Years ago when I was studying a Food Science Degree I took a painting unit as an elective. We learnt to paint cones, cubes and spheres and consider where light was coming from and how it was hitting objects. I’m pretty sure I learnt that stuff back in high school art class, but it was good to get a refresher.
Later, while working as a High School Home Economics teacher in Bendigo, my wife and I were living in a 100-year-old farmhouse. We had to light fires in the potbelly stove to keep warm in winter but if you went to the next room you could see your breath. I set up a little studio overlooking a paddock and taught myself to paint in oils. For my subjects I set up household objects, usually sitting in rays of afternoon light. (plenty of that in Victoria during daylight saving)
The more I painted, the more I got into using vibrant colours and paying a lot of attention to light as a subject in of itself. I also wanted to move away from dusty old styles of still life and bring in a modern, yet retro aesthetic. Marie Kondo would be proud, I also became a bit minimalist.
I am also a bit of an opportunist. One of the paintings in my gallery is a few capsicums sitting next to an orange tub. I took photos of this scene with my phone while I was out buying fruit and veg at a market. So for me, art is about noticing – noticing things that look interesting, the light, the colour.
I’m now living in Ipswich, Queensland in a very retro fibro house. There’s even still some wallpaper from the 70’s. Whether I can incorporate the (unminimalist) wallpaper into my paintings remains to be seen.
Awards and Recognition
2022 – Finalist, Lethbridge 20000 Small Scale Art Awards
2021 – Finalist, Lethbridge 20000 Small Scale Art Awards
Artist Biography
Years ago when I was studying a Food Science Degree I took a painting unit as an elective. We learnt to paint cones, cubes and spheres and consider where light was coming from and how it was hitting objects. I’m pretty sure I learnt that stuff back in high school art class, but it was good to get a refresher.
Later, while working as a High School Home Economics teacher in Bendigo, my wife and I were living in a 100-year-old farmhouse. We had to light fires in the potbelly stove to keep warm in winter but if you went to the next room you could see your breath. I set up a little studio overlooking a paddock and taught myself to paint in oils. For my subjects I set up household objects, usually sitting in rays of afternoon light. (plenty of that in Victoria during daylight saving)
The more I painted, the more I got into using vibrant colours and paying a lot of attention to light as a subject in of itself. I also wanted to move away from dusty old styles of still life and bring in a modern, yet retro aesthetic. Marie Kondo would be proud, I also became a bit minimalist.
I am also a bit of an opportunist. One of the paintings in my gallery is a few capsicums sitting next to an orange tub. I took photos of this scene with my phone while I was out buying fruit and veg at a market. So for me, art is about noticing – noticing things that look interesting, the light, the colour.
I’m now living in Ipswich, Queensland in a very retro fibro house. There’s even still some wallpaper from the 70’s. Whether I can incorporate the (unminimalist) wallpaper into my paintings remains to be seen.
Awards and Recognition
2022 – Finalist, Lethbridge 20000 Small Scale Art Awards
2021 – Finalist, Lethbridge 20000 Small Scale Art Awards