Much of the time, dog park is empty of people. Tall trees and birdsong conceal the fact that the park lies within a highly urbanised inner-city suburb. This Tuesday morning, it is packed.
Oil on linen, 38 x 60 cm
Full Moon at Dog park
Finalist Tattersall’s Landscape Prize
Much of the time, dog park is empty of people. Tall trees and birdsong conceal the fact that the park lies within a highly urbanised inner-city suburb. I often wonder what ensues when no one is around. This painting is not an observation of an event, but my imagining of dogs and of this space. The only actuality is the painting.
Oil on linen, 83 x 136 cm
Winter Morning, Teneriffe Dog Park
Winner, Henry Bartlett Memorial People’s Choice Award
Highly Commended
Tattersall’s Landscape Art Prize 2018
Most days I go to dog park, early, with Zozo.
In winter it is quite dark, the sun doesn’t hit the grass until late morning.
I love the dogs, the people, and the trees – equally I think.
Oil on linen, 83 x 137cm
Maria’s Garden, Back of House
Finalist, Lyn McCrae Memorial Drawing Prize, Noosa Regional Gallery 2018
Maria and her husband constructed rooms under the house, the chook shed, an outside oven and climbing frames for the beans and other vegetables. Water was diverted from the roof into garbage bins and Maria uses a saucepan tied to a broom handle to distribute water to the plants. Surrounded by new development, Maria’s house and garden are unlikely to survive the increasing pressure for higher density living.
Charcoal, pastel on Arches paper, 67 x 108cm
Diggers’ Headland
With flashes of silver and a flourish of green, the wind swept through the banksias on Diggers Headland.
Charcoal, pastel on Arches paper, 59 x 96cm
Back from Black
Winner
Andrew Fisher Portrait Prize, Gympie Regional Gallery, 2018
Several years ago a series of very difficult events unfolded culminating in my getting a serious health issue which meant that I couldn’t work, lost my business, my clients. Long story short, new drug, health restored. I started drawing gardens rather than buildings. I’m “Back from Black” and in Maria’s Garden !
Oil on linen, 60 x 100cm
Maria’s Garden, Clothes Line
Finalist, Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing 2018
It is at the clothesline that Maria’s garden combines practicality and decoration in an uniquely Australian way. The Hill’s Hoist is ringed by geraniums and mown grass, with an outer ring of pot plants and flowers, all grown from ‘cuts’.
Pastel, charcoal on Arches paper, 75 x 109 cm
Maria’s Garden, Summer Harvest
Kedumba Drawing Award, 2017
Orange Regional Gallery (acquired)
This is the sixth drawing of Maria’s garden. The beans cover every frame and trellis. The space is closed in, a vigorous green wonderland, that left unchecked, could take over the house.
Pastel, charcoal on Arches paper, 56 x 90cm
Maria’s Garden, Shed
Winner, Drawing from Nature
ArchiGraphicsArts Competition of Architectural Drawings, Moscow, 2017
I felt it was very important to show the detail, because much of Maria’s philosophy “waste not, want not” is in those details. Maria has worked hard all her life since she arrived here at 14 years of age from a war torn Italy where she and her family often did not have enough to eat. Through her hard work and thrift, her garden has supplied her family with food. Nothing is ever wasted. The structural materials that make up her climbing frames, sheds and tools have been recycled from elsewhere. Plants come from cuttings and seeds she has saved. Water is collected from the roof, directed into rubbish bins and ladled out with a saucepan tied to a broomstick.
Charcoal, pastel on Arches paper, 45 x 72cm
JaneGrealyArtist 