Mr Cool

'Mr Cool' is a magpie that hangs out in our backyard. He's confident around people and unfazed by small white dogs. He enjoys flying, eating worms and singing weird songs with his mates.

This piece was recently an online finalist in the 2022 Lethbridge Art Award 20,000.

The paper elements were created using torn and cut papers. The background is primarily made from a vintage magazine called 'English Woman'. Other elements are assembled from various magazines, books, maps, brochures and pics to create this one of a kind original artwork. The layered paper brings a nice textural quality to the work.

The piece is on stretched canvas. 2 coats of gloss varnish have also been applied to protect the artwork. The gloss finish really makes the colours pop and gives the work a glassy finish. It has a wire at the back and the collage continues on the edges so it is ready for your walls, or you may wish to add a frame directly through Bluethumb after purchase.

Thanks for checking it out. 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.