Pick of the Week: 'Flax and Wild Carrot, Cooks Beach' by Jane Galloway

Our pick this week is Jane Galloway's breathtaking original painting, 'Flax and Wild Carrot, Cooks Beach'! Currently on show at our Whangamata gallery, this piece has garnered plenty of attention and admiration - an original of Jane's is much harder to come by than one of her best-selling prints! 
 

Demonstrating an astonishing level of realism, Jane's unparalleled ability to evoke the 'closest to the real thing' manifests in 'Flax and Wild Carrot, Cooks Beach'. Composed in a wide landscape format, the canvas acts as a window peeking out onto the stunning view of Cooks Beach. Every little detail is considered and executed with care - from the delicate dancing little flowers of the wild carrot, to the movement of the gentle waves, lapping up against the sandbank. The majestic flax bush anchors the composition, providing a lead into the scene from the right. Captivating and evocative, this piece reminds us of long days spent on the beach, enjoying the warm Summer breeze and the beauty of the Coromandel landscape.
 

Detail
 

But as with many of Jane's works, there's more than meets the eye with this piece. She shares with us a bit of background to 'Flax and Wild Carrot':  
'The painting of Cooks Beach is now a historical record of a spot that no longer exists with the general encroachment of tides on the East Coast. It is painted at the bottom of a hill where pines used to stand, near the Southern end of the beach. On the hill behind is a memorial marking the spot where Captain Cook came ashore to observe the Transit of Mercury on 9 November, 1769, hence the local names Cooks Beach and Mercury Bay. Sadly a row of gabions now lines the base of the hill to protect the area from further erosion.' 
 

Detail
 

Exploring painting as a memorial device, Jane's painting exists as a unique perspective not recorded elsewhere. Contemplating ongoing changes to the natural landscape is something she continues to translate through art, and simultaneously generates awareness and conversation around pertinent environmental issues. 

'Flax and Wild Carrot, Cooks Beach' is also available as a limited edition print at our galleries - but of course nothing beats the original painting! See it in person at our Whangamata gallery today. 

Interested in enquiring about Jane Galloway's work? Contact us here! 

 

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