The Journey
As you cruise, you'll find out soon enough why the images you're visiting are called destination paintings. After all, everywhere you go on the Net is a destination. I like to think that you are a passionate art collector who travels by land , by air or by sea, to distant places just to see a destination painting. The same goes for the artist who sees, comes and conquers a destination to call his own - where other artists are soon to follow.
My earlier career in Hollywood, Las Vegas, Walt Disney and Australian Television has also played a part in my idea for visiting fantastic destination paintings in exotic faraway islands. My real time travels were tied to honeymoons...so if you're seeing heaps of pretty pictures, blame it all on Captain Glove!
I must admit I first learned to read by looking at the illustrations in comic books and illustrated storybooks. My deep interest in anything artistic and fantastic led me to wide readings and viewings of different subjects including classical mythology, psychology, Celtic legends, art history, science fiction, English literature, oriental art and the mysteriously coded stories in the Bible. These classical themes form the foundation of my traditional paintings---these constantly evolve into new artistic ideas as more and more modern themes and new media arise. And now the new arena: The Web.
Of course, I owe much of my contemporary art to my earlier career in the entertainment industry. This means you never know what's next! It could be high brow...or it could be low brow. But expect quality---whether it's pop or otherwise. I speak plainly and let my art speak for itself---design, information architecture, graphics and all. You see, online I wear the hat of the user "experience designer". That's what I'm doing with SpyGlass---to go beyond my islands and discover your islands. So that's my Web 2.O project synopsis.
I also love the movies, tv and other contemporary media, where I worked as a Journeyman scenic artist. It's amazing how the digital revolution has transformed Hollywood! One can say that my imagery echoes my career in Hollywood with all its bigger than life billboards and spectacular effects. Films, tv, documentaries about the past and the present global village and archaeological studies of lost worlds spark a vision in me.
Self Discovery
We live in a world that bombards us with a tangle of information and constant change. The digital revolution, with its double edged sword has polarized us in many ways. As a painter, I will focus my time and energy on portraying ethereal and spiritual things, as they relate to the human condition.
Part of my art aims to humanize the technological transformation that this and the next generation are going through, with a touch of tradition and nostalgia. And so you will see Tropical Paintings, Island Art, Mermaids, Mythology, Seascapes, Beach Paintings, Impressionism, Vintage Erotica Posters and Illustrations, and exotic Art Deco.
The other part aims to celebrate the new art and new lifestyle that technology and pop culture promises in a free world. Modern Art, Pop Art, Advertising Design, Web Design, Avatars, Pin-up and Glamour Art. My paintings of Resort Themes, Las Vegas Showgirls, Disney motifs, Video Game chararacters and Hollywood Glam, imagery and special effects belong here. My secret (some erotic) Discovery pages are still on the drawing board so wait for the surprise! (more on this below).
So in real terms, I see these destination paintings as the modern dream world - exotic, romantic and contemporary visions of a changing world. As I live and paint my life - and dreams - these destinations will grow and evolve.
Pop Island bridges the transition from the triads to more individual islands. As I mentioned above, Bravura Island will launch my latest projects in the Studio so you can visit here for sneak previews.
The next step is to unveil the paintings each time I add content. I've hidden some of them in Discovery pages... these are for you to find by going through fun treasure hunts, scavenger hunts, puzzles - mostly simple online art detective games. really. These events are in tandem with my unveilings and your personalized SpyGlass channels. The idea is to create a sense of mystery, surprise and anticipation----but not necessarily in that order ;- )
The studio now focuses on the Studio Articles for more in-depth art discussions, as well as special events that happen in SpyGlass Channels. Now you can have more happy landings! I'd like to keep the Studio casual so I can talk about my new ideas and projects like this - it's like a private room inside the blog if you like. The e-coffe is on me.
The BLOG page has taken over much of the news here so try to go there for updates and... subscribe to my RSS feeds for a Special Event near you!
