Art Gallery
A Journey into the Night Sky
This painting has been constructed using acrylic paint on canvas. The colours have been chosen to reflect the vibrancy of the night sky with metallic and mattes mixed together. The paint has been applied with my wheelchair running over the canvas to create movement and layers of texture. Paint has also been applied by drizzling and throwing layers of colour, which contrast the fine line application against the broad wheel’s background, reflecting stars in the galaxy. These layers create a depth and texture and a uniqueness to this original painting. This painting is framed in a wood and metallic frame that matches the metallic in the painting. The painting is approximately an A2 size and the framing is simple to showcase the work.
A Spring Garden
This vibrant mixed media work is bright and bold and highly energizing. It uses mixed media and unique application of paint that is combined to create a garden bursting into life. An application of wax, metallics, oils and pastels were used. Then acrylics were applied with both brush and water and plastic was then layered over the paint in order to create texture and movement. A simple black frame and white matte border completes this painting. I try to keep all of my framing very simple in order to showcase the works of art. This is an A3 frame.
Arctic Ice
This work is constructed with torn tissue paper and paint. The random layers of paper are positioned against a backdrop of green icy water. The overlay of paint has been applied to create different texture and depth of the image. It is almost as if you are looking into the painting from a height. Again, this painting is framed very simply with a white border and a black A3 frame.
Beating as One
Colour and media combine to create this piece. Metallics and mattes were used to create depth to this playful yet serious work of art. This is about the coming together and uniqueness two hearts, beating as one. The vibrancy shines through the darker, more turgid background. The movement and brushstrokes indicate change and the almost transparency towards the middle of the painting creates an image that seems to jump off the page. Simple black framing complements the simplicity yet complexity of this piece and it’s message.
Bridge Over Troubled Water
This work contrasts media application, colour application and the tranquil smooth times of life against the more turbulent, difficult pathways we may experience. It uses a mixture of pencil, charcoal, ink and candle wax. The subtlety of smooth application with watered ink and graphite pencil creates an image of gently flowing water with an almost sunlit surface. The darker areas, which combine ink, candle wax, charcoal and pencil showcase the more complex and rougher periods or journey. The linkages of the penciled areas across draw the eye into a pathway that may not have been evident on first glance. This creates visual interest as it appears that the painting is coming at you and you are drawn into it. The simple silver metallic frame complements this A3 work.
Cascading Canyon
Mixed media and a different approach to the final piece bring this painting together. There is no border or mat used in the framing process. The black, simple A3 frame simply completes the piece. Textured, coloured paper is layered behind the central focus print. A mix of watercolour, acrylic and metallic paint combine to create depth and texture. Texture is also created in the application of paper on paper and the glue and the layering resemble hills and canyons in themselves in their many shapes and sizes. The eye is drawn in many different directions with movement and colour working together to make this painting come alive. The eye is drawn to the central blue river running through the bottom of the canyon.
Cool Forest Walk
This mixed media piece uses both oil pastels, acrylics, ink and water to create a dark, yet colourful painting. The way that the acrylic paint and ink were applied helps create movement and texture in this piece. The contrast between the dark black and green metallic background and the bright pops of colour makes both balance the visual imagery of this painting. The eye is drawn to a cool place in the undergrowth of the forest, with the flowers leading the way. Colour and texture combine to make this a very pleasing painting. This is an A3 piece. This piece is framed very simply with a white border and black frame.
Country Drive
This painting represents movement. The energy that is created when you look at this work of art comes from the way the paint has been applied. My wheelchair wheels have created the movement and the way colour works together with the application helps develop layers of direction, energy and synergy. The colours create a contrast as well as a convergence of directions that are moving forward. Paint is also applied by throwing over the top to create the layered affect and depth of this painting. It is bright and yet complex in its depth. It is highly energetic and yet purposeful. This A3 piece is framed in a natural wood, which complements the organic nature of this painting.
Created Journey
This nebulous piece is a visual journey for eyes as you explore outer space. The metallic colours and the contrast against the fine matte acrylic thrown paint. This painting was created using my wheelchair wheels and thrown paint. The broad tire strokes move across the painting in a strong determined way. The fine, almost web-like application of brighter, lighter paint tricks the eye to create depth, colour, movement and visual dynamics. The A3 frame is simple yet reflects the metallic basis of this image
Down at the Beach
An explosion of colour are words that could describe this painting. The heat of the sun, the cool of the water, the energy of the ocean and the way the paint is applied all come together to create a day at the beach. Colour is central to this piece and the way that the colours work together to create the contrast between the heat of the sun and the cool of the water. It is vibrant and full of life. The eye is drawn into this painting and is bombarded with colour from all fronts. Acrylic paint was used to create this painting and texture and variety emerges through the chosen colour palette. A black paper border completes this work.
Dragonfly Dance
This work is one of a series of dragonfly paintings. This was created with mixed media of acrylic paint, metallic ink, oil pastels and a layered water and plastic application process. Movements, colour and contrast come together to make the dragonflies appear as if they lift off the painting. There is a depth to this painting and a movement and lightness that Is captured with the positioning of the dragonflies and the background texture and colour of the painting. It is completed with a simple white border and an A3 shiny black frame.
Dragonfly Over Water
This is another in my dragonfly series of paintings. It captures a summer day with dragonflies flying over water. The metallic colours of the dragonflies contrast against the smooth tranquil light blue waters beneath them. This painting uses mixed media and mixed applications of that media onto the paper. The texture and surface of the water and grass leads the eye downwards and creates a harmonious background for the dragonflies that are central to this painting. The three dragonflies link to the old style image of the three ducks in a kitchen, a modern take on an old idea. The placement of these dragonflies in the painting is essential. They are moving across the water. They are determined, they are free and they know where they are going. They only have a few hours to complete their journey. Their beauty and yet fragility is fleeting. They are celebrated, central to this painting. A black mat in a silver A3 frame completes this image.
Dragonfly Sky
This work is a mix of acrylic, oil-based pastels and water-based inks. It is representative of a spring day with bright clear colours and the spacing of the dragonflies against the background is meant to create an openness and freedom. The paint has been applied in layers and with plastic to create the texture of the background. A wooden A2 Frame completes the work.
Figures
This painting uses a combination of watercolour and ink in a monochromatic approach. The painting reveals a number of figures linked together around a campfire. This painting appears rather fluid and continual movement is captured due to the way the paint is applied to the surface of the paper. Subtle grays, blacks and metallic silver contrast to create this rather interesting abstraction. Metallic silver and black A3 frame and wide white border link with this painting to showcase the forms the ink takes.
Firework Fantasy
This art-piece is comprised of two framed A3 pieces within a border. A mixed media approach was used to create the colour, vibrancy and link to the night sky that is captured in this work of art. You must look into the painting in order to be able to identify colour and texture and the design of the fireworks. Firstly, oil, pastels and metallics were drawn onto the paper. Over this was layered acrylic paint and silver ink to help create a wide array of colours and tones, visually exposing the viewer to a burst of colour from different types of fireworks. Rough brush strokes and an uneven application of paint across the page come together to form the painting ‘Firework Fantasy’. A simple silver and black A2 frame completes it.
Floribunda
A mixed media approach using oils, pastels, acrylic paint, ink and water was used for this painting. Layers of water, ink, plastic and paint were put together and allowed to dry and then were rewet in order to capture the fine line of the paint above and around the flowers. Some of the flowers are almost translucent but that does not take away from the beauty and the uniqueness of how they stand on the paper. The colour balances across this painting and the flat paint application of the flowers contrasts with the fine line overlay of the black and metallic paint. The fine lines created with the black ink and the plastic. This is then encased in a black and white border and a simple black A3 frame
Golden Sunburst
The sun strikes a bunch of hardy gerberas, making them look even more alive than usual. The metallic golden sunlight mixed with the green lush flowerhead and leaves showcases the beauty of this bunch of flowers. A mixed media approach was used again in this painting with painted oil pastels being used more heavily than in some of my other paintings. Broad brushstrokes were used in a more determined approach to form the flowers at the forefront of this painting. The background blends into the flowers. The way the light hits the paper is essential in what was created. The eye is drawn into the painting and the darker background fades away in order to reveal the coloured flowers. A gray border is used for this painting and it is framed in a simple black A2 frame.
Memories of Childhood
This painting is a reflection and a collection of memories of my childhood schooldays. It layers paint, torn pieces of paper and metallic ink. Colour has been used to symbolize memory with school colours red, blue and white reflected across this work of art. Musical pieces, school badges and favourite books emerge from behind the paint as the eye is drawn into the layers that are revealed the longer one looks at the painting. The eye is drawn across the page to the yellow flower that emerges in a unique way from the symbolic backdrop. The mood is happy, bright and relatively calm, however the intensity of the hues represents the activity that was present within this period. Black matting with a white A3 frame completes these memories.
Moonlit Ocean
The moon above the ocean at Coollum beach was captured in this painting. What seemed a dark night and a dark moving ocean beneath the jetty came alive when the clouds came away from the moon and moonlight bathed the area in a silver glow. The movement of the water against the movement of the cloud creates an active, energized work of art. The layers of acrylic paint, metallic oil pastels and black ink converge together. An almost 3D moon created with silver layers of paint seems to emerge from the upper part of the painting in a way that lights the entire landscape. Subtle hues of purple, gold, gray and blue complete the lower depths of the moonlit water. A beautiful summer night seascape. A white border and black A3 frame complete this work.
Musical Sunrise
A lively mixed media approach was used to create this painting. Musical symbols and bright colour reflects the energy of morning. The eye is drawn into the painting and more symbolism and layers are scraped away. Acrylic paint, oil pastel and metallic ink was used to create this painting. Sprayed water and applied plastic also helped to create texture within the paint application. The water based paint drew away from the waxed pastels to create movement and energy and a lack of fusion between the elements. However, the balance on either side seems to be symmetrical, which counterbalances the movement in the media. This plays with the eyes and plays with our expectations of what the painting is reflecting. The energy at sunrise is amazing and to link music with this experience, the power of the painting becomes even stronger. Black and white and pink matting are used with a black A2 frame to complete this work.
Newspaper
This piece employs gold pen and watercolour paint and in a mixed media piece that allows an infinite number of interpretations. The colour is incredibly bright and layered and is reflective of the sun setting. There is movement and energy and continual change, the more that you look into this picture. The use of line is central and the complexity of this line and the ways that the eyes follow the line all converge to reveal the newspaper print as part of this form. Why is it there? Many questions can emerge from the viewing of this painting. It uses wash, it uses thicker paint and uses paint covered with pen. All are essential to balance and deliver the message of movement and the subtleties of sunset. A white border and black simple A3 frame make this painting emerge as the paint almost jumps from the page.
Ocean Reflection
This image was created using my wheelchair tires and paint applied onto the canvas as I wheeled backwards and forwards to create movement and energy and a symbolic vision of the ocean at play. The varied and broad applications of blue and green acrylic paint both coalesce together in their cool hues and contrast off each other as roiling waves. The line is both strong as well as delicate and the dropped paint blends to create a synergy and active reflection. Experimenting with different applications of acrylic paint onto canvas is quite exciting. The wheelchair, when used as a tool behind the wheels, creates a flow and a different approach in the creation of this painting. You need to work fast but also step away from the canvas in order to ensure that the finished work does reflect exactly what you want to portray. The ocean emerges from this painting clearly and distinctly and the A3 wooden and metallic frame completes this finished and different abstract creation.
Over the Rainbow
The rainbow is central to this painting. It is created using oil based pastels and metallic based pastels. Rain drops cascade from the top to the bottom f this painting. Are they raindrops or are they tears? Layered over this thick paper is acrylic paint applied with water, plastic and spray. The opposing forces between the wax and the water create a texture and an uneven and almost lace type layer that has to be looked through in order to focus on what is behind. There is a complexity and duality of happiness and sadness in this painting. There are many messages going on here. It is a reflection as well as a confrontation. The ending is not exactly clear. It is a process and this painting is complex. However, it is pleasing and an energy emerges as well as a calm influence because of the colour balance and the different application of line. A wide white border stabilizes this painting within the black A3 frame.
Peace
This painting uses mixed media as well as inserted symbols of peace. It includes feathers, pastels and paint, which combine to create a strong message of peace. Bright colours and smooth applications of acrylic paint create an image that promotes security and encourages warmth and serenity. Bright colours link with calming colours and shape and design meld together in this representation of peace. There is both depth as well as fragility in the way line and colour are used in the work. A simple gold and white mat lays across the border and a simple black A3 frame complete this work.
Purple Play
The colours and hues combine to create a calm yet energized piece. The use of ink, pencil and watercolour come together in this almost ethereal piece, because it both fades but is also boldly defined, is muted but also bright. It reflects a struggle and the complexity between both the subtle and smooth characteristics and the stronger and more defined parts of the painting. The eye can pick out individualized shapes and design or it can see the image as one. It plays with your imagination and pulls you in many directions. Thin, fine lines of metallic ink contract smooth, broad brushstrokes of pastel watercolour. A misty blue border extends this painting to the metallic A3 frame. The frame, the mat and the picture become one.
Sunflowers
This is a bright mixed media application of acrylics, inks and oil based pastels. Bright yellow sunflowers leap from this colourful backdrop. Colour is used in a clever way to both support as well as showcase the flowers. The black centres are texturised and contrast against the smooth yellow, vibrant flowers. Broad brushstrokes of colour were applied to a textured paper with a thicker application of acrylic paint than I would normally use. A simple fine white border with black edge and a black A2 frame complete this work.
Tempest
Tempest is a rather dark painting with a very clever application of mixed media into the work. It use fine line and thick smudge type acrylic paint layered across. Movement, energy and yet an almost disjointed reflection of the application mixed with the metallic pastels recreate the tempestuous story behind this painting. There is movement and within them, this movement is beautiful design. The blacks, silvers and purples reflect the sky and the energy and movement behind the storm. The wind is strong and yet not destructive. Items may have become changed, however they still are there with a new form. There is beauty in this recreating and realignment of life. A white wide mat with a very fine black line border completes this painting with an A2 black frame.
Twilight Overture
This very fine, delicate painting uses a mixed media approach in both the application of colour, line and texture. It uses layers of musical scores behind layered watercolour and acrylic paint. It uses metallic ink as well in this mix of ingredients. Very subtle use of colour comes together with a very smooth application of this colour onto the painting. Line subtly emerges from the colour application. Dark contrast between the purple and metallic again disturbs the eye and makes it look further into the painting. The colour reflects twilight and the hues that emerge at this time of night. The music and the colour combine to create a very pleasant, calm rest for the eyes. A gold A3 frame celebrates the gold notations from the overture.
Vibrant Valley
Vibrant Valley is a celebration of colour, line, design and the floral pathway leads the eye across the painting. It is almost cartoon-like at times, however, the smooth valley floor with the vibrant green grass and surface texture envelopes and softens the visual image. Line and paint application is both subtle and defined in this painting. It juxtaposes raw pastel with metallic line and very thickly applied acrylic mediums. You look through the layers for the real painting to emerge. It is alive, colourful and a joy to behold. The black mat with the white frame border helps make this image pop from the A3 page.
Walk in the Meadow
A cool afternoon walk in the meadow, the colour and texture work well in this painting. Small, vibrant flowers with bright yellow centres shine through the textured green, lush background. Mixed media was used to create this painting. A mix of green acrylic, oil based pastels, watercolour wash and layering of plastic help make this painting come alive. Line is created in the way that the paint is applied and the layering of the paint on the paper. A mood of calmness and serenity exudes from this painting. Nature is alive in his work. A black mat and natural wood A3 frame complete this organic image.
Wisteria 2
Mixed media application of watercolor and ink that has been cut into vertical segments and then layered with charcoal and graphite pencil. This is one of a series of three and all are different and unique in the way they have been completed. The same media has been used for all, however, the result of each is unique and different. It is framed in a white border mat and a black, simple A3 metallic frame.
Wisteria 3
Mixed media application of watercolor and ink that has been cut into vertical segments and then layered with charcoal and graphite pencil. This is one of a series of three and all are different and unique in the way they have been completed. The same media has been used for all, however, the result of each is unique and different. It is framed in a white border mat and a black, simple A3 metallic frame.