Collections

A collection of colourful, abstract  acrylic-based mixed media paintings on gallery-wrapped canvases, each one begun experimentally but gradually evolving into an idiom encouraging positivity and resilience. Mainly small, 8 x 10 inches.

Artworks Shown in Collection: 6

This is the collection I am currently working on - the first few paintings here are concept pieces where I'm developing my ideas.

Background
We're recently back from a 10,000km road trip and I've come home totally in awe of nature as a sculptor. I’m always looking for evidence of nature at work. I’ve taken hundreds of photos and when I look through them, they are rarely scenes but at least half are trying to capture the power of the forces of nature, mainly on the coast. I go completely zen taking photo after photo of waves breaking, weird looking rock formations, visible coastal erosion, the action of awesome wavepower at the bottom of cliffs or wind and rain elsewhere, damage left by storms, droughts, fires etc (and occasionally our attempts to control nature eg sandbagging, building revetments and sea walls). So I’m giving in! I’m going to do another body of work based on my obsession.

My new CoastWatch Collection
My inspiration is the power of nature, specifically the sea and how two tides a day (plus the weather) shape the coastal landscape, focussing on abstract depiction of nature’s processes rather than a scene. It doesn’t matter how we try and control it, nature can always wreak havoc, often unexpectedly. But out of the wildest natural events, the most beautiful coastal landscapes emerge. Every wave of every tide plays its part making some changes to the land it flows over. A gentle lapping wave may shift a few grains of sand while the biggest waves from storm surges throw giant rocks aside and cause significant coastal erosion. The paintings will be intuitive coastal abstracts depicting nature at work – bold, courageous even, heavily layered, repeating processes as in nature. They'll be an emotional response straight from my soul based on memories and imagination (no specific references) but will also reflect my deep concern for the environment and will urge viewers to respect the sea. Acrylic-based mixed media / collage on stretched canvas utilising collage elements of recycled fabric and/or packaging and fragments of scribbly sketches I have done on my travels. The paintings will be colourful with a sloshing movement of the sea and a bit quirky (the way I see things!).

I want the viewer to feel / imagine that they themselves are watching the coast and the powerful tidal movements, so different in different types of weather, discovering all manner of interesting/quirky things the longer they look.

Artworks Shown in Collection: 4

These artworks are inspired by the amazing regenerative powers of Mother Nature as she protects and heals the earth and it's inhabitants.  If you can take the time to breathe, slow down, connect with and nurture nature, she will most certainly nurture you too.

Artworks Shown in Collection: 6

Each one of my expressive abstract paintings is absolutely unique, the result of an intuitive, exploratory journey.

Starting from mark-making in an abstract expressionist style, I continually turn the painting around, build layers adding and subtracting and letting the image evolve as it wants with some of the history showing through. Unlike my semi-abstract paintings (inspired by nature), these abstracts are not in any series. Even if I start 3 at the same time with the same colours and mark-making tools, each one will go on a journey of its own.

Artworks Shown in Collection: 11

This collection is based purely on size - it contains small paintings with the longest side up to 12 inches (30.48 cms).

The paintings are mainly abstracts, often experimental (trying out techniques, colour combinations, new media etc) pushing boundaries, concept pieces for a series or just for exploration and relaxation. Price is based on size.

Artworks Shown in Collection: 23

The artworks in this collection are inspired by the specific places that are mentioned in their individual descriptions. Slowing down and really becoming part of nature has always been my way of regeneration - I talk about listening to the sounds of silence but in reality you get such a heightened awareness of all your senses, especially when walking in the forest or on an isolated beach. I don’t use specific photographic references for these but before starting may flick through all the photos I took to help me recreate my feeling of being there..

Artworks Shown in Collection: 4

This collection is made up of individual abstract or semi-abstract artworks inspired by nature (that don't belong to any of my more specific nature-inspired series - Ningaloo, Shaped by Nature. Nature Walks, Nature Nurtures or Out of the PIndan).

Artworks Shown in Collection: 19

I keep coming back to the concept of nature as a sculptor. I'm fascinated by the way time, tide, weather etc form an everchanging landscape - the amazing shapes, colours, abstracts of the natural world.

In this ongoing series of semi-abstract artworks I'm emulating and interpreting the forces of nature and nature's processes rather than portraying a specific scene. 

Artworks Shown in Collection: 9

My semi-abstract, intuitive artworks are often inspired by the mysterious underwater world of the incredible but fragile Ningaloo Reef and coastal area near Exmouth in Western Australia; the flashes of light and movement of sea creatures, the weird ephemeral shapes which you can imagine as all sorts of things maybe watching you and the beautiful, twinkling colours ... we are passionate about protecting Ningaloo

There have been 13 artworks so far in my popular Ningaloo series - just these 3 remain available, one of which hangs in our personal collection because I have always loved it (but I guess there is an outside chance I could be talked into selling it!).

Artworks Shown in Collection: 5

Inspired by the emerging landforms of the stunning Kimberley Coast

In this collection I'm exploring the way that the red oxide pindan soil of the arid/tropical Kimberley Coast erodes and breaks up allowing incredible new and very different landforms to emerge.

The Kimberley Coast in the North West of Western Australia is what inspired me to take up art in the first place. We head up there most years and I'm always blown away by the huge tides, striking colours and spectacular landforms. It's ancient too; you see so many "traces of time" geologically speaking. And I'm absolutely intrigued that in many places you can see new landforms emerging from the eroding red pindan soil - I always talk about seeing "landscapes being born" and what I mean is actual evidence of nature constantly sculpting away.

This is such a harsh, coastal environment. Water causes deep crevices to appear in the deep red pindan dunes and you often see bright green creepers and the occasional bit of scrubby vegetation in the cracks causing even more damage. The relentless movement of the tides (sometimes over 10 metres) reaching up then falling back down, constantly undercutting and moving the soil means that the low parts of the dunes look very different to the top.

These artworks are intended to be semi-abstract with a raw, very organic look suggesting major signs of erosion and instability caused by the forces of nature (rain, wind, scrubby vegetation and constant movement of the sea). I've used different shapes and sizes and lots of gorgeous earthy colours and blues for a baked-earth look contrasted with the constant movement of cool water.  Bright green representing the surprising creepers often appears too - I'm just so fascinated with how they not only manage to survive but often look lush.

All of the paintings in this collection emulate and interpret nature's processes rather than depict an actual scene. I'm working outdoors, pretty wet and rough, with organic markmaking tools (picked up in my garden), palette knives and doing heaps of moulding with my fingers. All are heavily layered and I’ve let water find its own path over and over again (I'm a huge fan of the drip!). I leave the canvases to dry in our hot sun and wind. I also tear collage papers I’ve created by sopping up liquid in the early layers, scrape through them and let them crease. There’s nothing too neat in the Kimberley so I’ve used very few brushstrokes on these canvases!

I don’t feel that I’m done with this landscape yet. I think there will be another collection at some stage but for now please enjoy my obsession …

Artworks Shown in Collection: 10