Location: Australia
I grew up in the small Mallee town of Walpeup >situated in the north -western part of Victoria , Australia , between the Little Desert to the south and the Sunset Country to the north,to some indeed gods own country ! At a very young age my parents shaped my interest in the arts and the Great Australian Bush (native vegetation and animals in natural state),I remember as a small child sitting around the breakfast table with sun streaming in though the split bamboo blinds, with my father listening to the A B C radio break fast show with Russ Tisane,when when Romeo and Juliet came on the balcony scene and my father carefully explained the love scene as it unfold on the radio .. There was no T.V at that time and only thing that passed for culture was football and cricket . My father was a great lover of the arts and keep several much treasure art books.As a child i played in the bush straight out side the gate, gaining a great love and understanding of the nature of things and combined with my fathers love of arts . lead me to be a person with a deep spiritual bond with land which i express though my art . Reflecting profound beauty of nature and her many moods .i have long been inspired by the Australian singer John Williamson , because he like me shares the great love and passion for the Australian bush and it's people .
I am attempting to show how i feel about the environment though of it on a both spiritual and physical plain .when i look around this planet and its wonders , i am blown away by the creativity of nature.I find it easy to understand how our ancestors created gods to explain the absolute wonders of this planet .Personally i find being in the bush ( native vegetation,with native creatures) at time a spiritually moving experience . As i walk into the bush with the canopy of tree closing over head , the quiet sounds and smell of the bush all around , again as i walk though the bush under night sky , looking up into a canopy of stars and the great southern cross.I feel a deep peaceful experience similar to walking into a cathedral .We must take of nature as it has always taken care of us, it has sheltered ,clothed ,and feed us. I try to be aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life .I try always to cultivate compassion in my heart and find ways to protect the lives of all things and in doing so there fore myself and others
" Dark ,Dark ,Night",This a triptych the the first image is of death and destruction straight after a bush a bush fire has passed . the forest is just ash and blacken trunks . but wait all is not lost life hangs by a thread waiting for things to cool and rain?.
Crack of Dawn ! second part in the triptych the bush fire have long passed and the seed have dropped from their protective seed pods on to the ash bed below . Every were can be seen the blacked trunks ,the grey ash on the ground. but wait glory be ! what is that ?It is buds bursting through the blacked trunks and in the ash seedling are growing strongly abd so the cycle of life begins again.
"The light of Day" part 3 life has returned the tree are growing well the birds are sing and the animals are back .The wild flower are blooming in great spender and again every thing is as it should be in the great cathedral of the bush
“Looking up though the forest roof”
Heir we are standing amongst the wildflowers looking up , up through the forest canopy as the sunlight streams down from above. a beautiful and wondrous place to be.
“Blue bells in the mallee summer ”
This a painting of the wildflower found in northern Victoria in the very hot summers. Where the country is know for its vegetation type so it is the mallee
“Fire down by the bloody creek again ”
This is image of a constant threat that every one who live in the Australian bush (wildness ) knows from a very young age . the treat of raging bush and grass fires ( wildfires to some of you ) This painting is dedicated to those who live with and overcome these monumental threats every year .
“Into the gate of hell bravely they strode ”
This is dedicated the bravery and self sacrifice of the bush fire brigades and voluntary fire fighters who risk their live leaving their families and job for no reward only service to their communities to fight what are often raging infernos the bush fires from hell its self .
here we have an exploration of life as we look deep into the subconscious
“Australian wildflower in summer ”
Here we have an presentation of the explosion of color that happen very spring and summer in southern australia
“Concepts and degree of destruction ”
There we have what is left after war the remnants of a wall with wallpaper still attached such is the indiscriminate nature of destruction and war
“Australian wildflower in spring ”
“We"er Back”
“WE'er back ! part 2”
“"We'er back" part 3”
“The essence of being ”
