MERLA'S PRINT HAND-OVER

This is Merla who is looking happy with her purchase of the pastel 'Red-tailed Black Cockatoo' which has now been made rather famous as it is the piece produced in the recent FB time lapse video I posted a few weeks back. At last count the video has been viewed over 3500 times. It would certainly make for a different conversation piece when you can say to visitors that you can actually see this very artwork being created before your eyes.

PEEWEE HOMESTEAD

I enjoy painting the old Queenslanders, here's another titled "Peewee Homestead". It use to exist 10 minutes out from Boonah on the Ipswich Boonah Road, as I use to drive past it regularly on the way to my favourite bushwalking haunts. Here, the female Peewee is wooing the male [ he's the one with the distinctive white eyebrow ] through the splintered fence, drawing the viewers eye through to the rusted old building slumped in a classic rural Australian landscape.

WATCH IT COME TOGETHER

Be there with me and watch it come together. Before your very eyes, I produce a striking pastel portrait of one of my favorite Australian birds. A time-lapse video so you can see just how I do it. Contact me if you are interested in this original or similar.

AUSTRALIAN ARTIST MAGAZINE

Watercolor Wedge-tail Eagle Head Study. There's a lovely story that goes with this artwork, and that is the juvenile eagle depicted was injured and was taken to Currumbin Bird Sanctuary to be cared for. I then heard sometime later it was going to be released from Canyon Lookout, Springbrook National Park, and thought I'd like to witness that. So after a time of getting up close and personal with this magnificent raptor, it was then very moving to watch it being released and soar into the wild from the lookout. A simple head study but I was delighted when the magazine "Australian Artist" decided to use it as the cover image for an edition where they featured wildlife art. They did a six page article on my art which I may put in a post at a later date.

ONE GIANT LEAP

This is a post for you to share with all the frog lovers out there. A painting of mine titled "One Giant Leap" is of a 'White-lipped tree frog', also known as the giant tree frog, and is the largest tree frog in the world [ grows up to 14cm long ] and is native to northern Queensland. I came across this fellow when I was in the outskirts of Cairns, one night on my way to the backyard dunny of the house I was staying [ no he wasn't in the toilet....other frogs were though! 😳 ] and spied him about to have his evening dinner, see if you can see them.......some unsuspecting green ants.🐸🐜🐜🐜🐜

A SOARING SEA EAGLE

A landscape painting depicting memories of a magical day spent on Moreton Bay. Perfect glassy water conditions to make the boat journey across to Moreton Island where we climbed the sand dunes to enjoy the view back to the mainland. And as you often see cruising the coastline , a soaring Sea Eagle becomes my focal subject matter.

ATTACK OF THE PEEWEE

The subject matter of old houses and wildlife combine for this painting titled "Window Reflections". An old double-hung window with it's galvanised iron window hood that is unique to the Australian weatherboard house. The focal point is the male PeeWee attacking its own reflection [ see detail pic ].

Love the old Queenslanders with the challenge for the artist to convey the effects of time with the cracked timbers and peeling paint. It's during the breeding season that the male PeeWee [ Australian Magpie-Lark ] becomes aggressive and sometimes attacks it's own reflection in windows in an attempt to scare off the apparent intruder.

CYCLING UPOLU

Back to posting on my artist page. Last month I was away on holidays cycling around the island of Upolu, Samoa. A great way to experience the country and its people. But being an energetic trip and we had to pack light, I didn't pack my sketchbook and pencils. But I do enjoy my photography, and some of those images you bring home are too irresistible not to do some art from them. Here's a sample - of some of the local kids we met.

A great way to truly experience Samoa. From the jungled mountain passes [see pic] down to the dreamy coastal beaches. I'm standing on Lalomanu Beach which Lonely Planet rates as one of the top 10 beaches in the world. As we cycled through the villages, it was often to this chorus of 'Hello' and lots of 'Bye Byes' , and the occasional high five from the children. A brother and sister inlaw and eight other friends made up our cycling group for what turned out to be a special holiday. Stay tuned for other art pieces from the trip.