Collection: Claire Ishino - Now and Then: An exhibition of past paintings and present ponderings

This exhibition is a selection of works from 2019 – 2024 of Australian native flora. Over a 5-year period Claire captures the trees and plants on daily walks. She takes snapshots of native flora and takes them to the studio and plans methodically with thumbnails and colour roughs using colour pencil to sketch, giving the sense of freedom in the layering and texture and then develops them into compositions to paint. Using mostly gouache as a medium, the matte colour offers the ability to keep the palettes alive from one painting to the next – adding paint and changing hues but never completely starting over; in this way the paintings are all related to one another.

Other mediums in these works include pencil, acrylic, pen, paper collage and Clay Bord. Claire loves the simplicity of working in black and white, the monotone allows her to concentrate on the forms and linework however, colour is her greatest joy and she is always searching to find new and surprising colour combinations.

Now and Then is showing at the Hahndorf Academy from March 23 - April 28 2024.