Simon is an emerging artist currently based in the south west of Australia. His passion for drawing and painting began in his twenties, and has continue to be a source of enjoyment throughout his life. In recent years he has spent time in the Kimberley region of Western Australia where he was able to expand his technique, painting alongside Aboriginal artists and being exposed to their use of local ochres and other natural pigments.
Using watercolour and natural ochres, his paintings have a spontaneity and fluidity with an emphasis on keeping the subject matter simple. Recent travel back to art school in London, has seen him return to his figurative work, trying to capture a mood and evoke an emotive response which is reflected in his artworks.
The diversity in his style allows him to create evolving, contemporary artworks which appeal to a varied audience. He derives satisfaction in knowing his work has been collected and enjoyed by people from many countries.
Exhibitions
1995 Lions Art exhibition Dunsborough
1996 Capel Fest
1997 Be Active Wetlands Exhibition prize Cyrillean Gallery
1998 Busselton Art Society, Art in the Park
1999 Millennium Chemicals acquisition prize Capel fest
1999 Lions Art Exhibition Dunsborough
2000 Shire of Busselton Acquisition prize
2000 South West Survey, Bunbury Regional Art Gallery
2000 St Hilda’s Art Exhibition
2000 Catholic College Art Extraordinaire Bunbury
2001 Yallingup Gallery Garden Art Studio
2001 Catholic College Art Extraordinaire
2002 South West survey, Bunbury Regional Art Gallery
2004 South West survey Bunbury Regional art gallery
2004 Abrolhos Pearls Gallery Geraldton (2 Artists exhibition)
2005 Gallows Gallery Perth (2 artist exhibition)
2006 Bodylines Exhibition, Red Mill Gallery Bunbury
2006 Archibald prize entry
2006 Vat 2 exhibition (3 artist Showing)
2007 Bodylines Exhibition Bunbury Red Mill gallery
2007 Val Lishman Foundation Acquisition Bunbury
2007 Lovell gallery Kununurra combined exhibition
2007 Black Swan Portrait Exhibition, Perth
2008 Vasse Township Exhibition
2008 Portrait Commission for The Bunbury Regional Hospital
2010 Prizewinner “Threats to the Kimberley” Environmental Forum Exhibition
2010 Archibald Prize entry, Art Gallery of NSW
2010 Exhibition Bunbury Regional Art Gallery (2 Artist exhibition)
I appreciate the simplicity of watercolour and try in my art works to keep the subject matter as uncomplicated as possible. Watercolour is a wonderfully unpredictable medium, which lends itself to surprising effects.
In order to accentuate this, I allow spontaneous mixing of my pigments on the paper picking up pure fresh pigment with each brush stroke and do not blend paint on a palette. This preserves the crisp clean luminous hues of the watercolour medium.
I have transferred these techniques to oil painting and have resisted the temptation to use tried and trusted methods to apply pigment. Pigments are again mixed not on the palette, with paint applied directly to the canvas and a variety of techniques used to move it around. The results are, at times disappointing and need to be discarded. However at other times the results can be unique.
Since moving to the East Kimberly based in Kununurra, I have spent time with some of the aboriginal artists in the area and am experimenting with different natural mediums including ochres and natural tree saps
I also have a special interest in life drawing and have spent years drawing on a regular basis. Good drawing skills are fundamental to good art works. It is often the simplicity of the drawings, subject matter and paucity of line that is so appealing. If you can capture the essence of a mood or emotion with some simple lines, often no more is required.
My paintings provide a glimpse of the impressions of the Kimberley from 2 different perspectives. I feel that the Kimberley has a male and female aspect to it. Close up it is hard, overbearing and unforgiving with extremes of temperature and rain that can be fatal. However from a distance the colours are more muted with a feminine softness and roundness with very female shapes.
Using life drawing sessions with models and then deliberately distorting these images I have attempted to portray this on paper and canvas.
I hope you enjoy the results.