It was a pleasure to kick off the year with a fun piece at Waterford West State School. After completing the Tuckshop & Uniform Shop last year it is great to re-connect with the P&C for another project. The wall was in need of some TLC so I scraped back several layers, prepared the surface and applied several coats of paint. It was great to be a part of this positive initiave…Be Kind, Be Brave, Be you!
As the year comes to a close I wish to thank everyone who made it an epic one. I always enjoy splashing some paint around along with the opportunity to work with great people and see familiar faces. I kept busy in 2023 and took on a variety of commissions including a 9ft kangaroo, a ceiling, beer label designs, signs, a street library, sports club, tanks, hotel, campground, airport, toilet block, a couple of aged care facilities and fourteen schools!
With my trusty K9 sidekick/supervisor Mac we completed projects all across Queensland and beyond: Aramac, Blackall, Bundamba, Burringbar, Casino, Chinchilla, Coalstoun Lakes, Coraki, Daisy Hill, Flagstone, Guluguba, Harrisville, Jericho, Lennox Head, Miles, Mulgowie, Murwillumbah, Muttaburra, Ormeau, Oxenford, Peak Crossing, Regents Park, Roma, Shailer Park, Tallebudgera, Toowong, Waterford West and Windaroo Valley.
It’s been a top year at The Sauce Studio, thanks for being along for the journey. There are also a stack of exciting projects locked in for coming months so stay tuned.
Sauce
I enjoyed my time at Guluguba State School where I painted local flora, fauna and historical elements. The place name is an indigenous word from the Iman people meaning squatters pigeon, a threatened species.
The rough texture of the surface made it challenging however I’m really satisfied with the detail packed in to this one.
Was great to complete this fun little job in Harrisville, nestled within the Scenic Rim area. I had a super tight timeframe to apply the mural in-between travel schedules however it was nice to see the owner wrapped with the result and experience another beautiful rural location.
It’s been a roller coaster of a year to say the least. After enduring 2 years of border closures, a pandemic, several floods, ongoing recovery from an arm injury my year commenced one team member down with my dog in emergency surgery. However with Mac on the mend I was able to get things going once the border opened…back in business and fully booked in no time! We completed 2 trips to Central Western Q, a solo exhibition and also visited FNQ, Central Highlands, Western Downs, Scenic Rim amongst a whole bunch of local projects in Brisbane, Ipswich, Gold Coast and Tweed.
I took on a diverse range of projects at locations such as a hemp farm, an aged care facility, a campground, tuckshops, a library, a skateshop, two museums, a staircase, a cricket club, a restaurant, a shopping centre, a hot sauce shop and ten schools across Queensland.
I met several characters along the way and continued connections with friends afar. A big thanks to the following who made this year at The Sauce Studio a memorable one. I appreciate your support, opportunities, challenges and good times:
Southern Cross Hemp Nimbin, G-Spot Skate Murwillumbah, Oxenford State School, Alberton Hurricanes Cricket Club, Superior Care Wellington Point, Hilder Road State School The Gap, Aramac Race Club, Denison State School, Emerald North State School, Headspace Emerald, Alpha District Tourism, Australian Age of Dinosaur Museum Winton, Muttuburra Community Development, Highland Reserve State School, Aramac State School, Coomera Lodge Hotel, ChilliBOM South Tweed, Livingstone Christian College Ormeau, Bracken Ridge SS, Barcaldine Regional Council, Skytek Cairns, Charley’s Creek Chinchilla, Windaroo Valley SHS, Amberley District SS, 4275 Collective Canungra, Frankies Place Restaurant Shailer Park.
See you in 23!
I want to say thanks to all who have supported The Sauce Studio throughout the year. This year saw numerous tours Central & Western Queensland my home away from home. I also completed commissions in Cairns along with a few projects across Brisbane, Gold Coast and Tweed. As always it’s been a variety of public art commissions, youth and community projects and the odd private commission.
It’s been great to connect with new friends and continue relationships with existing clients, some for almost 20 years now. Using my skills to pay the bills is cool but the best thing is to see people engage with art, particularly in a public setting. The friendships and travel adventures also make me genuinely humbled by your support and awesomeness.
It hasn’t all been smooth sailing though, professionally it has tough at times witnessing both Redland City and Brisbane City remove hard earned and successful projects. These incidences highlight a disregard for councils own policies and ongoing exclusionary practices. Any incentive to do your art legitimately has long gone and I can safely say over the course of my career I have had more issues with clients breaching contracts than with any vandalism by wayward youth.
Personally I have struggled with chronic pain at times from a condition which has forced me to slow down considerably in the past few years. I will however continue painting large scale murals for as long as my health allows and as long as it remains sunny in Queensland…and it’s always sunny in Queensland!
I am looking forward to many more adventures in 2020 so after a short break I will be back splashing paint around your neighbourhood.
Sauce
It was a pleasure to recreate Edward Hoppers “Nighthawks” at a private residence in Barcaldine. The more I studied the painting the more I loved it and can see why Edward Hopper is regarded as one of Americas most influential fine artists.
Ten years ago I completed a mural at a private residence a few kilometres from Lismore. The owners recently made contact to rejuvenate the mural as it turns out they had kept my business card all these years. The mural had weathered reasonably well and it goes to show a professional job using quality paints will go the distance.
The old
And The New (rejuvenated)
