I recently had the opportunity to create a collaborative mural at RESQ’s office in Barcaldine, Iningai country Central Western Queensland. It was a pleasure working with local artist Ronell and the RESQ team. I probably learnt more than I taught during the art making process which was very enjoyable. I have a couple of projects up my sleeve so I am very much looking forward to returning to Barcy again soon.
The middle of summer didn’t deter me from hitting the road for another adventure. I thoroughly enjoyed kicking off the year with a project in Emerald, Central Queensland. I had completed the first stage last year and the Emerald State High School P&C were again great to work with. The designs were based from a stack of references submitted by students and I had a fun challenge of applying them. There’s always ideas I never would have thought of such as an electric guitar being consumed by tentacles.
I also made time to do a fresh piece at the BMX track while I was in the area.
It was a privilege to return to Redland Museum for my sixth commission since completing the entrance murals in early 2000’s. Ive worked with Redland Museum on a variety of projects including Strawberry Fields & Grand View Hotel the Printery Display and the Woodworking Display and this time around I was set the task to create a backdrop for the Garage Display. As always I worked with the volunteers and staff and relied on their expertise to ensure accuracy. A large corner wall with various surface textures was challenging. I balanced specific details from historical photographs with the existing site to try and create a design that works aesthetically given the size, scale and viewing angles. The design is based on Mander Bros Garage which opened in Bloomfield Street in 1939 and operated until 1972 before being replaced by a shopping arcade.
The Tuck In at Forest Lake State School received a make over this week. It was previously dark green so the bright colours and happy characters really lift the space. Frankie the falcon is a regular at Forest Lake so he also made an appearance. Thanks to the fabulous P & C for their hard work to see this project completed.
It was a pleasure to complete several murals at Churchill State School. I was provided a brief for each site with the vision of transforming numerous dull areas into vibrant spaces. The mural designs incorporated the school motto, sports houses (Red Leopards, Green Cobras and Blue Foxes) and the Churchill Champions to encourage positive behaviour. As a contractor schools are great to work with for a multitude of reasons and Churchill is no exception. Thanks to all who made this project happen, making me feel welcome and trusting my expertise.
Shailer Park State School has kept me busy over the years with numerous murals, design and signage projects. This time I was set the challenge to create a weather station and chalk boards to be used as learning tools for the younger students. There were a few elements that took some time to refine through the design and fabrication stages to ensure the product suits the application.
Its was great to catch up with friends and keep busy in Barcy. I accepted a couple of challenging jobs including a very rough brick toilet block, some pavement art and a shipping container. The photos never do the art justice but I am satisfied with the finished projects and its always great to work with pro-active councils and community members who trust my expertise to deliver appropriate public art for the space.
I was kept busy again in Aramac with a number of commissions including a 140m long fence. I always enjoy the super friendly people, inspiring outback landscape and abundance of native flora and fauna. The Lake Dunn Sculpture trail is well worth the visit and I also thoroughly enjoyed my time at White Station Sacred Healing Circle.
Thanks to Barcaldine Regional Council for the opportunity, Aaron Skin for the drone footage and video expertise and Blurgg for the contribution.
It was a pleasure to transform this bedroom for an upcoming birthday. I enjoyed working with an interior colour called Soft Satin Quarter chosen by the birthday girl. The update was completed by the owners complementing the art with new fixtures and matching linens.
I thoroughly enjoyed painting this mural in Pottsville. It reinforced what I love about being a public artist and that’s to engage an audience that wouldn’t normally be interested in art or step foot into a gallery. It’s also rare to paint a wall that is not too big, not too small, reasonably smooth, in good public view without obstructions such as trees, signs and windows. The owners trusted my expertise, I have had a fantastic response and it was fun in the sunshine indeed!
