About My Work
I am a multidisciplinary artist based in Adelaide, working primarily across oil painting, printmaking, and digital media. I bring a loose sense of narrative or immersion to my work which is influenced by my other passions; filmmaking and writing. I love bold shapes and colour that capture your imagination just as much as I love intricate detail that draws you in, to let your eye get lost among leaves. I want you to get immersed in my work, to imagine what may be at the end of a winding pathway, or just over the crest of a stony hill.
Another central aspect of my work (especially painting) is process transparency. I love to keep the layers of my process visible to tell another kind of story beyond that of the subject itself. My expressionistic style highlights the details my own eye naturally follows, and I share that with the viewer as a writer chooses the perfect descriptor. Exaggerated colour, expressive form; I share how I think and feel rather than depict the subject accurately (otherwise Iβd have become a photographer).
From my writing comes a love of worldbuilding, and my artwork explores the many fictional worlds I create alongside the real-world landscapes I cross in lifeβs adventures.
WANT MORE ART?
My full collection of one-off paintings or limited edition prints are available to view and buy at Bluethumb.com. Worldwide shipping is available! Check out a small selection of works below.
Myponga Reservoir (2nd State), Etching
My largest etching to date, this depicts a pine tree overlooking the water at the Myponga Reservoir walking trail in (you guessed it) Myponga, South of Adelaide. The first edition was made as a one-off gift and did not utilise much plate tone or aquatint. This second state, which comes in an edition of 8, is more brooding and atmospheric. I have experimented more with aquatinting the shadows and reflections on the water.
All my etchings and paintings are available online at my store on Bluethumb.com
The Line, Castle rock, oil painting
This oil painting depicts a strangely straight line of sandstone that leads to a gnarled tree at a place called Castle Rock, just outside the town of Melrose in the Flinders Ranges.Β
This painting was featured in the touring exhibition 'Relative Viewpoints' - an exhibition of paintings and prints depicting the Flinders Ranges as seen by myself and my father, John Martin.
Rock Climber, ETCHING
Recently I have been enjoying photography that utilises cyanotype or other similar exposure methods which create a unique tinted and faded effect which I find very atmospheric and calming. I wanted to see if I could replicate this feeling in an etching by experimenting with coloured inks. This gangly tree which I found growing out of a rocky outcrop in the Flinders Ranges was the perfect subject, and the colour gives it a nice evening light quality (which is good because that's when I came across this scene with my camera).
Another bit of experimentation on this piece is the use of the sugar-lift technique to depict the rocks and pebbles of the slope in the foreground. This is a technique I've never tried before and I have to admit it took quite a few attempts before I got it right. In the end I'm extremely happy with how it turned out!
All my etchings and paintings are available online at my store on Bluethumb.com
Crest, Etching
This gnarled tree was a short walk from a camping site in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia. I love the flowing silhouette of the branches against the sky, as well as the texture of the rocky slope.
It was a pleasure to recreate (and exaggerate) the detail with the finest needle I could find, and to play with a style that almost approaches Art Nouveau - something I'm interested to explore further.