At the Window

 

At the Window, 2026, oil on canvas, 76.5 x 25.5 cm

This painting was inspired from looking out of the window of my apartment. Although I've done some daylight ones as well, it is the night that offers the most atmosphere, or mood. Some of it was manipulated for design purposes because after all, what you see never automatically translate to a composition. I took a pic of the figure on my phone as a reference, because most of the time, when a figure comes to the window, it is only for a few seconds. Perhaps Edward Hopper is an artist that comes to mind when looking at this painting but it is the view from the window that really inspired me to paint it. Living in an apartment in the city has provided me with ideas that would not otherwise have occurred since all my work is inspired by my environment.

The Royal Melbourne Show

 

Deborah and I went out to the annual Royal Melbourne Show recently. It's always so much fun taking in the expanse of colours and movement that present itself to the eye. Of course, it was the animals that always make the day so memorable and the stunt bike riders also provide an experience that is filled with awe on what they do. We caught up with Gracia Haby and Louise Jennison by coincidence but we usually meet up there anyway. A 'meant to be' occurrence.

Here are some pics which, naturally, feature some wonderful animals.

Patting 'Belle" with Deborah looking on. 

A nice candid shot taken by Louise

Behind the scenes, waiting to enter the arena.

Deborah was very popular with the goats.

The Maldon Landscape Prize Opening

At the Maldon Landscape Prize opening with my painting titled, Dawn. It was another version of a painting that didn't work, and also memories of seeing such cloud formations. As usual, the progress of the picture took time because although I do have a visual idea of how the painting should be, it's the additional details that occur along the way that take up much of the time, and these details don't present themselves easily. I must wait and hear what the painting says to do.

The exhibition had many wonderful landscape works and the opening was so crowded that the back of the crowd was the closest I could get to the person presenting the awards. Hosted by Kareen Anchen and Jeff Gardner, at their Cascade Art Gallery in Maldon, Victoria, and sponsored by the Hilary Merkus Recordati Foundation, the afternoon was a great success. I was glad to have a painting included in the show which ends on 25 October

Dawn, 2026, oil on canvas

Wire Walker

When I saw the documentary Man on Wire, I was amazed at Phillippe Petite's achievement. The photographs of him on a high wire stretched between the Twin Towers in New York was a sight to behold. The smallness of his body, set against a great expanse, was awe inspiring. It was like a human being confronting the universe. Consequently, I began to make a series of images of wire walkers, in various mediums and spread over a long period of time, which is still continuing. 

But lately, I began to see that image as a symbol or metaphor for every human being. I generally try to avoid symbolism and metaphor but this image and its philosophical meaning would not quieten in my mind. It seems to me to represent the struggle, the finding of balance, between happiness and solving problems, a never ending journey. The word existential comes to mind and, for me, it means we must continue moving forward even though we never know what the future holds.

Wire Walker, 2026, oil on linen, 41 x 46 cm

Morning Light

The painting on the top was the first version I did of this painting and I thought it was a finished picture. But as I looked at it over the months I decided that it was too austere and perhaps I could push it further. So I added more objects on the window ledge, some yellow soap and a hint of a blue face washer on the sink, a yellow light fitting from my studio and the coloured rug. All these additions were added slowly because  I took some time to decide what else I could add and took more time to wonder if what I added suited the picture. 

The rug is the hardest thing I've ever painted. I don't use one-point perspective, I use only my eye to judge where to place things. I drew up the pattern on tracing paper and tried to add the pattern to the canvas but it didn't work and I had a number of attempts at this. The problem was the criss-cross patterns had to line up along the bottoms and their centres had to share a vertical and it took so many goes that I almost abandoned this pattern. Eventually I had the pattern and traced bits of it onto the canvas to use as a guide. The shadows traversing the patterns added more complexity but I'm glad I persevered.

I like the slippers and towel thrown casually on the floor as it suggests someone is present even though you cannot see them. It's this concept of presence through absence which has given me many ideas for pictures over the years.

Morning Light, 2026, oil on linen, 137 x 71 cm

Man at the Window

Sometimes ideas can come from looking at a completed painting and this one came about by such means. The format and composition were similar in aim to my previous painting of hotel windows which was to create a mood and give a sense of a person not so much enclosed in a building but someone enclosed in their thoughts.

I tried to paint the figure as if he is behind glass, which was tricky because there needed to be a balance between a solid figure and a figure slightly disappearing behind a window. 

Man at the Window, 2026, oil on canvas, 61.15 x 25.25 cm

Melbourne Savage Club

The Melbourne Savage Club is a private gentleman's club founded in 1894 and named after the London Savage Club which in turn was named after the English poet, Richard Savage. The club's aim is to bring together people who practise in the Arts, Science, Law, Politics, Business and Sport and those who support and appreciate these fields of endeavour. 

The Club is situated in Bank Place in Melbourne's CBD and occupies one of the few remaining townhouses remaining in this area. More information about the Melbourne Savage Club can be found HERE

Recently I was invited to give an artist talk at the Club which was such a pleasurable experience. Lunch was an added attraction and the food and wine were superb. I donated one of my horse racing paintings titled, Awaiting the Winner, which to my mind suits the environment perfectly. There are so many fantastic artworks housed here and it is a thrill to have one of my own paintings included in the collection.

About to present my talk at the Club

With Eugene Barilo von Reisberg, Chair of the Arts Subcommittee, 

who invited me to give a talk. Eugene holds up the painting I donated to the club. 

Awaiting the Winner, 2012, oil on birchwood, 40 x 40 cm

Hotel View

 

Hotel View, 2026, oil on canvas

This painting was inspired by a view from my apartment. Of course Edward Hopper is a name that first enters one's imagination when looking at it but I would have painted this picture even if I had never heard of Hopper because my main inspirations are from the world around me. 

I wanted this to be more than just a view but a mood painting as well. The closing of most of the curtains, the two figures by the window and in particular the brooding sky were images that presented themselves to my mind when I was looking at the hotel from my window. 

What does it mean? I don't really know and you could transpose meanings after the picture is finished, but when an image comes to mind the only thing to do is to realise it on canvas or with whatever medium you choose.

Self Portrait With Plants

Self Portrait with Plants, 2026, oil on canvas, 61.25 x 41 cm

Ballarat has its annual Heritage Festival in late May. Megan Finlayson and Bryan Putt get a group of us together to celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday in Victorian fancy dress and during the festival we promenade around the streets of Ballarat. Our promenading group is always a big hit and we get a lot of photographers honing in. We are not an official part of the Heritage program and we are not even royalists but it is a fun occasion. I've only participated twice and the first time was with great reluctance but it led to me liking my cap so much that I wear it all the time. I do many self portraits and my liking for my cap was a good opportunity to do another one with the cap being a feature.

Debora Klein and I as Victorian-era citizens

In the Ballarat train station cafe after our promenading. 

From left - Megan Finlayson as Queen Victoria, Deborah Klein, Gary Hickson,

 Christine Hickson, Myself and Bryan Putt as a Victorian Railways employer. 

 

Waller House

It's always so interesting to visit a house once occupied by artists. Waller House in the Melbourne suburb of Ivanhoe is such a place. It's now in the hands of the National Trust which is a good thing to know because it's always difficult to preserve artists' residencies/studios so having Waller House in the hands of the National Trust is the closest one can get to having something important preserved.

Waller House is where Napier and Christian Waller spent a great deal of their life together. Their murals, mosaics and stained-glass artwork can be found in prominent buildings in Victoria, especially in Melbourne like the Melbourne Town Hall and the State Library of Victoria. 

For information about visiting Waller House click National Trust  

Napier Waller has mosaics on the facades of a number of buildings around Melbourne CBD, it's like an outdoor gallery. Sometimes it's difficult to notice them because the height of the trees can partially obscure the view. He was also a wonderful printmaker and draughtsman

As well as a muralist, Christian Waller was also a wonderful illustrator, and printmaker. She was in high demand and her stained-glass work can be found in over 20 churches in Victoria and New South Wales.

Here are some pics of their house and studio, so much of it like it was when the were living there.

The driveway to the welcoming sign

 

The main room to the house

Waller's self portrait drawing

Workroom where the glass was cut 

Napier Waller's drawing sitting by a table

Christian Waller's design for a stained-glass work

Tools and odds and ends

Another studio used by Napier for large scale mural work

A view from this studio

Christian's niece, Klytie Pate, came to live with the Wallers when Klytie's father died. She assisted around the studio but she eventually became a prominent ceramicist. 

A painting done by Napier on the wall of Klytie's bedroom.

The gardens were a beautiful addition to the house and studio. 

Volunteers now tend to tend to them with great pride.

Four Portraits of Bill

 

Bill, 1995, oil on canvas, 91 x 76 cm

Bill, 1996, oil on canvas, 61 x 50.5 cm

Bill Reid and I went to kindreds of life-drawing classes over the years and on occasions we used each other as models. It's difficult to be able to paint a human being from life these days unless you do a self-portrait, have a friend sit for you or receive a portrait commission. The problem is the amount of time needed to do a portrait. Painting a person from life is a great thing to achieve but for this to be possible you do need multiple sittings. Painting people from photographs seems to be the norm in many instances in our contemporary world but it often doesn't produce the type of image I admire. I've often thought if Rembrandt was painting today would he have painted from photographs? Perhaps he might have done but would his portraits have the same feel ? Perhaps not.