Jayda Isaia
Our Lady of Mercy College Parramatta
AN ODE TO BOYD
Painting
Acrylic paint on paper
My body of work connects me to my identity as a Samoan, Lebanese and Australian girl. The work contains a range of erratic and unpredictable brush strokes, using acrylic paints, boar bristle paint brushes, pallet knife and impasto. I incorporate the deliberate use of the body, including hands and palms, with the intention of representing my emotional state or energy at the moment of creation.
My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following: Arthur Boyd, Shoalhaven Riverbank and Trees, Landscape of the soul; the landscapes of Bundanon, Gordons Bay, Afu Aau waterfall Samoa.
Marker's Commentary
The six paintings that comprise this submission are vibrant, warm, and diverse in their visual language. Each work engages with the natural landscape, exploring varied topographies while capturing its beauty, light, and complexity. Importantly, these landscapes are not distant or detached, instead they actively invite the viewer into the pictorial space. Vistas that open through treed glades evoke tranquillity while simultaneously suggesting moments of activity and movement. This sense of movement is established through the rhythmic vertical repetition of tree trunks, which functions as both a compositional device and a structural framework. Accents are further reinforced through intentional drips and expressive, sweeping painterly marks, creating a dynamic surface that guides the viewer’s eye through each scene. The audience is encouraged to visually inhabit these spaces, where the sensory experience is heightened, suggesting the presence of birdsong and the rustle of foliage. Layers of acrylic paint are carefully built up through broad, gestural brushstrokes, contrasting with a rich and appealing palette. The colour is intense yet controlled, avoiding any sense of garishness.
Light is a persistent presence throughout the series, although the sun is never explicitly depicted, its effects are convincingly conveyed through luminosity and tonal variation. Each painting demonstrates a distinct chromatic focus, with swathes of apricot orange and lively olive greens interwoven with blues, including cobalt and ultramarine. These grounded colour fields are offset by delicate filigree lines, which add intricacy and refinement. The high-key tones and bright, summery palette conjure an idyllic, almost island-like setting. The influence of Arthur Boyd is evident in several panels, particularly in the treatment of reflections within still, ultramarine water, where surface and depth are delicately balanced. Collectively, these works are deeply emotive, drawing upon memory and paying homage to the tradition of plein air painting. There is an absence of tension or foreboding; instead, the paintings foster a sense of peace, contemplation, and quiet awe. They demonstrate a sensitive and considered engagement with the landscape, reflecting the artist’s nuanced awareness of and connection to the natural world.