Duntroon: An Artist’s Impression
Duntroon: An Artist’s Impression
Vivien Dwyer
ISBN: 0975197800
About the book:
Duntroon: An Artist’s Impression is not so much a book as a piece of collectable artwork. The Royal Military College (RMC) is not a study of the military so much as a study in leadership.
In 1998, Vivien Dwyer went to Duntroon to produce one painting of an historic house in an attractive garden setting. She emerged five years later contemplating the nature and purpose of war, peace and the ultimate sacrifice. Enchanted first by the beauty of the estate, Vivien went on to explore the training of our army officers. Her daily encounters with a wide variety of people in many different situations resulted in well over one hundred watercolour images and a wealth of thought-provoking perspectives about a place of great contrasts.
What is revealed is something special: a place with historic and artistic connections to the first colony in Sydney, which also trains our army officers for the twenty-first century. As it turned out, this book is not only about our military and other challenges in the wider society, but also about art, light and atmosphere. It is about taking the time to observe simple things and reflect on the value of nature, our history, and the friendships that surround us daily, providing a refuge to which we can always retreat.
About the author and artist:
Vivien Dwyer is an artist and keen gardener. She started her career as a teacher and has taught art and history to all ages. For the past twenty years Vivien has painted professionally. Her artwork is highly sought after. She has had six major exhibitions, all of them on a theme. Each exhibition sold out on the opening night. Vivien loves the outdoors and finds beauty and excitement in recording ordinary, everyday life. The study of changing light and seasons is paramount and the Impressionist painters are her greatest influence: Fortunate to have travelled and worked overseas, the highlight was living with her family in France for six months, working daily in Monet's garden, recording in her site sketchbooks the life and light in the garden and the village of Giverny. Duntroon: An Artist's Impression is Vivien's first step from painting to book production.
