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.

THE ABORIGINAL DANCE

Years ago while visiting Cairns, a worthwhile attraction to see is the 'Tjapukai Aboriginal Dance Theatre'. Part of the presentation includes the traditional 'Brolga','Cassowary' and the 'Kangaroo' dances. Afterward, I got one of the dancers to model for me with the idea of doing a series of art pieces showing the dancer along side the animal he is mimicking. The results were these simple charcoal sketches combining the human form and my usual wildlife subject matter. I have often thought about developing this idea into full colour paintings..... so I would be interested to hear from you out there as to whether this would be something you would like to see? Feel free to comment.