Philip Wolfhagen Alpine transect

Above the tree line in the Tasmanian mountains the shrubs grow compact, forming tight knots of wind-pruned vegetation, surrounded by short wallaby-grazed snow grass. I am drawn to the rich palette of colours present in this austere environment: the blue-purples of Richea, the coppery green of Baeckea and brighter greenish yellows of Orites. These main plant types are complemented by the warm gray tones of the weathered Jurassic dolerite that forms the substrate. The result is a beautiful mosaic of colour and texture that demands to be painted.

Alpine transect is both a sweeping Romantic landscape and an analytical record of the colour of alpine plants.

- Philip Wolfhagen, 2015