ABOUT ME
After a long history in oil painting from life in the leafy Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, I now live and work from my studio in Inverloch, on the Bass Coast.
On moving to the coast I became inspired by the beauty that surrounded me. My daily beach walks filled me with new inspirations. I became fascinated with the ever changing tidal marks, and the dappled sunlight appearing to dance on the water. This observation became a valuable starting point for many prints to come.
My concern is for the ever increasing amounts of plastic in all forms finding its way into our oceans. During my early research I discovered that Ocean going seabirds were feeding their young a toxic mix of plastic and fish. The deaths of many sea birds nesting on Midway Island in the Pacific Ocean found their stomachs to be full of plastic shapes, bottle tops, and lids of many colours. This catastrophic event led me to further my research into plastic in our oceans.
Collecting plastic in all forms on my beach became mandatory. Artworks followed using collected plastic .eg. ‘Mandala' 4.5mtrs and many prints made with discarded netting. eg. ‘Drift.’
During my journey I have been captivated with the beauty of the landscape that surrounded me, along the way came the seriousness of the plastics in all forms invading our oceans and impacting on our lives. As I speak today there is a “Gyre Plastic symposium “happening in Georgia State University ,Atlanta, led by Cpt. Charles Moore, Pam Longobardi, scientists, oceanographers and many others.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
'Resin-Ate' - suviving the Plastic Ocean.
I wrote a paper in 2013. This was my response to the work of Captain Charles Moore and his text: Plastic Oceans, 2012, Penguin Group USA when it was published. Since then my work has continued to explore more deeply these contemporary issues.
To learn more visit the site for the upcoming conference "The Plastic GYRE Symposium: Artists, Scientists and Activists Respond" at
http://driftersproject.net/2015/03/the-plastic-gyre-symposium-artists-scientists-and-activists-respond/
Photography is an everyday part of my life, either for doumenting or creating. The relationships between photography, painting and printmaking are my every day sustenance.
Painting
I have been an Oil painter since the 1970s and I'm now experimenting in acrylics. The main thing is that the beauty in nature is what has drawn me to paint, or to make art, before more lately looking beyond the beauty to see more deeply.
You're welcome to read a recent Artist Statement....
or my full CV & biography.
EDUCATION
2008 - 2013
Monash University
Master Of Visual Arts
1989- 1995
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Adv Cert Art & Design, Wantirna TAFE.
photography, specialised in design and print making. In this period I also developed a textile basis to my practice.
1976 - 1980
Max Casey and David Moore
Moore School of Art, Ringwood.
Developing skills in tonal painting in 1970s became great beginning for a positive art practice. It taught me to see. I travelled widely with other students in plain air painting.
Chiroscura takes it name from light and shade, black and white. When working in this style I am looking for the ambience and drama in the interplay within the setting.