The 8:15 Through Bowen Hills

This sounds like a powerful, modern piece—there is something very cinematic about the "voyeuristic" perspective of looking into a train from the outside, especially with that gritty contrast of the graffiti against the suburban hills.

Suggested Titles
The 8:15 Through Bowen Hills

Transience and Tags

The Commuters’ Gaze

Interstate of Mind

Description & Influences
This textural work captures a fleeting, urban moment on the Brisbane rail line at Bowen Hills. Viewed from a stationary perspective outside a passing train, the composition peers through the glass at two commuters. Their expressions are heavy with the mundane boredom of the daily grind, their eyes meeting the viewer’s in a moment of shared, silent transit. The exterior of the train is scarred with a large, vibrant graffiti tag, grounding the scene in the raw, unpolished reality of city life. Through the windows, the rolling, house-dotted hills of Brisbane provide a soft, domestic backdrop to the industrial steel of the carriage.

Influenced by the Camden Town Group’s gritty realism and their interest in the "urban interior," I’ve used a thick, impasto technique to contrast the metallic surface of the train with the fleeting landscape outside. The graffiti serves as a modern "memento mori"—a burst of chaotic human energy against the stagnant, bored expressions of the passengers. This study of perspective explores the barriers we place between ourselves and the public world, captured through layers of paint that mimic the grime and gloss of a city in motion.

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About the Artist: Jamie Congdon
The Story & The Drive
Born in Williamstown, Melbourne, Jamie Congdon was one of six children raised by his mother, Margaret, after his father was tragically lost at sea when Jamie was just an infant. Now a long-time resident of Queensland, Jamie has spent the last 35 years in Brisbane and Redcliffe, balancing his roles as a father of five, a taxi driver, and a deeply dedicated visual artist.

Jamie describes his creative drive as nearly obsessive. When he isn't behind the wheel, he is immersed in the Redcliffe Art Society Portrait Group or in his studio. His work is a "visual diary"—a candid, ongoing story of his own life, focusing on interiors and the quiet moments of his daily routine.

The Philosophy
Jamie’s practice is refreshingly direct. He avoids political, ethical, or moral agendas, believing instead that the canvas is a fresh page ready for a personal narrative. He operates under the ethos of Paul Cézanne: "True art is when the artist inserts his personality into his work." For Jamie, painting is about honesty, ambition, and the proactive pursuit of capturing one's own truth.

Education & Experience
Jamie’s creative energy is backed by high-level formal training and a massive body of work:

Master of Screen Production (Animation)

Bachelor of Fine Art – Queensland College of Art (QCA), South Bank

23 Solo Exhibitions hosted throughout his career

4-time RADF Grant recipient

3-time participant in the prestigious '15 Artists' annual exhibition

Jamie has exhibited extensively across regional galleries, including Redcliffe, Caboolture, Strathpine, and Rockhampton.

Recent Achievements & Awards
Jamie is a frequent finalist and winner in some of Australia’s most respected art prizes:

2025 – Winner, Moreton Bay Outdoor Art Prize

2024 – Winner, Exhibition of Excellence

2023 – Winner, Moreton Bay Art Prize

2022 – Winner (Still Life) & 2nd Overall, Exhibition of Excellence

2022 – Finalist, Brisbane Portrait Prize (My Flatmate)

2022 – Finalist, Salon Des Refusés (Choices, Choices)

2021 – Semi-Finalist, Doug Moran National Portrait Prize

2021 – Finalist, Salon Des Refusés (Brisbane Portrait Prize)

2021 – 1st in Still Life & 3rd Overall, Exhibition of Excellence

2020 – Finalist, Brisbane Portrait Prize

2018 – Finalist, Lyn McCrea Memorial Drawing Prize

2016 – Semi-Finalist, Doug Moran National Portrait Prize