Our soul is girt by sea

The ocean has always had a huge influence on my life and our recent move down to the peninsula has brought that joy and freedom on a more regular basis. As with the vast majority of my paintings i am equally fascinated by both the environment and the people finding pleasure, be it in the waves, on the beach or hurtling down the snow covered slopes of the Victorian alps. The birds-eye view presents a graphic background in which to frame the people, i take pleasure in observing all the different walks of life, the diversity and the little narratives taking place. With "Our soul is girt by sea" all the figurative work is kept small, presenting a little more anonymity, the sea washing and swirling all around underlines the power of nature and the important role we all play in preserving that.

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Ever since i could clasp my chubby little fingers around a pencil i have felt a strong urge to create and capture, to bring ideas to life and to challenge my own abilities. As a teenager i exhibited at various local shows, winning prizes and encouragement. I graduated from graphic design at RMIT and landed my first job as an art director in an advertising agency. 35 years later i feel incredibly privileged to have had the opportunity to work with so many "industry creatives" and create many memorable campaigns. Throughout those years i continued to draw and develop ideas but only in the last 18 months has the opportunity arisen where i can now focus on painting and in many ways it's a journey that is just beginning.
Working from our studio (my better half is also a painter) i have been focussing on topics that bring joy to my life and hopefully others too. With a 'graphic" art background, i look to colour and form to compose and frame my pictures. Our beaches in summer and snow covered slopes in winter provide the ideal setting for me. Adopting a "birds-eye' view and a largely monochromatic backdrop means i can introduce bursts of colour largely through the people enjoying the environment, whilst maintaining a slightly unconventional representation of the Australian "landscape genre'.
The human form in all its multitudes of shapes and sizes is also of great interest to me, i enjoy the little narratives and take great pleasure in working these into all my works. there have been several commissions now requesting family groups to be incorporated.
With contemporary interior design trends in mind, my aim is to introduce some of life's little pleasures into the home, responses to date have been most encouraging. I look forward to seeing how this journey develops.