55 mins
“I Never Noticed The House Was On Fire” This is a painting for an upcoming group exhibition about memories. When I was a kid I grew up in a household where my parents were functioning alcoholics. They gave me toys, put me in front of the tv, and sent me outside to play to keep me distracted from what was going on. When I look back almost all of my childhood memories revolve around these things. I became obsessed with these imaginary worlds and I learned to draw by copying my favorite cartoons and characters from children’s books. It was not until I was much older, that the truth could no longer be hidden from me. The imaginary world of cartoons and books kept me shielded from the harsh realities of home. As I grew into an adult that form of coping grew with me as I created my own imaginary places inspired by the ones I loved as a child. A healthy place to escape.
Whenever I think of tags and/or labels for people, be it things like ‘gammons’ or ‘snowflakes’ et al, narrowing it down to a single person who represents that group is always running a fool’s errand in my opinion.
Many people walk past plants either without noticing them or with just a glance. For the Walmajarri people in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, and many other Indigenous groups, plants provide a source of food and medicine. These outlines are of plants that are used by Walmajarri people as either food or medicine. For most people they remain a mystery, hence the outline only.
Kierkegaard said we undersand life by looking back, but we must live life forward. On a trip to the Chicago Art Institute with a group of students, I penned the students behind me and then I penned the rapidly moving images I saw through the front window of the bus . I still do not understand life except that perhaps it is full of energy and art and love.
This work is purposely incomplete. I will facilitate a group of people who will color in the black and white template as well as have the option of making their own art freehand. Individual and couple contributions will be combined to make our composite mural. People who participate in this event will thus listen and speak while creating artwork for the mural. For my part I will explain the latest research concerning the hormones involved in the physiology and neurology of falling in love and remaining in love
Rad experience joining a local drawing group for the first time yesterday although I didn't realise how inconvenient my backpack was going to be, it made me slow to set up / pack up and a few of us had to organise a locker at the gallery as we didn't know backpacks weren't allowed so I spent most of today sewing a bag/sketchbook cover which fits an A4 sketchbook, pencils, id and phone and also has some backing in it so I can easily sketch on my lap without dropping my stuff all over the place. I'm going to do a bit more work on my weird comic book page tonight but in the mean time this is my sea serpent digitally coloured, he lives at Apollo Bay and likes to sleep camouflaged amongst the lifesaver rings.
One of my favorite things about being a parent is listening to the stories my daughter makes up and really trying to encourage her imagination. She has named a bunch of the cacti which line our windowsills, while our cacti are very accustomed to their suburban lives they also like a bit of adventure, this is a group of them taking a family vacation to the desert.
A quick group portrait I made to try making a timelapse of the process. The timelapse is posted to my instagram account. This time, I used brown and yellow bister ink on watercolor paper. Normally I paint the monsters themselfves, but now I used negative painting to create them.
A color pencil drawing of Debbie Harry - singer with the group Blondie. Reference used was from back in the 1970's. Derwent Artists color pencils on thick cartridge paper. Many thanks for looking.
Howcome ghosts only wear white sheets? A group of whimsical, colorful ghosts fills the space, Each figure is unique, featuring different patterns and hues that provide a playful and vibrant contrast. The overall effect is lively and imaginative, evoking a sense of fun and mystery.
Superstition : Cigarettes.
The superstition that it is bad luck to light three cigarettes from one match appears to have originated during the Boer War. It was said that a sniper could spot where men might be as the first cigarette was being lit, take aim as the second was ignited and fire with deadly effect at the third. Two lights were enough for any group of men who valued their lives.
From "A DICTIONARY OF OMENS AND SUPERSTITIONS" by Philippa Waring
This painting is a technique I enjoy mostly because I see figures in the ordinary and draw them out from what I see in abstract backgrounds I paint. In it you see a group of people enjoying time together. I used Acrylics on Aquaboard, a surface especially made for many layers of wet media.
My submission for the Doodle Addicts album cover challenge. Thank you so much for the votes, I appreciate them all! Here's the original description for the submission: Future you calling is a group that mixes electronic pop and rock with some vintage and retro vibes thrown in the mix. To Whom It May Concern is their newest album. It's like that strange record that you once found on the slightly shady flea market that closed down after one month. You wish you had bought it back then, so now is your chance to repair the damage and get this album instead. It's almost the same. We promise. (Future you calling is an invented band. I'm not musically skilled enough to make the band reality but I can always imagine how their albums would look like if existed. This illustration was painted in Photoshop using reference photos found on Pexels.)
The first rule of art club... I made this for an art therapy group that I attend. I decided to create it after a conversation during an art session; a private joke.
This is part of a beautiful moment that was created as I was painting on these mini watercolour sheets. During the journey, I painted around 5 paintings. This is the first painting I painted during my train journey. A group of girls ( students ) got excited when I showed some of my paintings. So I gifted them this. More on the way ....
