BEN LUCAS
“Eventually man, too, found his way back to the sea. Standing on its shores, he must have looked out upon it with wonder and curiosity, compounded with an unconscious recognition of his lineage.” - Rachel Carson, The Sea Around Us
Ben’s paintings are concerned with portraying the emotions generated by the beauty and wonder of the natural world. They are painted from memory and are Informed by time spent in and on the water observing the changing moods and the play of light over and into the ocean’s surface near his Noosa home.
Ben is always looking for a sense of immediacy, openness and freedom in the work and tries to avoid overworking the paintings. In his view the paintings are a success when they hold a dramatic energy and sense of sweeping movement and the passage of time, while at the same time carrying a peaceful quiet presence. It’s thebalance between these two contrasts that are so fascinating.
