Pastel on Pastelmat paper  Original SOLD 

 Image size dimensions 56 X 84cm  

Although the black swan was very well known to indigenous Australians and featured strongly in their Dreamtime stories, it was generally believed in the Northern hemisphere to be an impossibility and in fact became a metaphor for something inconceivable since all swans in the North are white.

Like purple cows and flying pigs, the black swan was a symbol of what was impossible.

 'In medieval Europe, unicorns had more credibility. Dutch navigator Willem de Vlamingh, by finding black swans in Western Australia in 1697, showed how risky it is to declare something impossible' (Tim Lowe July 2016).

A 'black swan event' in history was 'unpredicted'. The term black swan has become synonymous with an unprecedented event. The discovery of the black swan by the European explorer was so unexpected that it is considered in philosophy as an example of the unpredictable, only to be understood after the fact.

I on the other hand grew up with the very familiar black swan of lake Wendouree in my home town and went to pay my respects very frequently both as a kid and later as an adult nature artist. I sailed boats among them and followed them about in a kayak and generally lived in awe of their serene beauty. I am still in awe of them and the challenge of painting them is not to be underestimated either. But in the end, I think the battle is worth fighting if this painting of mine in soft pastel evokes even a fraction of the black swan's beauty.

If you wish to learn more about Australian nature and maybe get involved you can visit the Wildlife Art Museum of Australia website through the links on my website