Charcoal on Arches paper

69 X 49 cm.

Sometimes I think the Western world suffers from what I call 'Too Muchness' where we think that more is automatically better. We add more detail...more money.... more hours etc etc. until we stultify in too much of everything and our brains explode.

I am a bit of a Zen buff so believe that less is more and it is in the spirit of Zen Enso that I created this New Zealand fur seal, or as the more up to date and unromantic now call it the long-nosed fur seal. The work is compressed charcoal on smooth watercolour paper and I love the fluid nature of the marks I can make using this technique and this simplified mindset. This beautiful creature was on Kangaroo Island in South Australia during a recent field trip and I was totally enchanted by the simple poetry of its posture.   I hope you enjoy it too.