Sally Stokes: Finding Wonder Beyond the Visible

Australian artist Sally Stokes discusses her practice, which is rooted in immersive observation of landscapes, particularly Australia's East MacDonnell Ranges. Her plein air sessions are not aimed at producing finished works but at absorbing the environment's shifting rhythms, which later inform her studio paintings. Influenced by artists such as Paul Gauguin, Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, and Pierre Bonnard, Stokes embraces abstraction and mystery over literal representation. She works from an extensive archive of sketches and studies, allowing each canvas to evolve independently. Stokes also highlights the role of poetry in her life, with daily readings by her husband, featuring works by Mary Oliver and Australian poets like Les Murray and Sarah Holland-Batt. She believes art connects people across time and cultures, citing Giotto, Titian, Cycladic sculpture, Willem de Kooning, and Chinese calligraphy as inspirations. Her paintings, such as 'Messages Arrive', 'Joyous Summer', 'Dance of the Mangroves', and 'Not Still', aim to convey a life force and encourage viewers to slow down and reflect. The article is published on AATONAU.