Remembering significant experiences of nature and painted in her unique style, Ingrid Daniell's latest body of work celebrates the beauty of the diverse Australian landscape. Hazy skies, alluring rock pools and the glow of bioluminescent seas at night all reflect the artist's genuine admiration and love for the natural world around her.
 

ARTIST STATEMENT
 

“Time In Thin Places explores memories of moments in nature I have experienced in awe; translating the landscape into a dream-like and spiritual place, imbuing my work with a symbolic narrative that speaks to a deeper meaning. 
 
‘Thin Places’ reveal themselves in moments of solitude, when the feeling of awe is profound, when the veil between worlds feels porous, where there is mystery in the landscape and nature, where time past - reaches out in the present.
 

I am constantly inspired by the landscapes that shape my life experience; in particular lutruwita /Tasmania and Wadadwurrung Country / Surf Coast, Victoria; spending time immersed in these places allows me to pay close attention to their unique nature and to connect with the natural rhythms and energies of the environment.
 

Being quiet and present in the landscape gives me the opportunity to observe the chance moments nature throws; sunrise and sunsets, in the deep of night the bioluminescence dancing on the Tasman Sea, the full moon and ethereal sun bleached days. I marvel at constant landmarks found in my times here; the reefs, familiar rock formations, headlands I know by heart, the mystery of deep rock pools, drifts of shells that hug the east coastline and reefs of lutruwita, vast sand dunes, the lush bush alive with native bees and butterflies; the winding paths that take me through these once wild places. 
 
Through drawing and painting I observe the strange nature of memory, the exaggeration of moments and the punctuation of certain elements experienced in the landscape to create a new reality…re-imagining these moments on canvas is a bridge to my lived experiences, my dreams, and the awe of those moments where the veil between worlds is thin, and ultimately an expression of hope for our earth.
 
Through my practice I find context using the landscape as a metaphor for our fragile earth, the devastation of climate change in Anthropocene; I fascinated with the concepts of time, deep time, the spiritual concept of thin places, and the human and instinctive need to connect to natural environments, belong and seek hope.
 
Time in Thin Places delves into the realms of spirituality, seeking to unravel the mysteries that lie beyond our everyday existence. Through my work I seek to capture the essence of profound fleeting moments, the beauty and ephemeral nature inherent in the continuous unfolding of time. Through symbolic marks reflecting the stars, the fleeting cloud of butterflies, the drifts of shells and swarms of native bees in summer, I strive to echo the interconnectedness of all temporal dimensions."
 

‘Time, as we know it, is the original shapeshifter. Now the line of it runs straight as an old railway track; now it is a circle - many circles, in fact. Now it dances without moving - to and fro across millennia - around the whole turning world, filling the night sky with bounding green lights. Past, future, present; the unbidden, in ineffable gift of it all. Memory is like a white moth in flight. Sometimes she comes so close that we can see the light falling into the hidden parts of ancient markings. On other days we cannot see her, but we feel the delicate wing-beat down deep, in beside our bones.’ 
- Kerri Ni Dochartaigh, Thin Places
 
BIO
 

Painter and visual artist, Ingrid Daniell is inspired by the landscapes that shape her life experience; in particular luturwita /Tasmania and Wadadwurrung Country / Surf Coast, Victoria; where she divides her time living. Spending time immersed in these places allows her to pay close attention to their unique nature and to observe and connect with the natural rhythms and energies of the environment, translating these experiences from memory into her paintings.
 
Daniell’s work is composed of atmospheric layers, abstract forms and stylised details, her work depicts a folk art inspired; idyllic view of her lived experiences; redolent of a time and place when humankind had little impact. Through her use of colour, Daniell draws attention to the core focus of her work highlighting the depth and form of the landscape; the light and the shadows; with colour she is able to create a sense of awe and mystery found when immersed in nature. Daniell uses a mix of mediums and textures with her paint applications to create depth, dimension, drama and a tactile emotional landscape that invites the viewer to lean in.

Throughout her work there is a bold use of colour and broad brush work; an expressive response to the organic forms that make up the landscape. In contrast Daniell uses a loose wash and palette applied in sheer layers creating depth and movement, suggestive of the fleeting and vulnerable atmosphere of our earth; the vaporous skies and watery oceans are symbolic of the veil between worlds. 
 

In 1993 Ingrid Daniell completed a Bachelor of Art in Textiles and Fashion, majoring in Costume Design at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. Daniell shifted her art practice to painting in 2014 extending her love of colour, texture and drama onto the canvas and has since been exhibiting regularly in group and solo exhibitions.