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Happy clients make me feel great. There is nothing better than delivering a painting by hand and helping the client hang it. Witnessing the joy on their face is priceless. That’s what happened when I dropped off a portrait I had done of Mark Brownlee.

Moreton Bay Region Art Awards opening night was on last night. The winner of the night was Bridie Gillman with her abstract landscape titled “Some sort of Growth”. I unfortunately didn’t pick up any prize but was super proud to have been chosen as a finalist. It feels so good reaching the finalist round for any awards, for me it represents recognition for the years of hard work. I submitted my painting “Rise and Shine” which is a scene of the morning sun rising up over Moreton Bay.

How pleased am I to be able to support such a wonderful charity like Friends of BFT Australia. The Painting for Peace Art Show at Marcel Desbiens’ Breakfast Creek Galleries was held this weekend. The proceeds of all artwork sold during the exhibition goes towards supporting Friends of BFT Australia (FoBFTA). This charity changes the lives of Cambodian villagers, particularly children and their families. FoBFTA raises funds for BFT (Build your Future Today) to secure resources and construct classrooms and other buildings as well as supply key equipment to assist in the everyday lives of humble Cambodian families.

Just like Gaudi, the famous painter Vincent Willem van Gogh loved nature. Nowhere is this more evident than in Arles, a beautiful city in Southern France. The city carries a lot of van Gogh’s memories, both good and bad. It is here that he created a new approach to local landscapes and still lifes. His paintings became brighter in color, and his subject matter was broadened to include white fields, sunflowers and olive trees.

When you think about the magnificent buildings of Barcelona, the first name that should come to mind is the famous architect, Antoni Gaudi. I asked my guide in Barcelona why Gaudi commands so much respect even though he lived almost two centuries ago. Every building in the wonderful city of Barcelona owes its beauty to this great architect. There are many buildings designed by Gaudi himself. Many other buildings that borrow heavily from his style. Gaudi’s unique architectural designs are revered around the world.

Recently I spent some time travelling around Europe so thought it would be good to share some highlights from places I visited synonymous with 3 significant past legends. Malaga Spain the birthplace of Pablo Picasso; Barcelona Spain the hometown of Antoni Gaudi; and Arles France the inspiration for many of Vincent Van Gogh’s works. Over the next 3 posts, I will reveal insights into these legends and places I discovered during my trip.

When was the last time you took time-out from your busy schedule and indulged in a true personal passion? For me, it was last weekend. I had the opportunity to attend a 3-day workshop to learn from John Wilson artist, Australia’s foremost landscape artist.

3 COMPOSITION TIPS MUST DO TECHNIQUES I USE TO CREATE GREAT LANDSCAPE PAINTINGS

In this post I want to talk about painting composition and 3 things I feel have the greatest visual impact on my paintings. First let’s start with the definition of the term composition and how it relates to visual art: “the placement or arrangement of visual elements or ingredients in a work of art, as distinct from the subject of a work.”

My painting “Delicate Balance” made the finalist cut for this year’s Brisbane Art Prize. I am one of 115 finalists from Australia and 6 other countries including England and Malaysia. The Brisbane Art Prize is a unique event, as all works are restricted to dimensions of 40cm x 40cm, no bigger, no smaller. It makes for a nice level playing field for all contributing Artists. The theme for this year’s Prize is “The meaning of life”. A balancing act between the choices we make, the risks we take and the successes and failures on life’s journey is what my painting Delicate Balance is all about. I feel it is a perfect fit for this year’s theme.

I’m pleased to announce two of my paintings have been selected as finalists for this year’s Rotary Art Spectacular. The Rotary Art Spectacular is Queensland’s largest and most prestigious annual art exhibition. It has raised almost $1.6 million for Brisbane Rotary community projects and local charity partners. This year is the 37th annual exhibition, but the first time I have entered into this award. I am delighted to have been selected as a finalist.