Moon boats take us to the land of emotions, vulnerability and poetry

I painted several of these motifs in those early years, after returning back to Australia. No wonder many of the images I was creating around that time spoke of journeys across the seas, and seemed deep in introspection. The night skies and the expressions of my protagonists were also solemn, emotional, tender.

This is as much a drawing, as it is a painting. I have used charcoal and acrylic paint on brown, thick cardboard. The figure seems to me both solid in its light and shade and ephemeral in its gestural strokes.

The rain penetrates this fragile, big figure that only just, fits in the boat cast out of his emotions. I feel a deep tenderness and compassion for him. I am reminded of that difficult time in my life when I too had to navigate the waters in order to find myself again.