Happy New Year

Summer in the Southern Hemisphere means homage to Brett Whiteley's beach motif

New Art Project (Untitled)

Something I've been spending some time on recently using recycled cardboard boxes, paper, acrylic paint and shellac...

Covert Operations...

This one is in honour of a local bag lady where I grew up. She used to walk these streets and laneways with her shopping jeep

stencil after the gleaners by Millet

Different location

The boot is full and ready to roll!!

Tis the Season to be Drawing...

Can You Help Me?

Negetive spaces

Been mucking around with cloud filled sillhouettes on and off for a little while and have combined it with an idea for a paste up or stencil taken from "The Gleaners", by Millet.



This one is inspired by a bag lady that used to live next door to us when I was a kid. She died in awfully tragic circumstances and I used to see her all the time walking the streets with her shopping buggy. This is a way to kind of honour her memory.

I like to think of these pieces as being about loss. The holes left by being (and not being) human. Sometimes tragic, and lacking dignity, squillions of forgotten people that we never knew as potentially real spaces full of mystery and meaning.

Study in Acrylic

Nude Study

The Tree of Man...

Continuing to fiddle around with Paper Mache. Finishing with acrylic wash and shellac

Never Give up

Torso that began with this. Not that I am by any means successful in the traditional sense, but if there was one thing I could say to artists, young or old that are struggling with the tension of wondering if continuing with their art is really worth it, I would say, dont give up!! Even if right now it seems like nothing will ever come of all the effort, its worth it just to see yourself grow. Even if you never "succeed" at all in monetary terms. I nearly gave up and now I am so glad I didnt. That continues to be a guiding force behind my art practice. As Vincent Van Gogh said, out of great pain, comes great beauty.

Accidental Art

An accidental abstract composition taken on an iphone...

Bears in Custody...

Inspired by this.

silhouettes

SHOWTIME III

The Sweetest Music

SHOWTIME continued...

Showtime

Yep, its that time of year again... when children have the joy of playing in a sea of death. You can revisit my thoughts in this phenomenon, here and here.

The Notebook

I've been finding some rhythm with the keeping of the notebook, or visual diary as its called in Art School. I always struggled to keep a visual diary, as every time I opened it, I found the blankness of the page daunting. The blankness of my mind even scarier. Now, occasionally, I catch the ideas before they drift off into the fog. I have learned how to use one, mostly through years of trying and failing. Giving up. Starting again.

Having a visual diary, is incredibly helpful as it is the capturing of ideas rather than the refining of them that is important. I was told this often. I had only ever understood it as a restriction and a chore until recently.

These two are drawn from memory from real life.

The Voice of a generation...

A guy walked past as I was doing this and asked "Arent you?" I didnt really have a response...

Stage Two

Stage One

Anti Christmas Cards

Designs for a series of "Anti - Christmas Cards."

Love Birds

Didnt quite turn out the way I hoped, and you cant see the outlines very well due to paper glare. But I am liking this concept and am happy with how the flat black acrylic paint worked on the brickwork. ( Yes I actually went to the trouble of painting the wall to do this piece.)

My Nervous Emu

Have wanted to do this one for a while

After Millet

A couple of drawings done after, "The Gleaners" by Millet

Chinese Whispers

The Sweetest Music (update)

Update of current painting.

The sweetest music...

Bubble Girl II

The Window

Playing with paint again and as usual, see plenty of potential and rarely see results

New Wheatpaste

Across the road from my old High School...

Sugar and Spice and everything nice

John Bracks pictures of children have inspired me.

Latest Wheatpaste..(talk to the hand)

Close up

First wheat paste I've done in ages. I actually had something else in mind today, but this piece works I think...

Torso...

Another Torso update. Added some acrylic paint and some clear spray on varnish. Still a long way to go even though its already come some distance from here.

paper Torso..

Updated shot of torso Ive been working on... Still a work in Progress:)

Cubist Guitar Guy

Guitar guy is popping up in the notebook again.. Hes a cubist this time.

Last minute scratching...