After relentless wet weather I was finally able to complete this mural at Highland Reserve State School in Upper Coomera. It was great to see students inspired by the painting process and thanks to staff and tuckshop volunteers for making me feel welcome.
If you’re into chilli sauce then I recommend checking out ChilliBOM at South Tweed. There’s a wide variety of flavours to choose from and they have a great website if you can’t make it in store.
Feed your inner dragon at ChilliBOM
Incase you weren’t aware Murwillumbah was devastated with floods recently. The Tweed Valley will take some time to recover with landslides, bridges, access, vehicles and houses washed away. Earlier this year I was contacted by a local flood affected business to assist with reopening. Flood number 2 then delayed plans…it really hasn’t stopped raining much since the start of summer !
I hope my small contribution assists with some momentum moving closer to an opening date for SFX and Gspot Skate.
Contact the Murwillumbah Recovery Centre for any donations etc. https://www.tweed.nsw.gov.au/council/news-updates/latest-news/media-releases/1321210-recovery-centre-to-open-in-murwillumbah
It was great to contribute to the recently transformed Alberton Ormeau Hurricanes Cricket Club this week. It was also a treat staying dry with an interior mural for the club house. As soon as I saw the space I had a concept in mind to work with the site specific details and deliver something reflecting the mighty canes spirit.
Returning to Brisbane this week I painted a 25m long mural for Wellington Park Private Care at the Wellington Point facility. The artwork transformed a backyard area for the dementia residents. Watch this space as there is another artwork planned at this site to be applied soon.
After a busy couple of weeks in Emerald I headed to Aramac. I only had a few days onsite but this short window allowed for the project to be completed prior to the Aramac Races on the 21st May since I have other deadlines for commissions on the coast in coming weeks.
I painted the entrance to a building at the racecourse named “Gerry’s” after a volunteer had put in a huge effort to constructing a kitchen facility from the ground up. This work coincides with other upgrades at club building anticipation for a big 2022 event.
Ive always had a blast in Aramac and I think of it as the wild west, others call it the centre of the universe because its conveniently located just up the road from Muttaburra the centre of Queensland. There was an abundance of sunshine, familiar faces, cold beverages and awe inspiring sunsets. I am very much looking forward to returning again soon.
I kept busy during the school Holidays with murals at Denison State School who had hosted a competition to rename the tuckshop. Deno Snack Shack was the chosen name accompanied with cartoon fruit & veg and Australian animals. I was also set the task to apply a mural the student leaders had designed. A big thanks to the P&C for making this transformation happen.
Making the most of school holidays I returned to Emerald North State School and added another artwork at the school entrance. I really enjoyed applying the abstract design, it was challenging but satisfying and I am super keen to do more of this style of art on large scale sites.
I completed a demo for the grand opening of Headspace Emerald thanks to Anglicare CQ who I have worked with since 2004.
I also applied a fresh piece at Emerald BMX. It had been almost 6 months since my last graffiti piece, the longest break in 28 years. It was great to be back in sunny Queensland to dust off the cobwebs and and gain more function recovering from injury.
Photo provided by Anglicare CQ
Photo provided by Anglicare CQ
I was contacted by Southern Cross Hemp in Nimbin to apply some artwork on a couple of newly equipped grow rooms. The client provided the designs and I was able to turn this project around at short notice prior to VIP’s visiting the nursery to see their investment growing. Portraits on a corrugated surface was challenging…every time I paint corrugated I declare I will never do it again and I’m sure fellow artists can relate. That said painting cannabis leaves on top of grow rooms for the police helicopters certainly makes for a memorable experience.
I enjoyed kicking off the new year with a large scale work at Oxenford State School. The P&C provided the opportunity to paint a native flora & fauna mural which serves as a colourful welcoming statement. I packed in lots of details along the 50m long wall and included some of the animals that were hanging about whilst painting such as bees, spiders, magpies and the resident blue tongue lizard “Bluey”. The feedback has been amazing, from staff, students, OHSC, parents, other contractors, local politicians and residents many of whom have voiced positive comments whilst driving past or stopping to take a closer look and check out the art making process and progress.
The last few years has been challenging. Whilst I’m still running my business on two bars of 3G and no reliable internet in sight (this post has literally taken several attempts to load because its raining) the pandemic has virtually shut down the arts. Due to state political situations for the best part of two years I have either been stuck behind a physical barrier cut off from work or working and unable to return home between ever changing restrictions. I still don’t understand why couch surfing and camping around Queensland is safer than sleeping in my own bed just a stones throw south of the border but anyways were all in this together yeah?
Operating a 100% Queensland business and having to apply for a permit, commute 45 kms in the wrong direction to sit at a checkpoint cue to be questioned by maskless police and army then return the long way home through congested roadworks for no reason has taken its toll. I’m cool with doing my bit for a public health crisis but when the LGA you reside has zero cases and Brisbane is 8x closer than Sydney, it makes no sense to be denied the opportunity to access work, let alone the quickest route in an emergency all while sports events continued take place in packed stadiums with athletes flown in from interstate hotspots. I feel for all those adversely affected in recent times and in my own experience I’ve had to make snap decisions to be temporilary homeless or income less by my own state gov, Ive been forced to buy materials and hire equipment I have sitting in my workshop just down the road, Ive watched competitors poach my work and witnessed the premier promoting public art and tourism projects across Queensland one of which I literally had on hold because of cross border restrictions. Ive missed medical appoints and couldn’t cross the border for original scheduled 2nd vaccination, been cut off from friends & family, and I even buried our dog in a family members yard because if i layed her to rest in my garden I was unable to return for work. I have put my heart and soul into Queensland over my 20 year career and the lack of any support for border residents from both state governments compounds the failings from a federal level. The uncertainty of ever changing restrictions has disproportionately placed challenges on small business and the most vunerable whilst many large companies are handed tax payer funded subsidies and the obscenely wealthy cash in on Covid. Were all left wondering how celebrities and football players receive magical exemptions to the rules and why double standards have become accepted as the norm.
However during this time I have been fortunate theres been plenty of interest in my artwork. Throwing any sort of work/life balance out the window I have tried to make the most of every professional opportunity. Knowing how disproportionately the arts sector has suffered with Covid restrictions I am grateful to still be operating two decades after starting my business. Completing 25 projects this year entailing of 4 tours of Queensland, projects with 11 schools from Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, Gympie & Gold Coast has all been a bit of a blurr.
When lockdowns have been looming I have purchased canvasses and bunkered down in my studio to put time into developing an exhibition. Another side project I have been working on is a cartoon featuring my sidekick/manager Mac the Fox Terrier. Like many artists I have utilised down time to prepare new work and avoid total insanity!
Theres been a few firsts and no shortage of ups and downs and surprises along there way. Some of the most of memorable experiences of 2021 include collaborations with Ronell, Kosie 1, Lucy Ann Artistry and Blurg. Its been great to make several new friendships, discover fresh walls, observe koalas from the studio and share food, drinks and conversations with homeless people at campsites whilst wealthy grey nomads complain about the dust and cost of fuel in the outback. Further to the counter productive border restrictions mentioned earlier some other challenging experiences include having 2 flat tyres & getting bogged in the same week and the past couple of months recovering from injury and experiencing chronic pain but I am looking forward to getting back to business and splashing some paint around again soon.
Thank you for the support and stay tuned as theres plenty more art in the making and projects planned for the new year,
Sauce
