"When I look back over more than 50 years of painting, drawing and printmaking, it's interesting how early I began to move away from depicting the human form as a dominant subject, becoming more interested in organic shapes, animals and birds.”
“I think a combination of travel overseas and learning to observe behaviour in a much bigger world made me aware just how much the natural world held a wealth of ideas and images which, in turn, allowed greater freedom for emotional expression inclusive but beyond the human condition."
Selected works
Full Moon Viewing
2016 | oil on linen | 76 x 92 cm
Sharing a Secret
50 x 55cm | 2017 | oil on linen
Aquatic Jazz
50 x 62 cm | oil on linen | 2016
Selected writing
Reflections on a journey
I think the only way to describe my work and outlook is expressionistic. Everything I do as an artist is simply a reflection of my own life and interests. I particularly enjoy and need short bursts of intensive travel – overseas or within Australia. these trips have provided me with a great source of visual stimulus and in effect are very much part of my working process. The desire to travel probably stemmed as much from the the fact that I had always thought of myself as more European that Australian, as from an obvious desire to see the great galleries of Europe and the U.K. so as to study the masters first hand.
The Swan and the seagull
Since moving from the city to Phillip Island 28 years ago, farm animals and the abundant bird life here have offered a particularly rich vein of exploration. In the past the curiosity of cows and their calves, the perkiness of Fairy penguins and the antics of the pelicans featured prominently, then my interest in other bird species developed and intensified to incorporate Cape Barren geese, swans, galahs, cockatoos and gulls.
Commissions
MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
2 Mosaics: Low Tide Jive and Sea Rituals & Thermal Jazz. Mosaics designed by Rafael Gurvich and translated by Lindy Gottlieb and the mosaic artists from Artbusters.
Both 6m x 4m 1996.
