artist statement and inspiration

“The concept of ‘the bush’ has become iconic in Australia referencing the sparsely inhabited natural landscape which can be extremely beautiful but harsh at the same time rendering itself to drought, heat and fire.

A ‘bushranger’ was usually an escaped convict in the early years of British settlement who would become a thief and live in the Australian bush to hide from authorities.

In Bushranger IX, I metaphorically capture the image of a bushranger in action while also reflecting the harsh conditions and unseen energy, movement, life force and emotion of the outback in the palette including the sun and the fires.” - Lara Scolaris

This stunning original artwork on canvas is from the Lara’s ‘Vim Vitae’ Series created in 2019. This current body of work captures the life force that bubbles and bursts invisibly all around us, and burns just as brightly in our body and minds even as we sit still; especially as we sit still. Celebrating our creative energy Lara’s paintings are a reminder that renewal is a constant available to all of us. Her signature organic motifs are conjured into shape with rope and other natural materials and rendered in swirls of ink up to 40 layers deep.

“I create landscapes of life force. tapping into vibrations and responding to the moment."

- Lara Scolari