• Artwork Size: 80 cm × 95 cm

• Stretched Canvas mounted on timber frame

• Material: Synthetic polymer paint, polymer emulsion medium, and mica-based metallic polymer paints (gold and silver effect) on canvas

• Year: 2025

This piece is part of the Tears as Opals Series

At the edge of New South Wales lies Lightning Ridge, where the population sign reads simply: ?. It’s a fitting symbol for a town built on mystery — a place where people go to disappear, reinvent themselves, or dig for fortune deep beneath the earth.

As a Service Coordinator for Home Care, I often travelled there for work and pleasure, meeting the locals who sustain this rugged, surprising community. Hidden beneath its harsh ridges is a human-made world of tunnels and mines: architectures of survival carved directly into country. Above ground, prosperity reveals itself in unlikely ways — the town’s grand clubs and facilities, often funded by generous donations from miners who’ve struck luck underground.

The Ridge forms part of my Tears as Opals series, which explores the transformative power of emotion — where each tear becomes a symbol of growth, healing, and resilience. Through vibrant acrylics and textured, layered surfaces, I reflect both geological and emotional landscapes. Like opals formed under pressure, these works shimmer with hidden depths, capturing internal rupture and hard-won resilience. Tears, once symbols of sorrow, here become markers of strength and renewal.

In this painting, I imagine the landscape as both wound and treasure map — an abstracted terrain where opalescent traces glimmer against the starkness of the earth. The work tells a story both personal and collective: of mining and memory, of land and longing, of Australia's hidden architectures — and the beauty that can emerge from deep within.

This abstract artwork presents a dynamic interplay of colorful, organic shapes that draw the eye across its textured surface. The composition features an array of circles in varying sizes, each adorned with intricate patterns and hues that evoke a sense of movement and depth. The subtle blending of colors creates a harmonious balance, while the contrasting outlines add definition and intrigue. This piece invites contemplation and can effortlessly enhance any space, making it a striking addition to your collection.

As both an artist and psychologist, I have spent years exploring human emotion—both in others and within myself. Each painting in this series reflects a chapter in my own healing journey, embracing vulnerability and renewal. Here, tears no longer signify weakness, but strength and evolution.

This collection invites you to connect with the universal experience of healing and self-discovery. Created from 2021 to 2025, the "Tears as Opals" collection was released and exhibited in its entirety during the Hilltops Off the Beaten Track Arts and Cultural Trail at Forever Young Gallery (Young NSW), in March 2025.

Each opal—each tear—carries its own light. I invite you to find yours within them.

Please note: artwork price includes shipping within Australia. For international customers, we may contact you to discuss additional shipping fees after checkout. Alternatively, you can contact Ang Hart to discuss shipping rates overseas prior to purchase. The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of the product.