Maurice-Robinson Family

Preserving Family History, Sharing Personal Interests

Sydney, NSW, 2000 Australia

Family History is the sum of many individuals and events.  When we know about the lives of our forebears we can better understand where we came from and who we are today.  These are stories of two families which came together through the marriage of Daniel Maurice and Margaret Robinson in 1974.

As well Daniel and Margaret would like to share their interests in photography and art.

Artist's Statement

My art is figurative and the subjects stem from life drawing and plein air sketches done around my home in Sydney.   

 

I am most interested in conveying the beauty of the human form and try to emphasise the rounded contours of the body by offsetting the figure against a stark, geometric background.  

 

Printmaking, particularly the etching process, allows me to achieve this.  I use a copper sulphate etching solution on aluminium plates.  By blocking out sections of the plate with liquid hard ground and submerging it in the solution a number of times I get soft tones on the figure juxtaposed against strong panels of black and white.  Etching is volatile and “mistakes” often occur at some point in the process but these can enhance the work creating unplanned and unique effects.  

 

My prints are usually monotone but when I am struck by the desire to use colour, I turn to pastels. The vast range of hues in a pastel palette has led me to simplify landscapes into blocs of vibrant colour.  In portraiture, pastels allow me to draw freely and create depth through multiple layers. 

 

I believe that, no matter how confronting the subject matter, any art piece should be beautiful.  It should give pleasure to the viewer and make them feel more enriched for having experienced that work.