_edited.jpg){kind=small}
In Search of Resonance in the Strangeland Series
- Charlotte Wensley
- Apr 30
- 9 min read
Updated: 8 hours ago
Creative Explorations in Paint, Collage and Print
The Strangeland Series captures the essence of artistic exploration through the abstract painting process. Each piece uniquely combines vibrant colors, dynamic shapes, and intriguing textures to reflect a journey into abstraction and a dreamlike sense of place.
Consciously stepping away from the more literal references to landscape in my Latent and Wayfinder series, these paintings have taken me on a journey further into abstraction with a greater emphasis on the interplay between shapes, colours and textures. These works have evolved through experimentation with the juxtaposition of different elements whilst considering more intentional overall compositional choices. Each painting describes a unique search for balance and settlement arising from the liminal working process which I employ to infuse each painting with energy and movement.
Through the creation of this collection, I've become increasingly conscious that my work involves a search, be that for a process related or material outcome or for a deeper but perhaps transient meaning in the moment of making. As this collection developed I also found myself considering themes around different levels of consciousness and an altered awareness of time, and how these co-exist in ephemeral spaces where both memory and reality dwell.
There are 21 paintings in this collection.
| Many Moons Ago
Inspired by a dream state, vibrant colour and rhythmic forms have come together in this work to evoke a sense of shifting horizons and altered time. Memory, imagination, history and emotion have all left traces on the canvas. This large contemplative piece invites you to journey into landscapes both real and imagined and let go of time.
This piece was commissioned for the 'Slivers' exhibition, curated by Juanita Van Den Berg at Studio One Noosa. This painting was created in three separate panels of different widths, but which come together to make the larger painting as a whole.
(See related posts to learn more about the exhibition concept and barcode art.)
Mixed Media on Canvas
152cm x 172cm
Framed in Australian Oak
| The Dreamer's Way
This piece evolved into a deep and intriguing abstract landscape, alive with movement, colour, and intricate pattern. Deep reds juxtaposed with radiant yellow and orange, and patterned cool blues intertwine to create a rich tapestry of energy, rhythm and movement. Suggesting both a journey and a state of mind, this work asks you to wander along its layered pathways to settle in a place where your imagination is set free.
Mixed Media on Canvas
120cm x 120cm
Framed in Australian Oak
| Safe Harbour
This small original mixed media painting captures a sense of calm and refuge within its layers of colour, texture and pattern. Subtle details and gentle contrasts evoke the feeling of arrival after a long journey; the shapes are reminiscent of finding security, a place of rest and protection. The quiet strength in this intimate painting holds a beautiful presence, offering you a moment of stillness and connection.
Mixed Media on Board
30cm x 30cm
Framed in Natural Oak
| Hidden Path
Capturing the mystery and beauty of layers of vibrant colour and textures, details invite you into a shifting landscape to find quiet moments of stillness. This work evokes the sense of following an unseen trail into the distance, one that leads to new perspectives and the possibility of discovering wonder.
Mixed Media on Board
30cm x 30cm
Framed in Natural Oak
| Taming Shadows
This piece explores balance and transformation. Layers of warm colour and cool textured blues contrast strongly with the darker tones, defiantly taking their place in the painting. The shapes and colours are a reference to the concept of challenge, resilience and those moments of breakthrough where light is given free rein to shine. Intimate in scale yet powerful in mood, it speaks to positive endeavour.
Mixed Media on Board
30cm x 30cm
Framed in Natural Oak
| Mirage
Bold, abstract forms evolved in this painting through layers of paint glaze and print to evoke the shimmer of something just out of reach, a fantastical illusion of an inviting landscape. This work encourages you to pause in moment of contemplation, where imagined ephemera is free to dance with memories of reality.
Mixed Media on Board
30cm x 30cm
Framed in Natural Oak
| Lagoon
The interplay of coastal sands and seawater pools gifted by the ebbing tide are the inspiration for this piece. When the beach is bathed in hot summer sunshine, these temporary lagoons offer calm and cooling respite. The warm colours in this painting contrast with the deep blue to create a sense of invitation; the patterns, details and textures evoke the magic of these beautiful, sparkling shallows that bear treasures from the sea.
Mixed Media on Board
30cm x 30cm
Framed in Natural Oak
| Shadowland
Shadowland explores the relationship between light and dark, seen and unseen. Soft colour contrasts and layered textures create a dreamlike atmosphere; both deep and delicate this piece invites you to explore the impermanence of light when the world is defined by shadows.
Mixed Media on Board
30cm x 30cm
Framed in Natural Oak
| Sunswept Day
This piece is alive with the sensations of a day at the beach, exploring the creek and enjoying shady spots offered by the Casuarinas. The vibrant energy of the yellow in this painting radiates joy, evoking the warmth of the sun spilling across land, sea and sky. Reminiscent of a day filled with sun, sand and beachcombing, this is a piece that speaks to the pleasure of enjoying the simple things in life.
Mixed Media on Board
30cm x 30cm
Framed in Natural Oak
| In Pursuit of Awakening
An evocative abstract painting that invites you to explore notions of clarity, light, and the possibility of personal transformation. Through layered textures, in both paint and print, and luminous colour interplay that vibrates strongly, this piece captures the restless energy of a journey toward deeper understanding. This work encourages contemplation, drawing you into the deeper, darker visual spaces, reminiscent of the universe beyond, where movement and stillness co-exist alongside each other.
Mixed Media on Board
60cm x 60cm
Framed in Black
The original is currently available at Wentworth Galleries.
| Time to Dance
This is a joyful abstract painting that radiates rhythm and vitality. The warm and energetic colour palette creates a festive and celebratory energy that combines with patterns that dance across the surface, as if in motion. This spirited piece is about embracing freedom, and the sheer delight of being swept up in moments of happiness.
Mixed Media on Board
90cm x 90cm
Framed in Australian Oak
The original is currently available at Wentworth Galleries.
| Conundrum
The inspiration for this piece was a single shape, which evolved into a creative journey about conflict and resolution between different elements within the composition. A tension and ambiguity developed as the piece progressed as I began to explore using the same element in different sizes. The result is a piece that invites you in to wander within, following contours and edges that intersect, expand and dissolve. Layered, contrasting colours define forms and voids, that offer no fixed answers, only shifting interpretations that mirror the complexity of human experience.
Mixed Media on Board
60cm x 60cm
Framed in Black
The original is currently available at Noosa Art Gallery.
| Falling Like Rain
With colours evocative of a summer storm dampening sun scorched earth, this painting captures the gentle rhythm and energy of raindrops tumbling from the sky. I find rainstorms so meditative; the sound of rain on the roof is one of my favourite things! This piece evolved into a contemplative work offering a visual interpretation of a soothing and calm cascade of water that, through the use of repeated organic patterns and textures, reflects nature’s ability to cleanse, renew, and transform.
Mixed Media on Board
60cm x 60cm
Framed in Black
The original is currently available at Noosa Art Gallery.
| Secret Garden
As this painting unfolded I became lost in reverie about a secret garden that existed below my grandparents house which was built on the side of a hill. Access was by a narrow path tangled with overgrown and rambling plants. An enormous rock outcrop concealed the garden from above and to happen upon it was to arrive in a hidden and enchanted place that appeared to long keep secrets of it's own. Mosses, lichens and shade loving ferns created a soft and acoustically comforting atmosphere of quiet enchantment.
Mixed Media on Board
90cm x 90cm
Framed in Australian Oak
The original painting is currently available at Wentworth Galleries.
| Beyond the River
The distant horizon that evolved during the making of this painting became a quiet promise of discovery, of somewhere or something distant that was not yet attainable.
A sun-kissed grassy meadow giving way to the sandy beach of a passing river
felt happily familiar though strongly of an otherworldly place where beautiful mysteries might await. This piece invites you close your eyes, think beyond familiar boundaries, and cross into a place where both the real and imagined exist together, all the while in the reassuring, autonomous presence of water tumbling by.
Mixed Media on Board
90cm x 90cm
Framed in Australian Oak
The original painting is currently available at Wentworth Galleries.
| The Inbetween
This piece was inspired by the quiet tension of transition; the space between departure and arrival, a hard to define moment in time that surely exists but often one which we cannot see, only feel. The colour palette vibrates with a soft but unmistakable certainty and the delicate shapes speak to fragility, as if this moment might hang by a thread.
The fine line between reality and imagination that exists fleetingly in liminal spaces is something I find myself ruminating on, as the anticipated transformation quietly unfolds of it's own free will.
Mixed Media on Board
90cm x 60cm
Framed in Australian Oak
| Hours of Summer
The lingering warmth of long, sun-drenched summer days wandering secretly through fields of corn awaiting harvest, with nature as my only witness. This painting is inspired by childhood memories when time seemed endless, it's rhythm undisturbed. Layers of luminous colour capture a sense of the golden light I remember so clearly; This painting invites you to feel the embrace of summer and the freedom to roam.
Mixed Media on Board
60cm x 60cm
Framed in Black
Original - SOLD
| Leaving the Storm
The painting carries with it a feeling of release, of moving beyond darkness and shadows towards a gentler, more open and promising horizon. It’s a meditation on change, resilience, and the quiet grace found in the passage from one state of being to another. Whilst this painting holds the echo of darkened skies it invites you to contemplate the verdant and welcoming pastures beyond.
Mixed Media on Board
60cm x 60cm
Framed in Black
The original painting is currently available at Wentworth Galleries.
| The Listeners
A presence seemed to gather at the edges of the composition during the process of making this painting. Gentle layers and shifting forms began to suggest unseen witnesses; vessels keeping untold memories, or spirits perhaps holding space for what is unspoken, hinting at stories half-heard and never fully told. It invites you into an enigmatic space, where silence becomes language, and listening becomes knowing through the act of visual discovery.
Mixed Media on Board
60cm x 60cm
Framed in Black
Original - SOLD
| Sleep of the Dreamer
This painting floats in an otherworldly realm, where boundaries blur and the thin veil between waking and dreaming becomes tangible. Offering a strong sense of the dream state being filled with portals into the unknown, this piece developed around a sense of a passage into unseen dimensions. You are invited to step into a space between two worlds, suspended between the shadows of sleep and the light of awakening. It’s an invitation to wander inward and drift in the mystery of all that is yet to be dreamed.
Mixed Media on Board
60cm x 60cm
Framed in Black
The original is currently available at Noosa Art Gallery.
For more information about currently available original paintings, and work on consignment to galleries download the collection catalogue here or check out our range of beautiful reproduction prints in our Shop.
*Free shipping on all original paintings within Australia
| Join my art community
Don't forget to join my Studio Diary mailing list to get my monthly newsletter delivered straight to your inbox and your free PDF copies of my:
Top 10 TIPS - COLLAGE BASICS
Top 10 Tips - GELLI BASICS
Top 10 Tips - MEDIUMS and GELS
Follow the link to get your copies today!
#contemporaryabstractart #charlottewensleyart #abstractart #artvideo #artprocessvideo #abstractartprocess #australianart #contemporaryart #modernabstractart #modernart #charlottewensley #artblog #abstractartblog #artblogs #gelliprinting #gelliprint #artmakingvideo #artvideo #artmaking #newabstractart #abstractpaintings #gelliprintcollage #abstractartist #abstractartblog #mixedmediaart #mixedmedia #mixedmediaabstract #abstractmixedmedia #mixedmediaartist #mixedmediavideo #collageart #collage #modernabstracts #sketching #australianartist #artforinteriors #artistsvlog #abstractpainting #colouranddesign #originalabstractart #buyoriginalart #buyabstractart #artinnoosa #queenslandartists #noosaartist #australianartists #australianart #brisbaneartist #brisbaneart #melbourneart #artgalleries #artprints #surfacedesign #productdesign #homedecor #wallart #framedartprints #artprintoncanvas
