Original Drawings / Pastels:
I'm never quite sure whether to class my pastel artwork as a drawing or a painting - but for the purpose of classification for this website, and my current style, I've landed on 'Drawing'... ! Coming into 2022, I discovered that this part of my practice has been more than a bit neglected in favour of painting. A shame, as I find it a very effective and enjoyable medium to work in, and definitely worth getting back into again.
It all began back in December 2021, with The Morrigan... see below...
N.B. all the dark monochrome works are framed/matted in black, with special museum-quality UltraVue UV70 non-reflective glass.
Sizes given are the framed size.
It all began back in December 2021, with The Morrigan... see below...
N.B. all the dark monochrome works are framed/matted in black, with special museum-quality UltraVue UV70 non-reflective glass.
Sizes given are the framed size.
2024 - March: there was a slight hiatus in my pastel workings, due to various exhibitions, sales, and the need to complete a couple of oils and watercolours. I took inspiration for my next pastel subjects from the title of a rather famous book... which seemed appropriate! ''Dark Emu'' will be a series of portraits of our iconic Australian 'Big Bird', the Emu - which unfortunately (like the koala over East!) is suffering through habitat loss, among other things, and is rarely to be seen in the wild around here any more.
This is surely a rather sad state of affairs for our Australian National Emblem to be in...
This is surely a rather sad state of affairs for our Australian National Emblem to be in...
September/December 2023: and heading rapidly into the Southern Art and Craft Trail... where I managed to totally over-book myself (ref. Events page). This pair of possums were heading to our Phoenix Fine Arts exhibition at Whaleworld Albany.
Dear little things, the Ringtail Possums - very quiet and well-behaved... unlike their cousins the Brushtails! Penelope Possum lives in my big old peppermint tree (and/or my shed roller-door!) with her various babies, and Percival comes to visit her on a regular basis.
Ringtails eat only foliage - fruit ferments in the stomach, and can kill them. We have an amazingly healthy population of urban Ringtails in Albany, though they are under constant threat from household cats and dogs. Spraying the leaves of their food trees with poisons will also kill them.
Adorable! and yet... critically endangered.
I also decided to try another Wedge-tail Eagle later on, as a replacement for works sold... this one for my Open Studio. Followed by another version, a coloured monochrome, which I was working on as a demonstration piece while my studio was open - and finally finished... presenting Priscilla, Queen of the Desert!
Dear little things, the Ringtail Possums - very quiet and well-behaved... unlike their cousins the Brushtails! Penelope Possum lives in my big old peppermint tree (and/or my shed roller-door!) with her various babies, and Percival comes to visit her on a regular basis.
Ringtails eat only foliage - fruit ferments in the stomach, and can kill them. We have an amazingly healthy population of urban Ringtails in Albany, though they are under constant threat from household cats and dogs. Spraying the leaves of their food trees with poisons will also kill them.
Adorable! and yet... critically endangered.
I also decided to try another Wedge-tail Eagle later on, as a replacement for works sold... this one for my Open Studio. Followed by another version, a coloured monochrome, which I was working on as a demonstration piece while my studio was open - and finally finished... presenting Priscilla, Queen of the Desert!
June/July 2023: inspired by a friend of mine, a poet who's home is something of an bird sanctuary, I decided to look at local owls - starting with the rare WA Masked Owl (Tyto novaehollandiae). The story of Blodeuwedd, the owl maiden, is from my mothers homeland, Wales. And 'Cailleach Ochre' is Celtic for Owl, and literally translates as Wise Woman (or crone/hag) of the Night. Followed them up with The Raven from the famous poem by Edgar Allen Poe... "Quoth the Raven, Nevermore..."
Originally found all around coastal Australia, Masked Owls - like most owls, corvids and raptors, sadly - are being decimated by eating prey poisoned by rodenticides.
Originally found all around coastal Australia, Masked Owls - like most owls, corvids and raptors, sadly - are being decimated by eating prey poisoned by rodenticides.
2023: January - April 2023: a new year, which started with a nasty run-in with Covid. On slowly getting back on deck, my first job was to finish this Western Australian Magpie, begun in December. Then he was feeling a little lonely, so he went looking for a mate - and how could the lady have resisted his charming serenade? There are 8 sub- species of Magpie endemic to Australia - those here in the South West are quite distinctive, with the males having white backs and trim, whereas the females are mottled. All are beautiful songsters.
I then decided to try a blue monochrome portrait - which had to be, of course! - our little Blue Wren, who needs no introduction.
I then decided to try a blue monochrome portrait - which had to be, of course! - our little Blue Wren, who needs no introduction.
October - December, 2022: ending the year with a series featuring our three local black cockatoos - Carnaby's, Baudin's, and Forrest Red-tails - all of which, sadly, are now listed as endangered, and increasingly under threat, due largely to habitat loss... also poisoning, and poaching.
First - of course - is the one we know best, a pair of Carnaby's (or short-billed) Black Cockatoos. These are very similar to the Baudin's (or long-billed) B.Cs, who come next - they were classified as one species, White-tailed Black Cockatoos, until recently. However, they have different bills, and slightly different calls - plus the Carnaby's live in heath-land and eat a variety of seeds and fruits, while the Baudins prefer secluded forests and Marri trees/nuts. Seen up close, the males of both Carnaby's and Baudin's have pink eye-rings, not grey, and darker bills than the ladies.
And finally, to finish the series - our pair of Forrest Red-tail Black Cockatoos. Though similar in size and initial appearance to the White-tails, Red-tails are actually quite distinctive - the males with their flaring red tails and glossy black feathers, and females with their colourful orange barred markings, and yellow-spotted heads. Both male and female have an impressive crest and a large, heavy bill - and, though the males bill is again darker than the female, he does not have the pink eye-ring of his white-tailed cousins.
First - of course - is the one we know best, a pair of Carnaby's (or short-billed) Black Cockatoos. These are very similar to the Baudin's (or long-billed) B.Cs, who come next - they were classified as one species, White-tailed Black Cockatoos, until recently. However, they have different bills, and slightly different calls - plus the Carnaby's live in heath-land and eat a variety of seeds and fruits, while the Baudins prefer secluded forests and Marri trees/nuts. Seen up close, the males of both Carnaby's and Baudin's have pink eye-rings, not grey, and darker bills than the ladies.
And finally, to finish the series - our pair of Forrest Red-tail Black Cockatoos. Though similar in size and initial appearance to the White-tails, Red-tails are actually quite distinctive - the males with their flaring red tails and glossy black feathers, and females with their colourful orange barred markings, and yellow-spotted heads. Both male and female have an impressive crest and a large, heavy bill - and, though the males bill is again darker than the female, he does not have the pink eye-ring of his white-tailed cousins.
September 2022: well, what can I say? There's been a lot of stuff going on, the last few months - including being forced to quit my collective, Down South Arts and Crafts, which I began two years ago - truly devastating! However, I am slowly getting back on my feet, and have begun an exciting new venture, Phoenix Fine Arts, with a group of trusted friends... of which, more to follow.
I've also got back to my series of bird profiles - starting with the iconic Wedgetail Eagle. With a wingspan of more than two metres, and weighing around 4kg, the Wedge-tailed Eagle is Australia’s largest bird of prey and one of the biggest eagles in the world. Though now a protected species, the Wedgetail was hunted to the verge of extinction by early farmers, who blamed them for stock losses. Sadly, repeated recent atrocities are again threatening their hard-won 'not vulnerable' Red Listing - indeed, the Tasmanian sub-species is currently listed as endangered.
I've also got back to my series of bird profiles - starting with the iconic Wedgetail Eagle. With a wingspan of more than two metres, and weighing around 4kg, the Wedge-tailed Eagle is Australia’s largest bird of prey and one of the biggest eagles in the world. Though now a protected species, the Wedgetail was hunted to the verge of extinction by early farmers, who blamed them for stock losses. Sadly, repeated recent atrocities are again threatening their hard-won 'not vulnerable' Red Listing - indeed, the Tasmanian sub-species is currently listed as endangered.
Christmas 2021... and completing Morrigan's Brood we have Odin's twin ravens, Huninn and Muginn, as they endlessly search Midgard for news items for their master!
Odin’s Ravens:
In Norse mythology, Odin was the principle Norse god, who sacrificed an eye in return for the gift of wisdom. He relied upon two ravens, Huginn (meaning ‘thought’) and Muninn (‘memory’), to keep him informed of everything that happened in the entire world (‘Midgard’).
Ravens played a very important role in the Viking world. Frequently used in Norse decoration, they were revered as wise and all-knowing - powerful symbols of prophecy, protection, and support. Intelligent birds, Ravens were often taken on voyages of discovery, and used as navigation aids to help the sailors to find land.
Particularly linked to war and battle, ravens were closely associated with the Valkyrie... Chosen by Odin, Valkyrie maidens were believed to visit battlefields and select which of the slain warriors would enter the after-life, Valhalla.
Odin’s Ravens:
In Norse mythology, Odin was the principle Norse god, who sacrificed an eye in return for the gift of wisdom. He relied upon two ravens, Huginn (meaning ‘thought’) and Muninn (‘memory’), to keep him informed of everything that happened in the entire world (‘Midgard’).
Ravens played a very important role in the Viking world. Frequently used in Norse decoration, they were revered as wise and all-knowing - powerful symbols of prophecy, protection, and support. Intelligent birds, Ravens were often taken on voyages of discovery, and used as navigation aids to help the sailors to find land.
Particularly linked to war and battle, ravens were closely associated with the Valkyrie... Chosen by Odin, Valkyrie maidens were believed to visit battlefields and select which of the slain warriors would enter the after-life, Valhalla.
December 2021:
'The Morrigan' - this raven has been waiting in the wings for some time now, and I finally got around to actually creating her. Inspired by my talented friend, Albany musician Simone Keene - her hauntingly beautiful, lyrical song is called Morrigans Moon, from the poem by local poet and author Giles Watson.
The Morrigan is a Goddess from Irish legend. Her Powers & Abilities included:
My research for 'The Morrigan' rekindled a real interest in ravens - a bird I've always felt an affinity for, but didn't really know much about. They have a compelling global following in legend and folklore over the centuries, and their history is amazing! How mean-spirited, that a group of ravens should be called "an unkindness", or "a treachery". I much prefer the alternative - "a Conspiracy"!
I decided to create my own Conspiracy of Ravens - following the Goddess, Morrigan, with little Bram, the Scottish raven...
'The Morrigan' - this raven has been waiting in the wings for some time now, and I finally got around to actually creating her. Inspired by my talented friend, Albany musician Simone Keene - her hauntingly beautiful, lyrical song is called Morrigans Moon, from the poem by local poet and author Giles Watson.
The Morrigan is a Goddess from Irish legend. Her Powers & Abilities included:
- Foretelling doom, victory, or death.
- Turning the tides of battle.
- Shapeshifting - specifically, into a raven.
My research for 'The Morrigan' rekindled a real interest in ravens - a bird I've always felt an affinity for, but didn't really know much about. They have a compelling global following in legend and folklore over the centuries, and their history is amazing! How mean-spirited, that a group of ravens should be called "an unkindness", or "a treachery". I much prefer the alternative - "a Conspiracy"!
I decided to create my own Conspiracy of Ravens - following the Goddess, Morrigan, with little Bram, the Scottish raven...
I'm currently working up a largish oil painting referencing cats vs wildlife, and this drawing started out as a preliminary sketch towards that, rather than an artwork in its own right - but then it just took me over... Pretty much like Bella, the cat, did herself, really! Initially, I went with basic white pencil on the black ground, but then decided I just had to colour the eyes... And, following enquiries - yes, I will take commissions for pet portraits from photo references. Please contact me to organise. |
Tiger, Tiger... Rare & Endangered - migration series #3, 2016/17
Extending the migration series, this series of drawings will aim to further explore the rapid extinction of our native West Australian wildlife - working outwards from the Albany/Great Southern area.
Gilbert's Potoroo (Potorous Gilbertii)
Small marsupial 'kangaroo rat', formerly numerous - now sadly on the verge of extinction. By 2015, fox and feral cat predication had left just an estimated 20 wild potoroos, in dense virgin bush on Mt. Gardner, Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve, near Albany. The November 2015 fires destroyed 90% of this remnant habitat, and killed 15 of them, with the remaining 5 rescued. Fortunately, a small colony had previously been transplanted onto Bald Island, where there is now a strong, successful breeding population. |
Oranges and Sunshine, 2015/16 - studies for migration series #1
Greta's Beach Series, 2015
Anzac Tribute - 2014
Gaining Perspective - 2014
Exploration, 2014
Autumn Series, 2013
Family Life: 2013
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