Recent Drawings, Trees and some Fantasy

I am really loving working with very basic materials at the moment. I have done quite a few drawings just with charcoal. Some with both black and white pencils on a neutral paper and others on plain white paper with just a hint of colour. I can't resist that touch of bright colour.

This is a giant Moreton Bay Fig Tree that I walk past every day. I spent about a week on this drawing. I don't think I have done anything so detailed for a while. There is a love heart with initials on the branch to the left.

Kangaroos are really a subject I can't seem to leave alone. They keep reappearing in new work when I thought I'd gotten them out of my system with the Terra Australis show last year. I have placed this little guy in front of Brisbane's Story Bridge. Something about the reverse curves got me going compositionally.

This is one of what I call my "fantasy" drawings.  I did quite a bit of sketching when the Brisbane Ekka was on, hence the Ferris wheel and the people on the left. My kangaroo and my Fig Tree are also in there plus Michelangelo's Sybil and a skeleton fleshed out. Don't ask me what this is about. There are orchids in there too.

Another skeleton. This has come no doubt from my concentration on anatomy this year. Glasshouse Mountains in the background, tree, owl, Watteau's Minstrel, all outside a Paddington gate, waiting for the mail.

This is a clump of Jacaranda trees down in my back yard. I haven't done anything like this before and it did take several days. It is a pretty accurate representation of what is there.

Paintings of Paddington

I am sorry I have not posted much lately but I have been working extremely hard. I have been drawing and painting my local area. I have read that many artists produce their best work when they find their subject matter not far from home.

The timber "Queenslanders"  and the wealth of plant life around this area of Brisbane are quite inspiring. I keep returning to things botanical and animals also even when I am looking at the architecture and hilly streets around here.

Here is just a small sample of what I have been doing.

None of these works are actually totally finished which is another reason I haven't posted them. I will get back to them when the spirit moves me.

This is image is looking up Cochrane Street towards Mt Lindsay. The elkhorn has made its home in a frangipani tree. Compositionally I was playing around with triangles.

This one shows the detailing of a typical veranda. In the distance is the Paddington/Bardon water tower. The flowers in the foreground are Bauhinias I think.

I couldn't resist putting in the scrub turkey crossing the road. They are everywhere around here. On the left is an amazing Moreton Bay Fig Tree. I am becoming obsessed with them and have done lots of drawings of them.

This one is looking towards the west. The gap between the hills is actually the suburb called "The Gap". Now I know why! I was experimenting with the effect of the sunset lighting on the fruit and am quite pleased with the result. Something new for me to focus on. I want these works to have the feeling that life is going on, (my life probably) hence the cups of tea, teapots etc.

Another scrub turkey. This image has turned into a bit of a fantasy with the street scene and the animals added! It is actually Haig Road looking towards Heussler Terrace. Again the giant Moreton Bay Fig Trees. The purple shadows against the glare of the road were what initially motivated me with this one. I still visit Lone Pine Sanctuary fairly often and this kangaroo is one of my mates.

The galvanised iron roofs around here are also painted interesting colours. The crows are daily visitors too. One day we could see twelve from our back deck. They are amazing, very clever birds and so beautiful with their blue/black sheen. Three on a telephone line.

I will mention again that these are not totally finished. I will probably spend some time refining them.