Shane 2009 (59)

Had to post my latest painting as I’m pretty excited about it. This is my first portrait and I’m really pleased how it turned out. It’s of my nephew, Shane, who was three at the time the photo was taken. He’s very cute and his rosy cheeks come from growing up on a farm and playing outside.

Pembokeshire coast (8)

This painting is another scene from a photograph I took when walking the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path in 2006. This was one of the first pieces I painted in Australia, at a time when I had a limited choice of pastels.

It was quite a complex picture and I had difficulty getting the angles right for the cliffs falling to the sea. The result is rather abstract and looks to me as though a lumpy quilt has been laid out over the peninsula … but I like the quirky feel of this painting.

Pinnacles, WA (28)

Another photo from a tourist brochure inspired this painting of the Pinnacles, located about three hours north of Perth near Cervantes. Thousands of unusually shaped limestone rocks rise up to 3 metres from the sand like ancient ruins. They are believed to have been created from seashells which were broken down into sand and then eroded by water and wind.

The Pinnacles Desert is best seen at dawn or dusk when the rocks, which have been likened to tombstones, termite mounds and even fingers, cast long, eerie shadows over the rippling yellow sand dunes. Although I faithfully reproduced the scene, the uniqueness of the subject matter led to a rather abstract-looking painting.