As evidenced by this painting, there isn’t an awful lot near Smeaton, a small town north of Ballarat. I make a lot of “busy” paintings, probably because visually there’s a lot going on in the forest. It’s complicated and messy. Trees stick out at odd angles. Stuff falls over. The whole place looks like an … More Near Smeaton
Around 2006 I lived in Northumberland for about a year. I didn’t make many pictures during that time, but this is one of my favourites. New spring leaves on birch trees.
It was a damp and overcast late winter day when I sketched this azalea in the Japanese Garden in St. Mawgan in Cornwall. Its flowers held a promise of spring that was a long time coming that year. The painting was made safely back in the warmth of the studio.
Looking north from Mt Buninyong. I like a volcano, even an extinct one, so I’m pretty happy with the number dotted around Ballarat. The one in the foreground is Mt. Warrenheip. And the title? Well, I have been painting for around 30 years, and I have been calling each painting something prosaic like Ballarat Lane XXVIII, which … More And pallid evening twines its beaming hair
Before I arrived in Australia I assumed I would go straight to the desert and paint the sort of iconic (to Brits at least) Australian landscape that I had seen in galleries and art books. I assumed I would need a lot of red paint. I settled in Melbourne, then in Ballarat and so far, ten years later, … More Otways
I love Australia, but falling asleep in paddocks of long grass is not a recommended pastime here. Most folks around the world associate Australia with a wide range of exotic animals that will kill you as soon as look at you. It’s a reputation many Aussies are keen to foster from the comfort of their urban pavement latte MacBooks, … More Meadows and picnics
art about place 