Beyond Desert Dust

Beyond Desert Dust
26 Jan – 6 Feb 2007

This Exhibition is the result of a promise I made back in 1973 when in an interview with ‘The Great Southern Herald’ I said I would one day have an exhibition.

It seems only fitting that it’s held in Katanning where I grew up and lived for most of my life.

For the past 2 ½ years I had been privileged to have been able to travel throughout the Australian outback, the Kimberley’s, Far North Queensland and the deserts – Tanami – Gibson – Great Victoria and Great Sandy. It was these areas that inspired me to take up my brushes again after 30 years.

The many thousands of kilometres I travelled thinking to myself ‘This bloody dust!’. Then, one day I stopped, got out and looked over a sand dune, I was amazed, I encourage everyone to do this. The colours you see and the images that go through your mind just by stopping and looking out ‘Beyond Desert Dust’.

Katanning Art Prize 2005

Katanning Art Prize 2005
1st – 8th October 2005

The Exhibition featured 118 works in 6 categories. In the Great Southern Ag section my painting ‘Badgebup Sunrise’ was selected in first place. It depicted a sheep yard scene looking out of a shearing shed and as this was an acquisitive art prize this painting is now hanging at the local Agricultural office in Katanning.

The Advocate Central Australian Art Award 2005

The Advocate Central Australian Art Award 2005
6th – 21st August 2005

While living and working in Alice Springs I entered 2 paintings in this art award and not only did I win second prize, one of my painting sold. It was titled ‘True Colours” and was of Ayres Rock. I have since painted many more of this iconic landmark. The desert colours are definitely my favourite.

When it all began

When it all began
1972

This was the year I really started painting. I was about 16 at the time and only used oils.

Prior to this while still in primary school and on the way home from school I would go into the Town Hall and up the stairs to the Art Gallery. There was an oil painting of some horses pulling a cart, it fascinated me. I would get up close to look at the way it was painted. How could blobs of paint up close look so realistic from a distance? I would study almost every brush stroke – I just had to do this!

I sold most of my early works to family & friends and then the local hospital commissioned me to do 2 paintings. They liked them so much I was commissioned to do 2 more. The local paper wrote an article about it. I told newspaper I was 18 which wasn’t true but I used to go into the pub and that was the age.