In some parts of the bush, even in the heat of summer, there is cool shade. This is a painting of Wombat Creek which flows through Wombat State Forest near Daylesford. I was going all-out for a tonal study here in just burnt umber and ultramarine, but a little extra colour crept in at the last … More Wombat Creek
Another wee gouache sketch from down on the coast. A rock arch, the surviving part of a formation known as London Bridge until it, um, fell down. Just like in the song. Give a rock formation a bad name, eh? Coincidentally this arch features in a recent piece by an artist and blogging mate Dan … More Arch
I had the sudden urge to draw really big drawings of picture hooks. On old packing cases. Some might say this is the result of spending too much time in windowless galleries “handling” art. I say you could be very close to the truth. With most of my work, I’m a stickler for cripplingly expensive … More The Middle-Class Hero and the Diaspora
Brrr. It was a chilly hike through the low-growing and twisted snow gums on the east slopes of Mt Buller. The skiing season had yet to get properly underway so we had the place to ourselves. A wonderful new range of colours and sensory experiences to be had from the environment here. This is a … More Snow on Mt Buller
Still life. Nature Morte. My dad used to paint still lives because they were good for you. Like barley malt or Lane’s Emulsion, a ghastly fish-tasting concoction from New Zealand that was forced down my throat as a child. Ah, happy days. So, stuck in the house still suffering from the lung ailments the emulsion failed to cure and … More Apple Blossom
In celebration of the first warm day and the intimations of spring, here’s a painting from a couple of years ago. Near the top of the Pinnacles lookout in the Grampians, but looking the other way towards the west. The place was full of early wild flowers, none of which I know the names of. I … More Spring is just around the corner…
art about place 