I am very exited to announce, I am featured in the latest issue of "us folk" magazine. I am also the featured cover artist which I'm really proud of and still pretty amazed about.
 " Us folk" is a local young, fresh and creative magazine, showcasing the Arts in Canberra and the surrounding regions.
A massive shout out to the lovely ladies who are not only Artist themselves, but also somehow manage to find the time to put it all together, Juliette Dudley and Ask Peak.
 I met Juliette and Ash a little while ago over a cup of tea at my house and discovered two very driven, creative and inspiring young women, who have nurtured the magazine from just an idea,  to be now producing and selling their third issue. I predict they will both be big names in the Art scene in the future, so look out!
 The magazine is launching at the "Art, not Apart" Arts festival this sat 1:00pm-7:00pm at the New Acton precinct, Edinburgh Avenue, Canberra, so come check it out.
It is also available at selected stockists around Canberra, check out the website for more details. http://us-folk.com/

Summer Dreaming

Over the depths of a Canberra winter I find myself getting a little down, the daylight is short, the wind is icy and the feeling of that carefree summer bliss seems a long way off.
Spring is in the air but............ I dream of summer...............
I don't quite know if its nostalgia from my childhood of growing up near the coast, the excitement of summer holidays, the sun, the surf, Christmas and time spent with family and friends, a good old coolie or 2, but Its a time of year I truly love.
 So here is my little ode to summer,
I long to hear the high shrill of Cicadas,  see mirages rise like hallucinations from the bitumen and feel as if I never had a care in the world, I hope you enjoy.

More Moths

Ok, maybe I have a little bit of an insect fascination at the moment, I really enjoyed drawing the hurcules moth and when a friend suggested I do some bogongs I happily obliged.
Anyone that has lived in or around Canberra will be well aquainted with these guys.
Thousands of these beautiful and plentiful moths flock here every year and flap their way around every light source imaginable on their annual migration to the High Plains.
We even have a wing at work named after these furry little fellows........... they still give me the creeps, but this was rather fun, so thanks go to my dear friend Tarni.
 Oh and I cant possibly leave this post without putting their scientific name of Agrotis Infusa.

 Here a few work in progress shots, I hope you enjoy.

Rakali

I have been wanting to draw one of these amazing little guys for a while now.
This is an Australian water-rat (Hydromys chrysogaster) and I first encountered one when I was quite fit and running around the lake every morning with a friend.
 It always seemed like they would only show up when one of us decided not to brave the harsh winter frosts, opting instead to sleep in and stay warm and cosy in our beds, so we started to call them "Mythical" because we never seemed to see them together. We also only ever saw them at dusk or twilight, so jokingly, we decided they would only show themselves to the dedicated and would make the rare glimpse of one diving into the water seem like a reward for our run.
 I have been trying photograph some reference pictures for a while now and only ever got a couple of quick pictures,  I decided this is because they are rare and elusive and only show themselves to the fit, my bubble was about to burst.
A couple of days ago I went for a walk in the middle of the day with my mum and my son, (I rarely run these days) and to my absolute surprise and delight  we found four rats feasting on scraps left for the ducks, I got some decent reference photos and got to look at them very closely.
They are beautiful little guys, so full of personality, cheeky, boisterous and amazingly graceful in the water, they have lovely long black tails, webbed back feet and very thick, almost waterproof fur. I immediately knew I needed to include one in my next drawing.
 So keep your eyes out for these little guys next time you venture down to a lake in Canberra.

 They will still remain our little mythical beasts and this particular one is for Trish, my running buddy and one of the very best friends anyone could be blessed with. 

Some WIP

Why Moths?

I have a love/ hate relationship with moths,
I think they are amazingly beautiful and fascinating creatures, from their elaborate sets of fake eyes to their exquisite patterns and delicate furry bodies, but they also really scare me!
I'm talking screaming, squealing, arm flapping madness sort of scary.
I don't know why? I love snakes, spiders and pretty much every other creepy crawly, but just not moths.
I have come to terms with the fact that there is absolutely no rational answer to why they freak me out, especially as I know they are the most harmless, unobtrusive sort of creatures, but they do.
 These ones, the Hercules Moth -(Coscinocera hercules) particularly freak me out and I would much rather draw one of these amazing creatures than have one land on my head. Luckily or more realistically, unluckily for me, I don't live anywhere near the amazing Daintree Rainforrest so I don't think there is much chance of it happening anyhow.

This beautiful lady should be available as a limited edition print soon.


Some WIP pics

I have been working on a little personal project for a while now and I can finally share the finished product with you.
This started out as a present idea for my mum as she is the biggest lover of birds I know, which I guess has rubbed of onto me.
As usual I got a little carried away, I am always experimenting with mediums and I have wanted to get some of my illustrations printed onto fabric for a while and decided to have a sample silk scarf made, I was so happy with the results I have had a small print run made and these will be available for sale very soon, Inbox me if you are interested.

WIP Diamond Python

These are a couple of progress shots of a work I recently finished, this work has become one of my favorite pieces, not because its my best or most brilliant, but becuase of the Diamond Python.
I have had a lifelong love and fascination of snakes which started as a child and is because of my Dad.
We grew up on a property on the South Coast surrounded by bushland and National Parks, so our house was a regular drop in centre for all things furry, feathered and scaly.
Whenever we found a snake lurking amongst the foliage in the garden or yard, Dad would come, casually pick it up by the tail and release them down by the creek on our property.
When it was a python there was always excitement and the opportunity to have a hold, and most of the time it was Diamond Pythons.
Diamonds are the most beautiful looking snakes and also have the most gentle nature, rarely were any aggressive, we even had them living in my bedroom roof for a while and on one very hot summer night my sister was woken by the biggest Diamond we have ever seen who had crawled in her window and become a bed buddy.
So this Drawing has become my Dads, as he was the one who inspired it.