I painted these little 16×20 inch oil paintings on canvas boards around 2005-6. They bring back memories of a small group of enthusiastic students working together in the garage studio of Melbourne artist Peter Smales.

Peter could put down strokes so quickly and confidently bringing just enough definition and movement to a work. With his guidance I developed a fuller uderstanding of tonal values and a more sophisticated approach to the use of colour.

Peter is a member of The Twenty Melbourne Painters Society Inc a group of Melbourne artists who embrace tonalism as a key element in their painting style.

The Twenty Melbourne Painters Inc was formed by Max Meldrum in 1918 as a breakaway group. Meldrum had been appointed as the President of the Victorian Artists Society in 1916 but was voted out after just one year.

Meldrum argued that when painting, the tonal variations of the subject (the darkness and light) were the key for the artist to consider, far ahead of drawing skill and colour. Established artists that Meldrum was inspired by included Velazquez, Rembrandt and Corot.

https://blogs.slv.vic.gov.au/arts/max-meldrum-the-meldrumites-and-montsalvat/

There comes a time in many artists’ life where they breakaway from some underlying orthodoxy. The time spent with the small group in Peter’s garage precipitated my breakaway moment. Suddenly my horizon widened. I didn’t have to be so tight and controlled in my painting. The “rules” became guidelines that could be relaxed.

Since then I’ve had other breakaway moments. They remind us that nothing stays the same. We are all moving on.

Find out more about the Twenty Melbourne Painters Society
https://twentymelbournepainterssociety.com.au