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.

Cleaning Out And Came Upon These.

It's so easy to forget what you've done over the years. Going through an old portfolio in a spring clean up was cathartic for me today. I found old farewell cards from animation students, images my daughter had done when she was very young, and some old sketches and paintings from holidaying or just going off to some part of the garden and laying down some marks.

Not All Is Bad In Paradise.

COVID and the lockdown made me reflect on all that is beautiful. Despite some beautiful things being man-made and unnatural, they can be often quite aesthetic and calming. I especially love vineyards, not for what they grow but for the marvelous scenery they have. I've been to many vineyards and been spoiled for choice of vista to take in. Here is a couple of paintings I've completed recently that I really enjoyed taking the time to paint.

Storm Over Curse 2020

This year hasn't started off great, with Australia's devastating fires, rising conflicts, and viruses linked to overpopulation and modern living. It's got me thinking about the state of the world, so I started a painting called "Storm Over Curse."

I used to live in the Riverina region of Australia, in the lovely city of Wagga Wagga. The stunning landscapes there always inspired me. But, despite the beauty, not everything was good for the land. Since white settlers arrived, Australia has dealt with the negative effects of introduced plants. One of these is Salvation Jane, or Patterson's Curse. It was brought over to feed sheep and did well during droughts, making it a valuable food source for sheep and goats. Sadly, it turned out to be toxic for horses and dairy cows, and now it's become a big problem.

My painting, "Storm Over Curse," reflects on these issues by combining two curses: the invasive weed and waste plastic.

The Worldwide Problem With Collecting And Recycling Plastic

The Collection Still Grows

I started the year finalising a collection for a small exhibition. The theme is likely to be more about urban landscapes, some abstract expressionist and colourful, and impressionist artworks created with recycled plastics and papers. I've been trying to gather works of a similar size that will hang together with some shared style rather than ones that make statements. Here are several new additions...

A Start On 2020 Art Pieces

The New year sure is shaping up to be dismal for some. I am keeping an eye on the fires in Australia and praying that this is a one off event. My spirits are high as I am feeling very creative and have started doing more art. I have 3 new bowl pieces that I will post here soon, and I am waiting on confirmation of being chosen for the Adams portrait prize which I had entered a self portrait. This is a start to "getting myself out there" as I have been told to do by friends. Here though is two new artworks.

I'm Really Stoked I Got Mentioned

I have been following Ten Hundred, a graffiti artist for some time now. I love the styles of characters he uses and his whole attitude to creating art. He put out a call to review art from his subscribers with the theme "Masks and Mischief". So I sent him some images of my bots in a box. To my surprise, I got a mention in this video.

Memories From A Ditch

I recently returned to New Plymouth in the Taranaki, one of my favourite New Zealand destinations. While there, I stayed at the Fitzroy beach park with some friends from Australia. I had anticipated their trip "across the ditch" as the journey from Australia to New Zealand is known, and I painted a scene of New Plymouth for them to remember their stay. I am happy that the painting made the journey without any fuss from customs. It now sits pride of place in their home within view of their TV.

I also gave them this sketch from Fitzroy beach I did while there.

I'm Calling This My "White" Period

I have taken to using a new technique that uses a textured base of white. This white is made by laying down a negative that has lines drawn in it with a point. Then a layer of coloured recycled plastic is spread over the top to slowly fill out the negative spaces, in this case "white". This is then peeled back and laid flat to take the coloured layers. When dry I go back over the shapes to highlight the outlines. 

The results are stunning.

It Took Seven Years

Back in 2012 I finished a painting of a leafy canopy. It was both abstract and impressionist, and one of the pieces that formed the groundwork for my recycled plastic style of painting. Recently, I've had to reinforce it with plasterers tape and a second layer of plastic to strengthen it as it was some what brittle. I have also found the perfect frame, one of the antique Art Nouveau frames I picked up a couple of years back. It's exactly the type of frame it needed. After seven years I feel this artwork has been completed by its frame.

I'm Amazed How The Brain Does It.

To paint a portrait is one thing. To create something in ones mind from the assemblage of mixed found Items is totally another. A portrait is the attempt to capture the existing personality of the sitter. It is often referred to as a technical and drafting skill. But if you assemble items together, you can often see a face with its own personality and character. Something other than technical portraiture must be going on. Seeing recognizable objects or patterns in otherwise random or unrelated objects or patterns is called pareidolia.

Another DigiBot Blue Lips

Again I am uploading new digital versions of my bots in a box created with recycled plastic stuff and then digitally enhanced and uploaded to my online store ready for other people to enjoy.