Yamanto

It was great to complete murals at Amberley District State School recently. I was met by a real good bunch of students and staff who's energy and positivity is second to none. It was also great to again be in the position where I have worked on numerous projects with the principal at their previous posting.

There's more art in the pipeline so it will be great to continue splashing some more paint around. keep tuned for fresh work in the near future.

Amberley District State School - The Sauce Studio

Amberley District State School - The Sauce Studio

Canungra

Today wrapped up a project with the fabulous 4275 collective in Canungra. A solid core group of artists and makers painted a mural for the wallflower project in the CBD. The galah feature, floral stencils and geometric elements were painted almost entirely by participants. The design undertook several incarnations and we allowed for elements to evolve throughout the painting process. An impressive effort for first time mural artists and such a fantastic response from the public made this an enjoyable project to facilitate. Check out the Maker Space, Owl Wholefoods and Canungra Books and Art for a dose of good things!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ck8GwL3pCdt/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Cairns

It was great to head to sunny Far North Queensland. I enjoyed time catching up with family in the tablelands and the timing worked out well to complete a 6.4m high mural at Edge Hill. I’ve painted a couple murals for the owner since 2016 and its great to see the block of shops filled with trendy tenants.

The design took on several incarnations all touching on the reef to the rainforest to the savannah way. It was a challenging wall with numerous surfaces, windows, conduit, doors and downpipes to work with.

132 Collins Avenue Edge Hill mural by The Sauce Studio 2022

Winton

What a special and scenic location on beautiful KOA country, awesome staff and the opportunity to create a mural in the most productive fossil laboratory in the Southern Hemisphere. I have learnt so much and leave inspired by the passion of the tour guides & volunteers. The displays are amazing and I'm still comprehending painting within a few meters of real dinosaur bones being cleaned up in the lab. I enjoyed every moment at Australian Age of Dinosaurs just an epic experience all round.

Aramac

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.

Alpha

It was great to return to Iningai country to complete another public art commission in Alpha. This time it was awesome to have the opportunity to work with another artist and good friend Lucy Ann Artistry. This collaboration has been several years in the making since meeting Lucy in her role as an art teacher in Blackall.

We painted and talked visual art non stop with the exception of exchanging numerous motorbike and broken bone stories. We endured extreme heat, rain and wind sometimes all at once but that’s classic outback Queensland conditions. Our dogs Mac & Diesel supervised, overseeing much of the creative process whilst seeking pats from the public and locals alike. I am very much looking forward to working alongside Lucy for future projects growing her mural painting experience and art business knowledge and expanding my portraiture and figurative painting skills.

Several local community members and visitors checked on progress and it was great to receive such positive feedback on the new murals.

The project was supported by Red Ridge Interior Queensland, Alpha District Tourism and Development Association and Barcaldine Regional Council. A special thanks to Louise & Sharon for driving the project. Also Lavina, Lenard & Skowy for making us feel welcome in Alpha.

Winton

Another adventure began with a catch up in Blackall with some friends before heading to Winton for a large project. This time I was commissioned to paint two murals and a series of workshops.

Winton is the dinosaur capitol of Australia so a dinosaur mural was a good fit for the laneway between the library and bakery. This theme also referenced previous work on this site by Bill O’Brien who’s hand painted signs I have admired for many years. Incorporating the existing bricks into the artwork created a lot of interest and invited passers by to take a closer look. The large wall demanded decent sized features and I also managed to squeeze in smaller details to create points of interest along the laneway.

The second mural took shape on the local newsagents recently re-clad side wall. This time we focussed on other elements that have played a role in Winton’s recent history. The owners liked the idea of a mandala inspired design incorporating iconic local imagery. Through this consultation and concept develoment process I discovered a story that needed to be told. The owners late father was a well liked local character who built a successful transport business. Alan “Buddo” Grant became a living legend in 1995 when he broke the Guinness World Record for the longest road train. Winton is well known for Banjo Patterson, birthplace of QANTAS and opals which are reflected in many other public art installations and tourist attractions so It became apparent that Buddo’s legacy needed to be the main feature for the mural. I painted the original truck used and the 34 cattle trailers (including 4 fuel trailers) which were used in the amazing feat. Some of the local station brands were also incorporated into the design.

I had an epic time in Winton and can’t thank Winton Shire Council enough for their efforts to make this project happen. The feedback both from the murals and workshops was fantastic and no doubt this is a great example of best practice, where a number of stakeholders enabled positive outcomes. Mac & I are looking forward to next time already!

Richlands

Back in 2010 I was contracted to paint several large scale murals in Richlands in conjuction with the opening of the Darra to Springfield Transport Network. This one was themed Night & Day and stretches 87m of the motorway and bicycle paths. I was recently provided the opportunity to carry out some re-juvenations, maintenance and additions with thanks to RoadTek Department of Transport and Main Roads for making it happen.

Cleveland

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.

Barcaldine

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.