Background

As a kid, I always found it easy to draw anything I could see. By the time I was in high school I was drawing portraits which were printed in our school magazine. These were pencil drawings which didn’t transfer well to the printed media, so I changed from pencil to biro and by the HSC my drawings were hard to distinguish from photos and sold quickly. (A portrait of Gough Whitlam was presented to his sister.)

While art was my best subject at school it didn’t seem like a legitimate career path so it was forgotten for a few decades. When I discovered computers I got interested in graphic design and this stretched my artistic interests in new directions. I did a number of illustrations for a science fiction publication, and designed layouts for other magazines, but it was only after becoming unemployed that I have been able to focus on my artistry.

I did a diploma in graphic design and used my student status to pick up all sorts of computer design software allowing me to dabble in vector art, animation, 3D modelling, web design, and photography. I now have a fairly deep knowledge of lighting effects which enriches what I produce.

Last year I started running a drawing class (Burwood Community Drawing Group) and this led me back to drawing. Having grown a little tired of the limitations of black and white art I have been experimenting with pastels which allow me the same method of application as a pencil but with wonderfully bright colours and high contrast.