Mixing Art and Photography

Initially my Art and Photography were 2 separate hobbies and I hadn't even considered them as useful tools to improve my eye in both Art and Photography - that realisation wasn't stumbled upon until I moved to Melbourne, Australia in November 2004. I know took me long enough! I just needed some inspiration for the penny to drop.

When I am asked what inspires me to paint or photograph the simplest answer is Life itself. I love nature, architecture, travel, music, drama, theatre and going slow. "Going slow?" Okay, let me explain:- often we can go through life, head down, blinkers on, rushing here and there, the sun rises, the sun sets, moon rises we sleep and off we go the next day on the same routine.

How much do you notice in your life? Take a moment to think about it. Can you name buildings, roads, remember the colours you see, the smells on your journey to work? My epiphany on this one came when I was diagnosed in 1997 with epilepsy and was told that I would no longer be able to drive. I loved driving, especially through the UK country lanes but now I was to have to change that routine and travel by public transport. I didn't realise how much I was missing out on by being the driver, sure I saw traffic lights, people, country lanes and changing colours of trees and sky but what I missed out on was all the other quirkiness.

Things like weird names of pubs, steepness of hills, knowing when the weather was going to change by feel rather than sight, flowers opening, newly born animals and much more. Its amazing how much you can see on a walk. I have also been lucky enough to travel and experience many cultures.

Other Cultures fascinate me and their different approaches to life and living and in a way people too. Although my photography depicts nature, landscapes and inanimate objects and hardly any people, it's what drives people to live the way they do that intrigues me, why they dress the way they do and the foods they eat.

Rituals are also a curiosity for me too; like tea ceremonies, cooking and even Feng Shui, the idea that everything has a place and an order, a rhythm and that is reflected in society and nature. At the same time I like things and people who go against the order of things and follow their heart without question, those that don't care about what other's say or think about them or what they do. Drive in people and society is a curious nature and its fascinating to sit and watch life unfold in front of you.

If you have never done this, go to a cafe, sit, order a drink and watch people and the world pass by, it's quite an amazing experience, make sure you have an open mind. I was once told by a teacher at the age of 6, that the ones who sit and listen learn far more than those that babble a lot in class, I was needless to say a quite child in class but perhaps too quiet, sometimes talking is important to gain understanding, I soon learnt to ask questions.

In asking questions, the learning curve has sharpened and aided my mind to probe and like a 2 year old child, the "but why's?" churn out a dozen times a second. So then, to quieten the mind once more and return to mode meditation. This is where the creative process really gathers speed and where reality meets fantasy to then have it pushed back into reality and then form of creation.

That form of creation has altered according to where in the world I am and the mode meditation is one that has been developed in my own way rather than a prescribed method. It has taken many years to tweak it to one that works in harmony with my painting and I have now started to utilize this indifferent areas of my life to gain more clarity before starting on a project.

It's great to see my paintings take on the Spirit of the land I am residing in and so living in Australia, I can be bold, different and express myself through my work. If you recall my blog on my previous photography Eureka - Et Tu Brute? - and how I had decided take a picture no matter what, well when I first arrived in Australia, within the first 3 months I had taken over 3000 photographs on my Journey through Victoria.

I would like to share with you some of my favourites:-

Melbourne Shot Tower,
Melbourne Central, Victoria

The Nobbies,
Phillip Island, Victoria

The Wooden Chair, Secret Garden,
Sky High, Mount Dandenong
Victoria

Sea Spray on the Rocks,
Phillip Island, Victoria

Sunset on Gunamatta Beach,
Mornington Peninsula,
Victoria

Windmill on Churchill Island,
Phillip Island,
Victoria

Wooden Post at entrance to Ringwood Lake Park,
Ringwood, Victoria

Tree at Sky High,
Mount Dandenong, Victoria

Point King
Portsea, Victoria

Water Play,
Crown Casino Esplanade,
Melbourne CBD, Victoria

Palm Tree through Car Window,
Oakleigh, Victoria

Melbourne CBD at Night from Rialto Observation Deck,
Melbourne CBD, Victoria

Flower from the gardens at Sky High,
Mount Dandenong, Victoria

Colours of Autumn,
Daylesford, Victoria

So, as you can see not only do I enjoy taking photo's, I also enjoy taking photo's in an Artistic way; different angles, framing, shading just to make the photo more interesting and yet at the same time the photo's taken inspire my art through their colours, light shade and construction.

More on my Artistic photography in another blog ....