I started drawing the American Presidents in my early primary years when my parents bought a set of Encyclopedia Britannica, as an education tool for their boys. Unfortunately for them, the pictures were mainly the information that I was interested in. Then, after being introduced to the TV series “Combat” (1962-1967) my attention changed from drawing Presidents to war planes, jeeps, truck and tanks.
As a non-Academic, drawing always featured heavily in my life, resulting in me being chastised by teachers for not paying attention to my school work. Unfortunately, I wasn’t encouraged to pursue my artistic talents throughout my school days, but my passion for art was always with me.
In my mid twenty I attended the odd workshop or two, which kept the flame for my art burning. My passion significantly grew when I moved to Busselton and built a home with my wife and young family, which happened to be next door to a lovely lady and fellow artist, Sheila Saw, who encouraged me to join the local Art Society where she was a member.
Over the past 40 years, I have dedicated every spare minute I had into my art, learning and trialling various techniques, researching the styles of the great historical artists, gaining knowledge, trying out different mediums and supplies, developing my skills and creating my own application styles and techniques.
I am privileged to be a multi-award-winning Australian Artist who is a member of several art groups and societies, and was an inaugural participant in the Margaret River Region Open Studios; now an annual event, which showcases local artists creating their artworks in their home environment. I have also had the pleasure of working with the late Graeme Stevenson, TV personality and creator of Colour In Your Life and became a member of the CIYL family in 2019. Click link above to view my video episode.
I work in a variety of mediums and am attracted by the beautiful southwest corner of Western Australia where I am lucky to reside. The picturesque environment in which I live is nestled between beach and bush, providing me with a vast range of vistas and subject matter to paint.
I am honoured knowing that my artwork graces walls of many residences throughout the local and metropolitan region, inter-state, as well as throughout the world.
My works are predominantly in an impressionistic / realistic style, but I do welcome challenges that take me out of my comfort zone and am currently interested in exploring abstraction. Another facet of my interest lies with en plein air (French for “in the open air) painting, where I enjoy immersing myself in nature, experiencing and portraying my various reactions to the environment at that given moment; capturing the qualities of the subject at hand, whilst using a variety of techniques and applications; sometimes impacted by the natural elements / weather conditions.
I love sharing my passion with fellow art enthusiasts, whether they be artists themselves, or not. I also enjoy mentoring and sharing knowledge with students as they navigate their own journey in the art world.
My wife has been known to say that I’m ‘obsessed’ where my art is concern – but this a label that they are both happy to endure.