The Pig Farmer

This figurative piece contemplates life after politics. Since Daniel Andrews become the Victorian premier in 2014, his government has come under scrutiny and ongoing criticism.
In recent months there has been strong speculation that he might retire from politics. It got me thinking about his future and what he might do in his retirement from politics. In this surreal scene, an older retired Victorian Premier is observed with remnants of his political past, a pitch fork and pigs at the trough. I was mindful of his father who was a cattle farmer and another labor leader like Paul Keating being involved in the pig farming business. It seemed apt to have Dan Andrews as 'the pig farmer' This piece of art has been designed as a political commentary and would make a great talking piece.

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I am a self taught artist and I enjoy using acrylics. I have always enjoyed drawing and now I use my natural skills for drawing to outline my subjects before the paint hits the canvas. My natural style is realism but I avoid trying to paint anything too realistic or replicating a photo or digital image.

I have been honing my painting skills for the last 15 years practising a wide-range of subjects and genre including landscape, portraits of people and pets, and various forms of still life.
I have always admired the artists of the post impressionist style and in particluar Paul Cezzane. I particularly like the black outline in his works which I see in my own works.

Over the last few years, I have found myself drawn to surrealism. Surrealist works tell a story, are a commentary on life and require imagination to construct. Surrealism requires alot of thought to construct the message to be conveyed. I have been growing and developing my style over the last few years to include surrealism in my portfolio of works.

My paintings tend to have strong outlines and colour, which I use to create a perception of depth and dimension. I believe my style is original and a style that keeps the observer interested. I think my best paintings are in the surrealist genre and I will continue to improve over the years to come.