Water Storm

In June 2016 the Sydney coastline was besieged by a water storm of rolling waves and scowling blue-green skies. The Collaroy peninsular is a popular vantage point for those that love the ocean and over the next few days, after the rain cleared, the surf surged towards our coastline. This large artwork, in vivid blue, orange and white, could add a dramatic narrative to a large wall in your home.

The gale force winds, rain, and waves started battering the Collaroy coastline on the 5th of June and within 18 hours images flooded front page newspapers of houses teetering on sand cliffs and swimming pools washed to sea. It was a frantic time for beachside residents and emergency services. The local community rallied night and day and sand bagging was commenced to try and save property.

“Water Storm” is an artwork that tells three separate stories about water. The first story is about dancing water as it crashes against the concrete structure. In the photo inspiring me to paint “Water Storm” a camera shutter speed of 1/350th of a second has suspended water in time. I have featured this structure many times in coastal photos with the pale yellow-orange cement and the way it deepens in colour when battered by water. I like how the iridescent white sea spray appears to dance over the water outlet in the centre of the frame, whilst behind a wave surge rolls forward. The second narrative is at the top left of the painting with a mighty wave breaking into a fine plume of white sea spray arching into the blue green sky.

The third is my favourite, it’s the story emerging at the foot of the pyramid pylon at the bottom right of the artwork. Here the sea water flows around the structure creating a mini wave that’s heading at right angles to the great powerful wave on the top left. I think both waves are beautiful in their own way, although it’s the humble small wave that I like the most.

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I have taken the long road to discover that painting and photography can sit side by side, for me painting is my first meaningful creative outlet. I use my photography to inspire my artwork and I hope my love of composition, subject and light come through in my artwork.

I was born in Papua New Guinea and lived on a remote rubber plantation before moving to Sydney in 1971 at the age of 7. I was finding it hard adjusting to the city and my mother encouraged me to take up oil painting.

Having won an art competition when I was 10, the judges recommended that I study at the local TAFE on a Saturday morning. I completed one term but felt out of place with students who were all over 16 years old, so I did not continue. (I was also a TV junkie, we had no TV in Papua, and staying at TAFE meant missing out on Hey Hey It’s Saturday.)

It took me 40 years to rediscover painting.

The one constant in my work is to find a new project and during my break from painting I have been a project manager in Information Technology. This kept me in a world with projects, and here too I learnt that even the smallest piece of data contributes its meaning towards each information system. The other constant motivating me in life is to finish a project so I can start a new one.

My creative drive comes from knowing that each brush stroke I make contributes its meaning towards the completed work. What inspires me about art is how the smallest brush strokes, when added together, can radiate a meaning for the person who gazes at the painting far beyond the meaning of each brush stroke.

I aim to do my best in each project and try to avoid, at all cost, the haunting feeling I get when I leave a project unresolved. Even to this day I still think of my unfinished painting of a sailing boat peeping out behind photographic developing chemicals back in 1979. I was 15 then and my easel had been replaced by a camera and darkroom. A part of me still needed to finish the oil painting, but photography filled the void, so the unfinished artwork was thrown away in a frenzied darkroom clean out before my HSC exams.