A remarkable 'en plein air' painting by John of the rice harvest in the Philippines. Painted for the United Nations International Year of Rice the artist has captured the dynamic volcanic landscape and the hot dry light and heat of the world's number one staple food. Beautiful cloud formations hug the volcano and the palms and bananas in the background bring in tropical color.

"My first rice painting was completed in the dry paddy fields at the International Rice Research Institute during April 2004. The crop is harvested by hand using small hand scythes. Four people work in a line cutting a patch of the dried rice straw. The bundles are then wrapped up – often in sheets, or scraps of material and carried to the threshing machine. This is hot, dry and uncomfortable work and the workers protect themselves from the sun, heat and dust as best they can by wearing t-shirts over their heads and then keeping them in place with hats and scarves, I use my sun block and painting hat. At IRRI the crops are protected 24 hours a day by 'bird boys' who literally camp out under makeshift shelters and umbrellas. The 'bird boys' are there to scare off the birds that feed on the ripe rice grains. The colours are washed out and it is hot, dry, and dusty – the landscape is dominated by the tops of volcanoes which have clouds forming at the summit, modern telegraph wires cut across an age-old scene and banana plants can be seen growing on the fringes of the paddy field." John Dyer

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The painting is featured in the book 'Painting the Colours of the World' by Kate Dinn.

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