Living by the sea has us eagerly anticipating the arrival of Summer, a few months to go, not long now. The sea lapping at your feet, the glistening waters, the vibrant colours and the warmth of the sun. Whether you are young or old we all have fond memories of blissful days, reflecting on the simpler joys in life without a worry in the world. I painted this with purpose, maintaining a level of energy in the brushwork to keep a sense of immediacy and honesty about a private moment, shared whilst in their own little slice of paradise. As a painting may it bring back those times, even on the glooiest of Melbourne Winter days

Oil on canvas, 90 x 110 cm - Framed in raw oak

Available at Formans Picture Framing Burwood.

My memory of skiing in Australia is all about that building excitement which begins when you pull out the skis, the boots and ski gear at home and startr that long 4 hour drive to the Victorian alps. It's dark, you grab a bacon and egg toasty in Mansfield or Mt Beauty... you begin the windy climb up the mountain, the first pockets iof snow in the shadowy corners appear... You transfer from the car park...sell a kidney to buy a ski pass and jump on the chair... Finally...This painting is one place and all places...Falls, Hotham, Buller...it hopes to capture it all...break a leg!

Oil on canvas, 60 cm sq and framed in raw oak

How wonderful is it to walk when it's snowing! Somehow those flakes find their way through the leafy canopy, rolling off the leaves, settling on the next available surface. A stillness, enhanced hyper reality and complete awareness, a clarity...it's just you...and in this case your trusted companion, in the moment.

Oil on canvas, framed in Tasmanian oak. 40 cm sq

When low cloud and fog moves in up top the world around you becomes deafeningly quiet. Fellow skiers appear and dissappear just as quickly...you know you are travelling at speed, your senses are heightened, ready to react, ready for impact. Somehow it doesn't eventuate, you get to the bottom, take a deep breath ready to do it all again.

Part of the Winter downhill series, another oil on canvas, 28 cm sq - framed and ready to hang

RDO celebrates that day away from the daily grind. The "Tradie Tan" takes a lifetime to aquire and speaks to the hard working spirit of the countless "tradies" who sweat it out on the job come rain, hail or shine. Living on the coast i enjoy seeing all walks of life (myself included) in taking time out to remind ourselves that a little bit of "me time" never goes astray...and off course when the trusty work buddy also gets an invite then the beach site beats the building site everyday. Summer brings joy and i always try to reflect that in my works.

Oil on stretched canvas

Summer came late this year but when it arrived it was bliss. Long sunny days throughout January and not a drop of rain meant crystal clear and calm waters on the front beach. We soaked it up, we floated and bobbed about to the gentle splash of ocean. This spot is shallow for about 250 metres of the beach before it drops off to the cooler darker tones of the sea. So fortunate to call this home and delighted to know it is now bringing the summer vibes to the new owner

Summer here can be long and hot…for us and our furry buddies. Get to the beach early enough and everyone can enjoy a swim, or a paddle. This day was hazy, the sky and sea merged together, the sun filtering through and burning off the thin cloud layer - another scorcher for sure. This painting comes unframed, is done in oils on canvas and hopefully captures that peaceful moment…and shared happiness

“Good vibration” maybe a classic tune by the Beach Boys but let’s also celebrate the beach girls. The skill, the poise and elegance of catching that wave and harnessing the power…i tried to capture it all with energetic brushwork and colour. This painting comes unframed and is partnered with “The Big Kahuna”

“The Big Kahuna” reminds us that the joy of catching a wave belongs to young and old, but certainly helps if you’ve been at it since childhood. The movement, exhilaration, the glistening water and power of the waves combine adding to the pure joy of living life. This oil painting was created as a partner to “Good vibrations”

After a seriously rubbish ski season it’s been invigorating to at least capture a number of winter escapades this year, the most recent being this commission from QLD. Looking back through the library i realised that i don’t pay enough gratitude to the art lovers and supporters who dig deep time and time again. Without their support this passion just wouldn’t be sustainable…So thank you. May the art continue to inspire, to bring back and relive special times and create that unique piece that is yours and yours alone.

Acrylic on canvas - 76 cm sq

Straight back up we go, the snow is clean with a fresh dusting overnight. The quads are burning still but plenty left in the tank. This one is available at Design & Detail, Jindabyne , NSW

Acrylic on Canvas - 76 cm sq

Mid winter series, the madness of the home run….home…This one is available at Design & Detail, Jindabyne NSW

Painting capture a moment in time, Winter has left our shores, patches of snow melt away under a warming sun. The ‘occasion’ and memories hopefully remind the new owner of a wonderful time spent and fuel the passion for many more seasons ahead

Acrylic on canvas - 60 cm x 60 cm

The title pretty much explains it…Exhilarating

Acrylic on canvas - 60 cm x 60 cm

Early morning and a great day awaits…The wind is up and ice crystals are still in the air or being whipped up from light dusting overnight. The sense of excitement is growing, what will it be like on the summit..The Australian alps are at their best, short but sweet seasons

Acrylic on canvas - 40 cm square

Winter has well and truly arrived with a blast. Although it’s been a while since we trekked up the mountains the memories seems fresh as an overnight dump. This small piece looks to capture that heady mixture of speed, control…a little bit out of control and the pure joy of hurtling downhill

The partner painting to “Whilst you were sleeping” i love the midnight tones, how at first when out at night you can’t see a thing and then as your eyes adjust you make the tones and shapes of the environment around you. The deep tones are very emotive to me and open a world that is outside my comfort zone. From where we lived we could see across the bay, the sparkling lights of a thousand people most probably glued to their screens

The beach at night takes on a new dimension, mystery and definately outside my personal comfort zone. If you have ever swum in the ocean at night you can probably relate. I love these deep colour but the photos are terrible, auto correcting and not able to capture the subtle tonal variations properly. But at night it is those tones that help us keep our senses..i hope this painting captures the slightly eerie emotions. It is a partner painting to “Midnight Bay”

The big kid is about the child within all of us and how beach time often brings it out. The pink helps bring the joy, the graphic colour, the unexpected…we know where we are. Mum is thinking, “now i have 2 kids on my hands”…Dad better pull his weight, i’d like to think he will.

The first days of summer are often the best. The beach bods are back and extending the theme from the pink series, am focussing on the play of light and the play of colour.

Size: 40 cm Square Framed Oil on canvas

A few years ago now i did a large one with seagulls and i always enjoyed that extra step down in perspective, revealing the swimmer below. It is i guess a literal “birds -eye “ view. This smaller one still works for me and as per many of my works aims to capture the joy of living by the sea

Oil on canvas, Framed - 43 cm x 43 cm

The Breakers is the partner painting to to Shallow Inlet, painted together and maybe fate will keep them together. The deeper aqua colours come to fore, the crashing, rolling waves that just keep on coming well after everyone has packed up and headed home.

Oil on Canvas - Framed - 43 cm x 43 cm

This smaller beach scene taps into the the energy of the ocean 10 minutes down the road from us here in Victoria. Until now i have kept this style reserved for the larger 1 meter square ones, thinking the smaller size might not work… But to my surprise i think it does. Our summer has already slipped into Autumn, the heat is still there and so are the beachgoers.

Our soul is girt by sea aims to capture the power of the southern ocean and the enjoyment so many of us find there. The colours of the sea, the warmth of the sun, the crystal clear water and thundering sound as the waves crash in. The smaller figures help portray the message that we all play a vital role in preserving our beautiful coastline for future generations.

Oil on Linen - 102 cm x 102 cm Framed in natural Oak

When the sun burnt away the morning haze the holiday makers flocked to the to the sparkling waters, by noon one had to trudge through the sand to find a patch to call your own. The little stories and conversations taking place in little human islands as far as the eye can see. Soon everyone will be heading back, to resume their more mundane lives, but for now lets enjoy the moment

Oil on Canvas - 1m x 1m square, Framed in natural oak

Oil on Canvas - 1 m x 1 m square

Summer has finally arrived , and so have surf coast visitors. The colours after a long wet winter have finally brightened, the rolling white wash taking you back with each incoming swell. The car park is full, the sand is scorching, the boogie boards are out and there’s no better place to be.

Safety beach mid morning… the sheltered beaches here at Port Phillip Bay attract all types, the young and old, the tall and skinny and the not so tall and skinny. Love how we all come in different shapes and sizes but enjoy the same simple pleasures. I like the the anonimity of the compositions, the absorbed poses frozen in time…

Size: 1 m x 1 m Framed Oil on Canvas

Oil on canvas and further explorations of summer light. I particularly enjoy the play of colour and the blending of forms.

Size: 40 cm square Framed Oil on canvas

Painted in oil on canvas this artwork is the first in a new series where i explore the world of colour, shake it all up and tap into my graphic design past to really exaggerate that surface in which we frame ourselves, our environment, our ability to blend in or not be seen to stand out, to be noticed. Some crave it, some hate it…at the beach you can’t escape it. Everyone here plays second fiddle to the pink…

Size: 1 meter x 1 meter Framed, Oil on Canvas

Closer up and more people interest. Love doing these smaller 33 cm square canvases exploring the play of light on beachgoers and seeing how that colour is interacting.

Things work best in 3’s i think….like this composition, it’s about the negative space really…this scale and colour palette is really sending positive vibes

The set completed…painted on easel rotation. I has some serious reservations about doing these and agonised about the background colour for ages. In the end i figured you may as well be bold. All 3 sold within minutes of posting, a strong affirmation that stretching the boundaries can be most rewarding…and by that i mean personal development and the often self imposed fences we build around ourselves.

Oil on Linen - Unframed

Currently rugged up and struggling through a record cold Melbourne Winter. Summer has well and truly passed but the warm memories remain. As the title suggests there is nothing quite like spending some quality time with old friends, no pretences, no games… but plenty of laughs, visiting of the past and dreaming of the future. And if you can do it at the beach even better. Continuing to explore the skins we all live in and the textures we drape and immerse ourselves in. This one is unframed for now…

“Welcome back” is off course a comment on the journey that everyone has been on over these last Covid years. As restrictions on travel were reduced we joined the throng of worn out Aussies who flocked to nearby beaches to cleanse the soul and wash away those months in fleecies and couch potato lifestyle. We had made the move to the coast so it was wonderful to see the joy on everyones faces. How fortunate we are to live in this country, summer was amazing and i struggle to recall a more joyful welcome than to wade out into the sparkling ocean again.

This painting was commissioned by an old friend as a gift for his lovely wife….who also happens to be a wonderful painter and illustrator. They live a short stroll from the beach, the lab, the sea, the sun the air all combine to hopefully bring that moment of peace and tranquility into their home….you can’t off course beat the real thing though.

This summer here by the bay has been exceptional. Each day we have made our way down the hill to swim in the clear waters that glisten in the sunshine. So much has weighed us all down these last few years, this is the recommended therapy. The painting (along with the other) looks to capture the freshness, the pleasure and freedom of enjoying the wonders of nature.

Oil on Canvas : 62 cm x 62 cm - $1800

Swimmers 2 is the partner painting, evoking the same themes, the joy of this brilliant summer of 2022. Drifting weightlessly, not a care in the world, the sun warming your body, the cool clear waters freeing the mind. (Although i must admit, don’t like jellyfish)…

Oil on canvas - 62cm x 62 cm - $1,800

2021 has been another year to test your resolve, stamina, resilience and adaptability. Along with pretty much everyone on the planet i look to things that bring joy and light into our lives, “Always the sun” was finished in the last few days of the days, and hopefully evokes the positive vibes for the year ahead. It’s largest to date, our recent move to the coast reminds me how wonderful a country we live in, how fortunate we are and how we simply need to get out of our homes and soak it up.

Oil on canvas - Size: 1.5 m x 1.2 m - $3,200

“Summertime” - It’s been an absolute joy to get down to the beach and connect with the ocean, washing the lockdown blues away, feeling the warmth of the sun on your back and just reflecting on how lucky we are to live where we live. Summertime was commissioned and is a larger extension of several earlier works, you may recognise a beach bum or two. I hope it brings that free and refreshing spirit into the home of the new owner all year round.

Size: 1.2 m x 92 cm - Commissioned oil on canvas

Our recent move down to the Peninsula has us desperately trying to shed a few Covid kilos, but really, who cares. This is the first of my paintings where all references are stored away and painting is from the head and the heart alone. I wanted to smile for the entire time of painting this and hope it does the same to others…there’s a distinct lack of joy in the world for many these days so my alter ego has been put front and centre of this large acrylic painting.

$2,400 - Size 110 cm x 110 cm

This painting was commissioned and takes a QLD family of six to the snowfields. Hopefully it brings back memories of awesome family holidays, and banishes those lost moments, whiteouts due to to Covid. Here’s to getting back and having some fun in our great country…or any country for that matter.

Oil on Canvas - 51 x 51 cm

I never had the chance to spend any quality time with my grandfather so this image aims to capture that time, when largely unbeknown to both parties it re-surfaces many years later, when everything has moved on…except the ocean which continue to roll on.

Oil on Linen - 76 x 76 cm.

More human interest studies, very much enjoyed doing this. A late summer here in Australia, a visit to the local beach on Easter Sunday…. just delightful it was.

The first in a new series that takes a more traditional perspective and explores the rich diversity of beach lovers. This is as much about the individuals as it is about the settings. In a world dominated by beauty culture and selfies, portraying an image of oneself, i’m most interested in the little peculiarities, the imperfections and on a stinking hot day, who cares, let’s have fun.

This is Oil paint on Linen, a great surface to paint on….a lot more expensive too. Size is 76 cm square

The next arrangement in the small series of beach bum studies.

31 cm square, oil on canvas

Oil on Canvas. 92cm x 92cm. Having now executed a number of my “birds eye views” i thought it apt to join the seagulls, on beach patrol for a stray chip or 2 at Lorne. I love the way we generate some extra sense of height, with the gulls providing different elevations. It’s not unlike the chairlift in the snow painting. Will continue to explore this idea. The waves continue to roll in, day in day out…24/7…we play when we can.

Oil on Linen - 102 cm x 102 cm. It’s back to the beautiful ocean beaches and the “breaks” rolling in. We are enjoying a mild summer this year but it’s far from over. Getting down to the coast after a long lock down was just heaven, the air and waves cleansed liked never before. Summer still has plenty of time, just hope we get the breaks to enjoy the days ahead.

This painting is my first on quality linen, a wonderful surface. It comes unframed.

Oil on canvas. The first of a series of 4 smaller “Beach Bum” works. They are all 32 x 32 cm square

Number 2, really enjoying the figure studies and slightly candid postures. Also Oil on canvas, 32 x 32 cm

Number 3 in series, a fun composition, that late in the day light, often the hottest part of the day these days, is there time for another swim before heading home? 32 x 32 cm Oil on Canvas

The final one to complete this series. I love seeing them together, as small works they generate a kind of collective power. Oil on Canvas, 32 cm x 32 cm, unframed ….they are all unframed.

Commissioned painting, always a pleasure to produce with the added fun of incorporating some personalised characters, to bring a bit extra meaning into the piece. I do enjoy painting the snow scenes, although it was 33 and sunny the day i finished.

36 x 36 inches

$1,850 - Acrylic on canvas

Happy days at one of Victorias snowfields. We used to queue for ages with the old T-bars and Pommers, but one could get at least a half dozen more runs in when the triple and quad chairs were installed. Will miss the snowfields this year but fun to bring back the memories. The colours, the movement and that lasting sense of exhileration

36 x 36 inches

$1,850 - Acrylic on Canvas

It’s been a while since we headed home via Bourke Street….and the natural stuff just doesn’t want to fall this year. Mind you, we are all in iso anyway so the closest thing in 2020 will be via paint and hope for a fresh start in 2021.

26 x 26 inches

$1,750 - Oils on canvas

This is the first in a new direction which will draw in tighter on the figures. After having done numerous thumbnail figures i really want to explore the characters more, the form and shape of bodies, lost in their own thoughts. I hope to be able to apply the technique to build shape and form…i look at Freud, a true master and want to express that raw and bold brushwork, that play of light, our kooky bodies.

36 x 36 inches

$1,850 - Acrylic on canvas, unframed

January 26, we headed down to the ocean back beaches about a 90 min drive. We left early in the hope of beating the crowd, but many others had the same idea. A perfect day, 34 degrees and only a light breeze blowing in from the water. This is the way to celebrate Australia Day, one day we’ll move a little closer to the coast and celebrate everyday

36 x 36 inches

$1,850 - Acrylic on canvas, unframed

It seems another lifetime yet it was only 6 months ago that we splashed in the ocean, jumped into waves, ate sandy sandwiches, rolled about under the umbrella, listened to the cricket, swatted a few march flies, ate cold grapes from the esky, slapped on more sunscreen and debated whose turn it was to trek across the scorching sand to get our ice creams. Fun times, locked up since but we will all return to happier days soon. Memories worth painting.

36 inches square or 92 cm square

Oil on canvas - $1,800

The latest in the series. I’m moving slowly towards simpler, more urgent brushwork in an attempt to capture the perpetual movement of the swirling water, crashing waves and excited bathers. I love this colour palette, the sea, and awesome memories if summer all the way back to childhood. I can myself slowly moving to further abstraction, breaking things down to capture the essence of a trip to the beach.

36 inches x 36 inches or 92 cm x 92 cm

Oil on canvas - $2,250

“Between the flags” is the latest in this series. Very much modelled on the composition of “Deep enough for me” i’m continuing to explore and develop the brush work, - i love this colour palette and each painting brings new learnings, partly through repetition, trying to stylise and simplify the light, the movement and that joyous feeling of ocean waves as the engulf and wash around you. I have tried these in oil and in acrylic, each has it’s advantages but the colour in the oil is just so much richer. Tomorrow we head down the coast again, more inspiration and more sights to capture in the coming months. Gotta love summer

36 x 36 inches or 92cm x 92 cm

Acrylic on canvas, unframed - $1,650

The latest in the summer back beach series. I’ve moved a little wider out so the figures are smaller with simpler splashes of colour. The mood is all about those wonderful days, where the air is warm and the water is cooling, everyone is happy, young and old, and why wouldn’t you be. As a migrant to this country some 45 years ago, i feel incredibly fortunate to have grown up in such an amazing country….where else but here right!

36 x 36 inches

Oil on Canvas - Unframed $1650

Packing room prize winner -Roberts McCubbin art show

We love our beach holidays, as kids we squeeled in the shore break, as teens we paddled out behind the waves hoping for the ultimate ride back in, and now as adults, we venture out a little more cautiously, winding back the years. We are most lucky to live in a country where all of this comes for free, part of the package of life down under. This painting aims to capture those times, and bring some joy when you you just can’t get away for a splash.

36 x 36 inches

Acrylic on canvas - Unframed $1650

46 cm x 46 cm

Acrylic on canvas, unframed - $800

When the big easter swells roll through on the south coast, there’s not a dry wettie to be seen anywhere. Although displayed as a pair, this painting can be purchased on it’s own. I was never any good at surfing, but hopefully i’ve captured the feeling…the massive expanse and power of the waves and 2 tiny pebbles, hoping for the next knock-out ride.

46 cm x 46 cm

Acrylic on canvas, unframed - $800

What an incredible job these volunteers do day after day, year after year. They risk their lives and save countless every year, unsung heroes, everyone of them. Painted from reference i just love that colour combination, the ocean can be very intimidating, so very reassuring to know someone is keeping an eye out.

24 x 24 inches

Acrylic on Canvas - Unframed $950

24 x 24 inches

Acrylic on canvas - Unframed $950

36 x 36 inches

Oil on Canvas - Unframed $1650

24 x 24 inches

Acrylic on Canvas - Unframed $950

24 x 24 inches

Acrylic on canvas - Unframed $950

36 x 36 inches

Acrylic on Canvas - Unframed $1650

36 x 36 inches

Acrylic on canvas - Unframed $1650

This painting was commissioned by a local Beauty therapist for the opening of her new salon. I received an ‘open’ brief, and suggested a “peacock’ to her, what better example in nature for making yourself look amazing. It will be off to the framers shortly and looking forward to seeing it at the salon.

Commissioned art

Oil on Canvas - Size 1.5 m x 1.1 m

Commissioned artwork

Oil on Canvas - 1.4m x 1.2m

This was a fairly quick portrait in Acrylic on Canvas. It was commissioned and gifted to one of my daughters closest friends as a wedding present. He’s quite a big boy, with an even bigger personality by all accounts.

Beloved best buddy

Acrylic on canvas - 42 cm sq -

Commissioned

Oil on Canvas - 1.6 m x 1.2 m