The Garden God
Norman Lindsay

One of my many favourite watercolour works by Norman Lindsay.

i bought a print of this many years ago and each time i visit Lindsay's home in Faulconbridge in the Blue Mountains, which is now a Gallery and Museum run by the National Trust housing many of his works, i immediately make a beeline to this.

Loving the innocence and unashamed abandon of the beautiful young girl who is full of life and joy, with arms outstretched, standing before this grotesque, lascivious looking, small lifeless stone figure in the garden.

To see this work in real life and to walk about the grounds of the former home of this most renowned Australian artist who has produced a vast body of work in different media, including pen drawing, etching, watercolour, oil and sculptures in concrete and bronze and ship building, is for me heaven and a must stop on my way to Katoomba and Leura.

Here at home, in my 'Upstairs Garden' i have a large stone plaque with a face cast into it, which hangs on the western wall of the house, catching the last rays of sun each day.

Although there is no beautiful young naked maiden standing there in front of his gargoyle-like face, safely flaunting herself before his lifeless eyes… i have nevertheless called him my 'Garden God”\' in homage to Lindsay and his work.

Wanting to loosen up in my painting style i played around yesterday using my Garden God as the basis for this work below. I wasn't planing to get this far with it as it was just an experiment in colour and shapes. So after two days mucking about, this is the resulting work.

I have yet to decide whether i will paint the remaining ivy leaves or leave them in negative as a white space.

the Garden God

a tribute to Lindsay