In a world where most of the population is constantly on the go, Audrey Bunt insists on bringing back a seemingly lost appreciation for tranquility and peace through her beautiful still life paintings.
This Ireland native has lived in and traveled to many places throughout her life, but currently resides in Prince Edward Island, where she continues to draw inspiration from the environment around her.
Audrey’s still life collection represents an intimacy between the artwork and the viewer, with no hidden meanings, and no explanations necessary. Her only desire is to bring her viewers down to Earth, where—for a brief moment in time—no action or noise is required as they lose themselves in her art.
The wonderful battle between light and dark makes Cherries in a Pewter Jug (below) one of my favorites in Audrey’s collection. As light streams from the right, a stark contrast is created between the background and the table. This defines and enhances the sharp lines and cool steel of the pitcher even more.
I can almost taste the tartness of cherries, as well as feel their plumpness and texture through the rich red hues. To be able to capture the simple, yet elegant essence of such relatively plain subjects is what makes this painting beautiful. With its relaxed, country essence, I’m sure the cherries were picked from trees right in the backyard.
Her Toolbag, on the other hand, screams “posh woman on the go!” with a title that hammers the intent of the painting home.
A woman’s purse is always filled with an assortment of items needed to keep the day running smoothly, no matter where she is, what she might be doing or who she’s with. Think Mary Poppins, but with a grocery list, a better sense of style and less magic.
The bright, vivid colors seen throughout this painting are simply gorgeous together, and I especially love the teal background in combination with the sunglasses. (Note that the sunglasses are rose colored, perhaps much like this individual views her life.)
Ironically, these objects—caught forever in a still life—still manage to tell an intricate story of haste and action.
And last but not least, when I first saw Evening Duet, the first word that popped into my mind was “tangible.” Although water is not concrete in a physical sense of the word, in my mind, Audrey created the lake in this scene in a very firm way through the defined, precise lines of the water’s ripples and with her choice of solid, high-pigmented brown and blue hues.
Even the reflection of the swan feels solid, and this is what I enjoy most about the painting—Audrey’s strong, unique take on a subject matter that is usually described as delicate and fluid.
Need a little extra peace and quiet in your day? Visit Audrey’s website for more of her wonderful still life paintings.