This is a drawing of a car I did when I was 5 years old in the front of my 'Crystal Fairy book'. I still have it over 55 years later as I treasure the paintings and drawings that I labour over and I obviously laboured over this!
Oh! How I wish I could go inside of this whole image and take back the innocence and enjoyment from all those years ago.
All want to do is catch up to where I started .... "I met myself coming when I was going: only to see myself leave before I departed. Only to see my reflections past other people's happiness and misfortunes staring back at me: and all the time the world was moving around me and past me before I could ever stand still, and yet it seemed I had never moved...."
I am the sum of my years and this is my testimony as told through that part of my soul that is bared to the world first in my mind and then through my hands .... my lifeworks! God grant me the freedom to express whatever I may wish and to instruct future generations through my work and never, never; take this responsibility for granted.
Great art, like my soul is immortal, we on the other hand are victims of a finite number!
1947 Born Fordingbridge England
1952 Family migrated to Australia
1965 Exhibited for first time
1966 Enrolled in the Walter Dennis - Foley School of Painting and later graduated from RMIT in Fine Arts. During this time came into contact with John Percival, Alan Sumner, Frank Hodgkinson. Later was called up for ‘Nasho’ after completing 3 Tertiary Quals, and married Leonie in 1970
1972 First one man exhibition ‘Penta – Five Worlds of Expression’
1973 Gippsland Artists Society later member of ‘Green Hills’ group
1974 Major Exhibition ‘Grass’ (pottery by Kaye Osterfield)
1975 Major Exhibition ‘Vido – I See!’
1976 Appointed as Arts Advisor to the Vic.Ed.Dept.
1977 Created ‘Karmai – The Giant Earthworm’ and Festival -Author and Illustrator of the Children’s book Subsequently wrote the song of the same name for Rolf Harris. Moomba Floatmakers Workshops followed and went on in subsequent years to win a record 9 major wards. Collaborated on 3 more Childrens books and contibuted to 5 more educational texts. Appointed Education and Heritage Advisor for Coal Creek Historical Park (Korumburra)
1978 Exhibition with Lance Sullivan at Latrobe Valley Arts Centre. Followed by exhibitions at The ‘Southern Cross’ galleries and representation in the Mobil and BHP collections.
1982 Invited to exhibit at the CHOGM conference where acquisitions were made by the Indian Delegation headed by the late Indira Ghandi (P.M. of India)
1983-1987 Corporate displays and ‘Painted Window’ Promotions for Telecom, Eastland, Red Tulip Chocolates and Lillydale Market through ‘Frantics’ – ‘We create your world’
1988 Bi-Centennial Exhibition – Acquisitions (Original Book Illustrations) by the National Library (Canberra)
1989 Created ‘Evelyn –The Bird’. Also staged Children’s Musicals and occasional Television Sets.
1992 – 1999 ‘Documented’ ..’the Social and Political Division of Victoria’..through the use of large canvases and panels of the…’Kennet Government’….Also began Aboriginal Reconciliation pieces …“A Dingo stole my baby – A Whitefella stole mine’… and began ‘Magic of the Mountain Myths’. ‘The Pebble People’.
2002 ‘Trampling the Flowers of September’ Interactive Media 9/11 completed.
2005 –2006 A Retrospective Exhibition is to be mounted celebrating 40 years of Work.
