Shane Hastings: Painting the Memory of Place
Recently named a Bluethumb Rising Star for 2026, Queensland-based artist Shane Hastings has been quietly building momentum since joining the platform in 2022.
With more than 16 years working across design, art, and photography, Shane holds a BA in Art and Design and has navigated a long career in the creative industries. In 2021, he founded his studio, Iluka Creative, marking a turning point that also saw him return to painting with renewed focus. What began as a personal reconnection quickly became something much more central to who he is and how he creates.
Discover Shane Hastings’ original artworks on Bluethumb and bring the beauty of Australian landscapes into your home.
A Return That Changed Everything
“When I returned to painting in 2021, I was filling the house with large canvases. I couldn’t stop,” Shane recalls. “There was this momentum and energy that felt impossible to ignore.” It wasn’t a plan — it was instinct. The walls were reaching capacity because he was completely immersed in the process.
A studio wall filled with works that began as instinct and evolved into landscapes of feeling.
He decided to share a few pieces on Bluethumb, even though it felt vulnerable. “When the works began to sell, what struck me most wasn’t the sale itself,” he says. “It was the realisation that something so personal was resonating with others. That was the turning point. It confirmed that this internal spark wasn’t fleeting. It was something deeper, something worth pursuing long term.”
Music on, brush in hand — Shane usually paints to chilled, reflective tracks, occasionally switching everything off to listen to the rain and birds outside.
An Intuitive Practice, Rooted in Nature
Shane describes his work as “intuitive and evolving.” He primarily paints in acrylics on canvas, occasionally using gouache for smaller works. “I don’t follow a set style,” he says. “It shifts depending on the story of place or memory I’m responding to. Some pieces emerge abstract and layered, others more refined and closer to the real essence of a landscape. Ultimately, I let each piece take shape in its own way, reflecting the mood of that memory.”
Acrylics are Shane’s go-to medium for building layers quickly and responding intuitively to the canvas.
Nature is his constant inspiration. “I’m lucky enough to live and work in a home studio surrounded by rainforest, there’s a gate straight to the forest and down to the beach.” Shane’s surroundings fuel his practice daily. But he also draws from memories of remote landscapes he’s travelled across Australia.
Shane’s Queensland-based home studio is surrounded by lush rainforest.
“My work is about reflecting those landscapes that resonate deeply,” he explains. “Those places where I’ve felt something profound, and I want to capture that emotion on canvas.”
Letting the Painting Lead
Shane’s creative process resists structure. “I usually start with an idea of a place or feeling I want to capture, but from there, it’s intuitive,” he says. Sometimes he begins with layers and mark-making on a blank canvas, letting shapes guide him. Other times he has a clearer vision. Often, the direction shifts midway.
Layers of acrylic build depth and texture, reflecting Shane’s experimental and evolving creative approach.
“One of my biggest challenges has been creative mental blocks, overthinking before I even start,” Shane admits. “I’ve taught myself to not give my brain a chance to overthink. I walk in, start painting, whether I have a clear subject or not. Once I get the first layers down, I slip into that flow state. This approach has been key in overcoming those blocks.”
Returning to the canvas to let the next layer unfold naturally. Shane’s ritual is simple: walk in, pick up the brush, and begin.
His studio days are equally fluid. Design work and painting sit side by side, and he paints when he feels the right mindset. “There’s no typical day in the studio,” he says. “I deliberately keep it fluid. I might paint for an hour in the morning, then return later. It’s all about letting the piece breathe and not forcing the process.”
Australian sienna is a colour Shane often returns to when a piece calls for it.
Finding Common Ground
Since joining Bluethumb, Shane has been grateful for the platform’s reach. “Bluethumb has been absolutely incredible for me,” he says. “It’s given my work exposure, allowed me to paint more, and helped me grow. It’s amazing having a place where my work can reach people who want it in their own spaces.”
Where I Stand – Coolum Bay, original abstract landscape painting by Shane Hastings is available on Bluethumb.
Buying art online can feel daunting, and it’s natural to wonder how a piece will look in your own space. Shane understands this too. “A collector recently told me the piece was even better in real life than online. That really stuck with me. I can get nervous showing work digitally, so to hear it exceeded expectations in person felt like the ultimate compliment.”
For Shane, the ultimate goal is connection. “I hope that it resonates, just like the place or feeling resonated with me,” he says. “Whether it’s the landscape, the mood, or something entirely personal to them, I want it to connect.”
Shane’s loyal studio companion, Winston, joins him for daily rainforest walks and creative painting sessions.
The View Ahead
Shane is focused on growth and exploration in 2026. “I see my practice evolving by pushing myself out of my comfort zone, painting more, and embracing new opportunities,” he says. “Ultimately, I’d love painting to become my primary work. This year is about stepping forward, embracing growth, and making that dream of painting full-time even closer to reality.”
Shane with Fire and Water – Bay of Fires, a work that has since found its forever home with a collector.
Traveling to remote places across Australia continues to be central to Shane’s inspiration. “I’ve got a few destinations pencilled in for the year,” he says. “That kind of travel gives me the ultimate inspiration for my next body of work.”
From layered abstraction to refined forms, each finished piece captures the mood of a remembered place.
For Shane Hastings, painting is about more than landscapes. It’s about memory, emotion, and the quiet resonance of place. And it’s this feeling that collectors bring into their homes when they live with his work.
Explore Shane Hastings’ original art on Bluethumb.
