The unremembered past (dream of a black submarine) oil, 25 x 20cm

Another painting for the Small Works group show at Beinart Gallery, Brunswick, July-August. Artists have a size restriction but an open brief. The three works I've produced appear to have war themes, which must be a subconscious channeling of current events. It's also fascinating how war and amnesia seem to go hand in hand, as if one cannot exist without the other.

Angels, oil 25 x 20cm

Another work for the upcoming show Small Works at Beinart Gallery, Brunswick. The online catalogue is now live: https://shop.beinart.org/collections/small-works-2017-group-show-with-over-60-artists

Another postcard for the Migrations exhibition (see below), folded paper, acrylic, pencil. Pigeon origami design by Ligia Montoya (1920-1967)

Imagination = hope, pencil on postcard

A drawn postcard, currently in transit for an exhibition called Migrations in September in BIBIANA, the house of art for children in Bratislava, Slovakia. The exhibition will be an installation of 200 to 300 postcards of flying or perching birds, created and mailed by different artists from around the word, and runs parallel to the Bratislava Illustration Biennale.

I always imagined the creature from The Arrival is only a juvenile form of another animal, like a metaphor for the newly arrived migrant who has yet to grow and mature. Perhaps this is what it looks like in some intermediate form, when it's time to leave an immigrant's apartment and find a new place for itself.

Edge of Tomorrow, year 2000 Book Week poster, acyrlic, oil and collage, 1999.

IMAGINE IF ... Illustration exhibition, Canberra

From Monday 10 July through Wednesday 30 August, you can explore the original artworks of many of Australia’s best known picture book illustrators, inlcuding preliminary artwork and manuscripts revealing aspects of creative process. There will also be sessions for children and professional development for teachers, librarians and budding writers and illustrators.

Clive Price Suite, Building 1, University of Canberra
Monday – Friday 10.00am – 2.00pm

Creators on exhibit are Kerry Argent, Graeme Base, Freya Blackwood, Ron Brooks, Neil Curtis, Kylie Dunstan, Vivienne Goodman, Peter Gouldthorpe, Bob Graham, Brian Harrison-Lever, Elizabeth Honey, Patricia Mullins, Narelle Oliver, Matt Ottley, Gregory Rogers, Jane Tanner and myself. 

It's a tradition that CBCA award winning illustrators are asked to create posters for following Book Week celebrations, and much of this artwork, such as my poster for the year 2000 (produced while I was working on 'The Lost Thing') will be shown for the first time. More info about IMAGINE IF here. 

Spare Parts Puppet Theatre's The Arrival. Photograph by Rebecca Mansell.

Spare Parts Puppet Theatre's adaptation of The Arrival for young audiences continues it's acclaimed run at the Dolphin Theatre, University of Western Australia, Crawley, now until 15 July. A national tour of VIC, SA, NSW, ACT and QLD to follow, opening at the Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo (VIC) on 11 August. Visit www.sppt.asn.au for details. Congratulations to the SPPT team for bringing such energy, originality and heart once again to this production... I guess it's over ten years since the show first took to the stage! I recall it slightly preceded the book, given that I worked with director Philip Mitchell based on unpublished drafts, sketches and notes, so not so much an adaptation as a sister project.