Looking and Seeing. October 2019

~ Its not what you look at that matters, but what you see. Henry David Thoreau ~ 

Arbroath Man- the Scottish Connection. pen on A4 paper.

'Fern, Fern. Fern. 10-10-19 

Every blade in the field – Every leaf in the forest – lays down its life in its season as beautifully as it was taken up. - Henry David Thoreau.

'Fragile' ( A wee Scottish boy ) 9-10-19 

~There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception - Aldous Huxley ~  

Eight in Six - October 2019

~ I exist as I am, that is enough,
If no other in the world be aware I sit content,
And if each and all be aware I sit content...
I am large, I contain multitudes.
- Walt Whitman ~

Below are eight drawings for six days. All pen or pencil on A4 paper

'Time travel with Beauty and the Beast'. 8-10-19. Pen on A4 paper. 

Named after the books they are each reading.

“The reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest (people) of the past centuries.” – Descartes

The favourite Guinea Pig (NingaNing), Maggie-May. Black pen on A4 paper. 2-10-19 

'Two Seats and Three Trees - Through to Old Brisbane Street Arcade'. Ink pen on A4 paper. 

Sitting, waiting for my ride after a long day in town and thinking of the long drive home... I knew i wouldn't be able to get any artwork done by 7:30 at night and after picking up grandgirl as well... I just drew the little scene that was in front of me. The trees and seats got me in.

Eating Avos on the front step, 5-10-19. Pen on A4 paper. 

Noah's Ark. 6-10-19 Pen on A4 paper.
Had to think of something quick as had no time during the day to draw. I was enjoying this story, so here's my interpretation of what I learned while watching a program hosted by Joanna Lumley about Noah's Ark:  Unicorns didn't make it on when Noah was calling the animals in because they were too vain, and too busy looking at their reflections when the doors closed; a raven was the first bird to be sent out, doves later; you can see Mt Arrarat through the hole at the top of the bancing stone that was dropped near a small place in Turkey, and which was used on the arc to balance it in the water, in case a heap of animals went over to one side, say, to look at a school of dolphins...
The moral of the story is 'if you're bad you'll be wiped out (probably by nature), so be good.'

'In a World of Illusion'. Pencil on A4 paper. 
I wanted to create a thing of simple beauty, perhaps a metaphor, for our life on this earth, perhaps not. In any case, we are all connected, intertwined, on the same journey and part of the same skein of string. The Journo: 'Is newstart enough to live on?, Polly the politician: ... NoReply, well not to the question anyway, just round and round avoiding it (becuase she knows perfectly well it's not enough for anyone to live on). So this drawing takes its cue from many things, including watching stupid politicians last night, making asses of themselves, going round and round in circles with their shite, never answering questions... Some just think they come from better skeins is all, but they don't, we all do.

Birds of a Feather - September 2019

~ Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love. - Rumi ~

Toghether through Life - Jim & June. 24-9-19, Pencil on A4 paper

 Lemon Tree with Two Rosellas. Pen on A4 Paper, 20-9-19

Looking - Crows and Cows. Pen on A4 Paper, 22-9-19

Happy Birthday Dada. Pencil on A4, 22-9-19

Ordinary lives, ordinary things, familiar places - the stuff of life - the cycles, the interconectedness of life on this planet, is the philosophy behind what I try to recreate in my artwork; be they drawings, paintings or other works. Enjoy © The images on this website may not be used or reproduced in any form without permission of the artist.

Of Children, Birds and Lemon Trees - September 2019

~ I’d rather learn from one bird how to sing than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance. - e.e. cummings ~

The Little Dancing Lemon Tree. Oil on canvas, Approx A4 size.

The Cousins 2, Oil on canvas, Approx A4 size. (The Cousins 1, WIP)

 Primrose ( Micheal McEvoy's friend). Oil on canvas, Approx A4 size.

Ordinary lives, ordinary things, familiar places - the stuff of life - the cycles, the interconectedness of life on this planet, is the philosophy behind what I try to recreate in my artwork; be they drawings, paintings or other works. Enjoy © The images on this website may not be used or reproduced in any form without permission of the artist.

The Sea and Trees - September 2019

~ Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love. ~

- Rumi

Morning Mist descending on Rainforest, 04-09-19. 

Oil on A4 oil paper.

Seascape With Yellow Sand.  03-09-19.
Oil on A4 oil paper. 

Ordinary lives, ordinary things, familiar places - the stuff of life - the cycles, the interconectedness of life on this planet, is the philosophy behind what I try to recreate in my artwork; be they drawings, paintings or other works. Enjoy © The images on this website may not be used or reproduced in any form without permission of the artist.

Little Boy Blue - September 2019

~ Veiled in clouds, connecting the heavens with the earth. ~

 Henry David Thoreau

'Little Boy Blue' (Where is the boy who looks after the sheep...He's under the ground fast asleep'). 
Oil on Approx A3 canvas. 

A portrait of a little boy who died a long time ago. Always sad when a child leaves this world, especially when you don't get to say goodbye. Beautiful boy, beautiful memory.

I had the format for this work in my head for some time, knew exactly how it would look, though the details are different, I wanted it broken up into 3 horizontal plains, the grave in the centre, the face at the bottom, the trees and sky at back, the flower branch that came from the cemetary on the grave. How those particular things looked like in the end, I couldn't tell until I was working on it. I'm happy wirth the end result. 
Anyone wanting a portrait or landscape, just ask for terms and conditions, sizes etc- message me @ Bee Garden Artist.

Ordinary lives, ordinary things, familiar places - the stuff of life - the cycles, the interconectedness of life on this planet, is the philosophy behind what I try to recreate in my artwork; be they drawings, paintings or other works. Enjoy © The images on this website may not be used or reproduced in any form without permission of the artist.

Together through Life - August 2019

~ Do not lose hold of your dreams or aspirations. For if you do, you may still exist but you have ceased to live ~ 

Henry david Thoreau

Together Through Life, 25/08/19. 

Oil on Approx A4 canvas paper. 
Sarah and Bob Dylan on a new version of 'The Free Wheelin' Bob Dylan' cover if they'd stayed together into their 80's. No, it's not - it's a not so free wheelin' couple in their 80's, walking together down a street in Cairns. They look such a cool pair, yet I wanted to capture a little of the fragility and the care shown between them too, arm in arm - They probably would never have done that once.

Ordinary lives, ordinary things, familiar places - the stuff of life - the cycles, the interconectedness of life on this planet, is the philosophy behind what I try to recreate in my artwork; be they drawings, paintings or other works. Enjoy © The images on this website may not be used or reproduced in any form without permission of the artist.

Two Small Birds - August2019

~ Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting ~
– Mary Oliver

Two Small Birds.
Oil on canvas Approx 35x30cm

Quality prints of my work are available as well as commissioned work.

Ordinary lives, ordinary things, familiar places - the stuff of life - the cycles, the interconectedness of life on this planet, is the philosophy behind what I try to recreate in my artwork; be they drawings, paintings or other works. Enjoy

The Last Bee - May2019

~ Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life. ~ Omar Khayyam

The Last Bee (on Nasturtium flower). 

Oil on approx A4 size canvas.

One of the last bees trying to collect nectar. It looked tired. I gave it some sugar water. 

Ordinary lives, ordinary things, familiar places - the stuff of life - the cycles, the interconectedness of life on this planet, is the philosophy behind what I try to recreate in my artwork; be they drawings, paintings or other works. Enjoy

Birds and Small Boys - July and August 2019

~ Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting –
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.~
- Mary Oliver

Quality prints of my work at a reasonable price, plus postage are available.

Two Small Birds. 

Oil on Canvas. Approx 35x30cm.

All drawings and painting below are on approx A4 size drawing or painting paper except for Birds and Flowers2. 

The Brothers. 

Drawing for painting above.

 Untitled Portrait.

 Birds and Flowers 1. 

 Birds and Flowers 2.

 Birds and Flowers 3.

Escape. 
Drawing for painting. Birds fly from guns into the distant and free sky.

Topnotch Pigeon on a Gate.

Acrylic on canvas paper.

Ordinary lives, ordinary things - the stuff of life - the cycles, the interconectedness of life on this planet, is the philosophy behind what I try to recreate in my artwork; be they drawings, paintings or other works. Enjoy

Birds, Fathers, Soldiers, Kids - June 2019

~The best thing in life aren't things ~ John Ruskin

Quality prints of my work at a reasonable price, plus postage, are available.

A selection of June drawings and 2 paintings for this month. Most, except those marked, are on A4 drawing or watercolour paper.

Henry Tranter, Father, Pionneer, Soldier, Conservationist. 

The drawing for the above came first, then I did  the watercolour. They both evloved differently, but I hoped to capture something of the child that so many young boys were - boys that could be our own kids - in both.
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 His Name is... and He is My Superhero. 

His Name is... and He is My Superhero. 

His Name is... and He is My Superhero.

His Name is... and He is Superhero. 

The first drawing first above is on A4, the other 3 are A4 folded in quarters. They from a series I did about Fathers and kids.

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 The Frog and The Brolga.

An imaginary scene including the frog and the green tree snake visiting from previous paintings (see (The Red Dress - March2019).

 Two in one. Behind the Pineapple Leaves.

 The river and The River Man.

 Two friends in their Heaven.

Doing the Strand.

Camouflaged Curlew.

Acrylic on A4 canvas paper

Six Birds on a Wire.

 Acrylic on A4 paper

Ordinary lives, ordinary things - the stuff of life - the cycles, the interconectedness of life on this planet, is the philosophy behind what I try to recreate in my artwork; be they drawings, paintings or other works. Enjoy

Grandkids and Granny's pink jug - June 2019

Flowers, Buses and Beach Scenes - April 2019

~ The little things in life are as interesting as the big ones. ~  Henry David Thoreau

Roses and Umbrella. 
Acrylic on 140x200mm black  240gsm paper.
This little lady likes to walk past and smell the roses in the man's (behind her) garden. This day, she stopped to say she liked his garden and he gave her 3 roses - 2 yellows and 1 deep pink. She said next time she'll have 4.

Waiting for the Bus.
Acrylic on Approx 140x200mm black 240gsm paper.

Maria Island and Sailboats.
Acrylic on Approx140x200mm black paper.
A drawing on the way home, while on the road - Ok, so I did stop to draw it. I searched my gear for a pencil and found my grandgirl's rainbow pencil and the new small drawing pad of black paper I'd bought at a new artshop that had just opened nearby where I stay.

Stairway.
Acrylic on Approx 140x200mm black 240gsm paper.
 A dream-memory of a place on an island I once visited, with a stairway going up sandunes. Acrylic on black 240gsm paper. Apprx 140x200mm. The tear going down on the left and the yellow spot above the dunes were accidental. They seem to work, so there they'll stay.

Wild Thing: Sunflowers and Borage.
Acrylic on Approx 140x200mm black 240gsm paper.
“There should be a place where only the things you want to happen, happen”.
~ Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are.

Ordinary lives, ordinary things, familiar places - the stuff of life - the cycles, the interconectedness of life on this planet, is the philosophy behind what I try to recreate in my artwork; be they drawings, paintings or other works. Enjoy