Planning Recycled Plastic on a Recycled Surf Board

I have been toying with the idea of creating one of my recycled plastic artworks on a surfboard. I now live very close to the beach and often travel to my sister in law's place in Narooma. One of the highlights of traveling there is the view you get as you turn the corner and travel down to the Wagonga bridge. I've decided that that is the first surfboard art I'll create. I have been planning this for some time now and was lucky enough to receive a second-hand board on my birthday from my sister in law and her partner. Here is the planned vista for the board. I want to incorporate some of the birdlife down that way as well.

Hunt Slonem

I very much like the work of Hunt Slonem. His use of texture, colour, and form is very complete and parts of his paintings remind me of my own work. He is most famous for his bunnies, birds, and butterflies. There is something almost Australian first nation in his style also. I am so influenced by his work at the moment that I am formulating some new works in plastic that follow his approach. I think it will work in recycled plastic.

My Caricature Work (Pizza Shop)

Looking through old hard drives can be so interesting. You not only reminisce about jobs you've worked on, but you see how you developed a technique or style. My caricature work is one such surprise. This little job was done for a couple who ran a pizza shop. They wanted a large mural created to fill one end of the shop. It had to show the current Townsville Cowboys team and have a bit of humor and lots of little things going on to keep customers interested while they waited for their pizza. 

Plastic Toys And Childrens Art.

I've collected hundreds of plastic toy figurines from Mcdonalds and other companies that sell collectible sets of plastic items. I mainly did this to try creating cute pieces for kids' rooms or even unique art bowls as talking pieces for cafes or bars but they are also reflections on a throwaway culture and the consumerist approach to keep children happy. Once I have a studio set up I'm going to get back to finishing the few I have started. The one in the photo here was an experiment that I gave to my grandkids. I hear they love it and it sits pride of place on the wall at their home.

Another Landscape Recycled Plastic Bowl

I did several bowls while I was living in New Zealand. I really like this format for my art. The bowls are very durable and make great talking pieces. I had several guests to our house mention how much they like the bowls over the paintings. I am now wondering if I should just stick to making them and give painting pictures a break.

Also, my house is in storage again as I have moved back to Australia. I hope that when COVID is vanquished I will be able to set up permanently and get the studio work going again.

Caught Without My Plastic

Recently I have had to move to Mollymook Australia to help a sick family member. I have quit my job and put my home contents in a container to ship to Australia from New Zealand. So no recycled plastic to use for artworks at the moment. It saddens me to have left such a beautiful country once again. I seem to be on the move every 4 years. I wonder when it will stop. Anyway... I can never put my creativity to bed and so I have been doing whatever I can to keep it satisfied. I bought some cheap paints and a canvas or two and head off to Mollymook beach to capture it in the morning when tourists are away. This is a "sketch" painting done whenever I could steal a moment to paint.