Backyard

When I was a kid, in Summer we played cricket. In the street, in the park, at the beach or in the backyard. This piece is a tribute to those good times.

This nostalgia-inspired backyard cricket artwork is rich with layered textures and hidden details, inviting viewers to slow down and explore.

The artwork was created using acrylic paint, vintage wallpaper, and layered paper collaged elements. Rich textures are built through multiple layers of paint and paper, with an array of odd, unexpected details throughout, some partially obscured by paint, others left fully visible. Little snippets from a 1990's Inside Edge cricket magazine have also been included.

Collage materials are sourced from discarded books, junk mail, packaging, comics, maps, and vintage magazines, reusing and reinvigorating materials that would otherwise be thrown away.

Three coats of gloss varnish protect the surface, giving the work a smooth, glass-like sheen that enhances colour, depth, and contrast.

The artwork is ready to hang, with a wire fitted to the back and fully finished, painted and collaged edges.

Thanks for taking the time to view this piece. Please feel free to get in touch with any questions, or to discuss a commissioned artwork for your space.

Cheers, Darren

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Based near Wollongong on the NSW East Coast of Australia, Darren King is a multidisciplinary artist working across collage, printmaking, mixed media, and painting. Over the past five years, he has honed a distinctive visual language that merges traditional and contemporary techniques.

Trained in Fine Arts, cartooning, illustration, graphic design, and screen printing, King combines elements from each of these disciplines to create bold, textural, and visually engaging works. Since refocusing on original mixed media art in 2021, he has developed a particular passion for collage.

Working primarily with recycled and repurposed materials - including discarded magazines, junk mail, maps, paper bags, and vintage books—King transforms the everyday into vibrant, layered compositions. His art captures the beauty of the ordinary and evokes a playful nostalgia, celebrating the local, the joyous, the tasty or the long-forgotten.

King’s work has been featured on Selling Houses Australia (Annandale 2025), earned multiple art awards, and been exhibited in numerous group shows and art prizes.
His artworks are held in private collections worldwide.