In 1994, in Southern France, three explorers felt a cool breath of air emitting from a crack in a rock.
The Chauvet Cave had been discovered, along with 32,000 year old Palaeolithic rock paintings by our Neanderthal ancestors.
Our artistic predecessors prepared their rock surfaces, guided by the flame of fires, scraping and smoothing them, ready for their everlasting masterpieces.
Crushed hermatite was then mixed with surface clay and sharpened embers of Scotch Pine served as their charcoal pencils and brushes.
This particular painting of the Rhinoceros, was given a three dimensional quality and movement by excising, etching and giving it 5 horns. The outer edges were scraped clear to get a pale "aura" and make the paintings "dance" on the walls in the flickering firelight.
Intrigued and and fascinated after watching the documentary on SBS, I tried my own cave painting.
Inks were used to fabricate the fissured and textured rock surface. Charcoal and crushed pastel pigments were then rubbed and pushed into the board to give shape to my prehistoric animals.
As I was working alone in my studio, it felt like maybe this was similar to the process used all those years ago.
It was a very spiritual experience for me.
W: 60x45cm
mixed media on board.
Www.meglewerartist.com.au