The Augathella Cottage

This piece was inspired by a little old cottage I came upon during a trip through the Queensland Outback as I chased the Queensland Music Trail in 2023. I was passing through Augathella and the pastel colours of that forgotten little gem grabbed my attention immediately. I pulled over to take a closer look and was captivated by the combination of colours. While the trim still held a traditional deep heritage green, the weatherboards and verandah pillars were painted in more modern pastel colours, yet the paint was cracked and flaking.

—

In the sunlit grace of Augathella, a pastel cottage stood still,
A roadside gem, weathered and worn, by time’s tender will.
A relic of a bygone time, it bore a subtle charm,
A fleeting glimpse of history in that outback's quiet calm.

The paint, chipped and flaking thin, beneath the sun’s harsh glare,
A faded echo of the past in the outback’s endless air.
Aged by years, its timber bones had felt both dusk and dawn,
A canvas brushed by fleeting lives, their presence almost gone.

I paused to trace its muted hues, each shade a quiet hint,
I pondered all the secrets held within its weathered tint.
Like a silent witness to the years, as memories slowly wane,
It’s an ode to all that lingers still, through time’s unyielding strain.

—

"Old houses, I thought, do not belong to people ever, not really, people belong to them." - Gladys Taber

—

2024
Mixed Media on Canvas
60.9x76.2cm (24x30”)
Framed in Blackwood
Ready to Hang
Initialled on front
Signed on back
Certificate of Authenticity

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Colour + Texture. Contemplating the impermanence of human creation and the curious beauty of surfaces worn by the accumulation of time.

Works reflecting lived experiences, an endless intrigue at the unfolding of possibilities and a compulsive curiosity to explore further and wonder deeper.

Self-led, wild and aware. Proud Aussie-Tongan. Embracing the duality of a curious Gemini self, guided by raw intuition and a deep connection to nature to create authentic expressions of continued growth and evolution.

Current Work: I create in a broken-edge contemporary textured colourfield style, merging bold planes of colour with rich, tactile surfaces.

Each composition features distinct and defined horizons of colour, separated by broken-edge transitions that feel organic and time-worn. These fractured boundaries bring focus to the simplicity of the colour forms while also evoking a sense of structure and modernity.

The textured layers—and sometimes hidden ephemera elements—add depth and character to the colour fields, inviting viewers to explore the complexity within each surface and observe the interplay of colour, texture, and imperfect boundaries.

These textures and fractured edges symbolise nature’s interaction with time: weathering, erosion, and the layering of elements over the years, imparting a sense of movement and transformation. This depth gives each piece a presence that reflects the accumulation of time and offers a meditative quality, allowing viewers to engage both visually and tactilely.

My use of colour and texture, often inspired by my experiences and interactions with the world around me, serves as a reminder of the beauty in imperfection and the process of change. Each work offers a moment of stillness, inviting contemplation of the layered stories within, quiet space to explore your own emerging insights and time to connect with personal meanings.

"The ability to look deeply is the root of creativity. To see past the ordinary and mundane to get to what might otherwise be invisible." - Rick Rubin