The drawing "The Three of Us" is about the unconditional love between father and son and their dog "Chewy". The drawing is also about time spent apart and how precious moments together are treasured. Simple activities like going to the movies or throwing a ball with Chewy are etched in the mind.

The unique role that the father plays in shaping his son's life is unspoken. The drawing is also a testament to my close friend's selfless and humble nature as a father and the close bond he and his son share. "The Three of Us" is also about a young man growing up and his gifts being revered - his humour, talents, growing independence and immense love for his father. 

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This large scale drawing is my interpretation of a 19th century oil painting that Robert Plant found in an antique store in England which was subsequently used  on the cover of "Led Zeppelin IV". The painting is of an old man carrying a large bale of sticks.  The small dark framed painting hangs from a demolished interior of an old peeling papered plastered wall.  It is said that the front cover art for Led Zeppelin IV represents looking after the earth rather than pillaging it.

The image of the old country man always intrigued me - the image is like a doorway to the past ! The drawing I have done was about stepping into that time and interpreting the old man hunched over with his bale carrying his load in a country setting.

The painting captured my attention and I always wondered what he would look like if he looked at me directly with his gaze and wisdom. It was Jimmy Page's idea not to have a title for  the album (it became known as Led Zeppelin IV) invoking the old saying "a picture tells a thousand words". The cover art for the untitled album is truly wonderful and the drawing is simply about interpreting the original 19th century painting. Left. Adrian, a huge led zep fan, with the drawing

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Painting and drawing live cello music is about merging the sounds and rhythms into a visual experience on canvas. The choice of drawing  and materials becomes easy because the mind is free to respond to each note intuitively, not thinking to much and more about taking risks. Drawing live cello music is about staying in the moment, improvising what you see and trusting that you are part of creating a symbiosis between you and the musician.

Recently I had a live sitting with David Rose, a beautiful cellist from Adelaide. The drawing session was about capturing the pure enjoyment of the cello experience, the deep warm tones and that moment of the cellist being one with the instrument. David's love of the cello is inspiring, he has been playing since he was 9 years old, his facial expressions are interesting to draw and interpret.

Through observing cellists I have been touched by the intense love between the artist and their instrument. The vibration and movement of the eyes, head and hands is graceful and powerful to witness. I'm interested in exploring the relationship between musician and instrument and find live sittings inspirational. I prefer the musician to use their intuition and

improvise producing an energy that cannot be found listening to a recording. When the drawing begins to flow a tempo develops between artist and musician and inhibitions seem to disappear.

"Drawing the Cello" is about the moments during a  a cello performance, in that moment of completion when the sound, the feeling, and the movement still resonates and lingers in the air, in the stillness.  It is for the viewer to interpret in their own way what this cello drawing means to them. The live drawing session was a moment in time and time itself has allowed the cello image to express its own meaning.

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When Mick Mc McHugh introduced himself to me at an artist's gathering in Byron Bay I was immediately at home with his Irish dialect that has surrounded me all my life. I was born in Australia but having Irish parents and spending time in Ireland I was struck by Micks authentic Irish spirit. I thought this guy's the real deal. He really love's the Craic and can sing to boot. A true artist. A Dubliner like my mother, Micks joyful nature is translated into songs and his lyrics offer a deep commentary on life and it's complexities.

Locally he's known as the Irish Cat Stevens and is a hard working and committed artist who is also involved in many community projects and fundraisers. While watching him play with his band at The Rails recently, I was struck at how magnetic his music has become, lots of interaction with his audience and  beautiful songs sung with passion and hope, a new twist on the classic Irish Galie.

I  recently did a sketch of Mick, his facial expressions, although animated, have stillness and depth and his hair is wild and unruly, representing  a part of him. The drawing  "Essence of Me" is based  on a line in his song 'A Long Way From Home' when Mick sings 'but I have faith in me and the power when you believe'

Find out more about Micks gigs  http://www.mickmchugh.com/

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Art connects people from all walks of life and and last weekend I have experienced just that, right here in my backyard at the Byron Bay Roots and Blues Festival. This is my fourth Bluesfest and each time I am so grateful for having such an incredible event just a short stroll from my studio. The weather conditions added to the atmosphere, the overcast sky with its soft light illuminated the Marquee tent tops against the afternoon sky. The rain pelted down at times turning the earth into mud creating a sea of footprints, connecting everyone.

Some of the stand out acts this year include the phenomenal Zapper plays Zapper, awesome guitar by Dweezil Zapper. The singer/songwriter Ruthie Foster from Texas blew us away with her amazing soulful voice while Michael Franti and Seasick Steve worked the crowd into a frenzy! This sketch is about the funny scenes of the punters in their gumboots - there were pink ones, glittery ones, red ones, oversized ones, skull and crossbone ones, rubber duck ones, very muddy ones!! Thank God for the gumboot - they united us and kept us dry.

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Alchemy

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It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon house warming and birthday celebration in Byron Bay and many at the gathering who are normally busy in their day jobs, a natural health practitioner, high school maths teacher, concert sound and lighting manager and electrician all took time out to jam. There is so much more to an impromptu jam session, the realisation that the creative spirit in us all needs to be expressed and felt. The jam session added to the atmosphere of the afternoon, we were in a newly painted home with lovingly placed objects, bowls, candles and an old railway cabinet, beautifully restored with big windows of light pouring in creating the perfect ambiance.

An original Leunig etching hangs on the far wall a focal point amongst the guitars, mandolin and double bass. The framed etching in harmony with the mood and design of the room yet the image so incognito that you need to take a closer look to enjoy its humour and direct message.  is always interesting and often an inspired individual will improvise in the moment and surprise.

The music that I was witness to and for most part was totally improvised. The sketch is a about capturing a moment when my friends absorbed in their own world of music and yet connected as one, creating a profoundly unique artistic voice. The musicians in the drawing share their experiences of what it's like to jam together. For me jamming is always something to look forward to. It's such a pure moment of expression, collaboration, listening, and trusting (and challenging) my musical intuition. It's a time of experimenting and throwing caution to the wind, of being sensitive to what others are playing and knowing when to let loose. At its best, things lock in and the magic happens - it doesn't happen every time, but when it does the music takes on a form of it's own - it becomes more than the individual contributions.  Jamming is being totally in the present - nothing else exists. It's fleeting and totally in the moment. It's meditation. It's natural. It's real. I love jamming.

Geoff -  Mandolin

A few stand out things I remember from this day were... It was cold and wet - a good day to be inside making music with friends. An impromptu and unlikely collaboration between resonator blues guitar  and Native American flute. An original song getting some spontaneous backing vocals from "Jesus Christ Superstar" and the song-writer happily running with this  unforeseen addition. A glockenspiel solo over a blues jam. And lots of enjoyable and inclusive music making. Jamming for me is about having a musical conversation. It's about connecting with a positive, creative energy which this particular group  of people have in abundance.

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Mike Williams, an established Australian poet and writer spent some time with me at my art studio last summer. We shared ideas about creativity and  artistic cycles and how to keep the energy alive. Mike's a quietly spoken bloke who has an effortless writing style and the ability to tell a story drawn from a life of rich experiences. Mike commented that as he gets older his writing gets deeper and more enjoyable.

I have been reading some interesting research about the subject of creativity in  'Late Bloomers' and there seems to be two schools of thought. One thought is that artists tend to do their best work early on in their careers. Picasso's early work, paintings produced in his 20's, still demand the highest prices even today, whilst on the other hand, Cézanne reached his artistic excellence in his mid-sixties. I have been thinking about how my own creativity has manifested during my later years and how it has become a driving force in my life. I believe creativity is rooted in one’s own belief systems; the influence of society and family conditioning can delay or hide latent talent. So far the unfolding of my creative journey has been rooted in breaking old and limiting thinking.

To help me understand this process I have been reading an excellent book titled 'Old Masters and Young Geniuses; The Two Life Cycles of Artistic Creativity' by David Galenson. The book offers the idea that there are two very different types of artist; a 'conceptualist', who has a very clear idea where they want to go and how they will execute the idea. The other is an 'experimentalist', the intuitive artist that allows a spark, an inspiration to reveal itself in the painting.

I think that as I get older and gain more experience as an artist, I will develop both set of skills which, I hope, will strengthen my work. Yet my very first paintings remain a reference point where the enthusiastic journey into the image is always a source to draw strength from.  I believe that those paintings came from an inner part of me unaffected by anyone or anything and they are very precious. return to home page

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