abundance of this Australian home to the dry mountains of my former homeland.

Process
I worked in two dimensions by first setting the table and vase indoors, with all the generated mood, and the light coming from behind. Second, the field of flowers and the mountains are outside and the viewer is inside looking out. Inside and outside merge at the top of the vase.

Once the initial concept for this painting was decided, I drew the outline of the image on canvas in Prussian Blue. When this was dry, I used the colours which would combine with this blue to achieve the special atmosphere I wanted.