Return of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 30

Week 30: Portrait

"Mr Minotaur's Portrait Gallery". A3 collage using Quill "marbletone" cream paper, with details in black finepoint Sharpie, watercolours and white opaque Signo.

And in closeup:

52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 24

Week 24: Octopus

Here's my watercolour, watercolour pencil, blue highlighter and permanent black Sharpie blue-ringed octopus on gesso-primed white canvas, accompanied by a newspaper article about my very exciting capture of one at Pearl Beach in 1973. "The Daily Telegraph" did an extensive phone interview by reverse-charges - via the only public phone box in Pearl Beach - but the eventual story was watered down after several more octopuses were caught on the NSW Central Coast on the same day. Must have been breeding season?

Update:
Mixed media collage - on an ink blot. The piece of inverted writing paper has a faint image of planet Earth printed on it. The seaweed was created from a puddle of green watercolour paint blown upwards with a straw.

Week 24: Octopus II

I had been wondering if I could create a symmetrical inkblot octopus. It failed dismally, but I stewed on it for a day or so and then I realised I could salvage it with some collage over the top. That pack of silver/mauve "satin" metallic card was just $2 in a bargain store. Bargain indeed! The eyes are cut from a brown foam animal sticker and self-adhesive "jewels".

And, now, Dad Joke Warning (below): "I'd give seven tentacles to be amoctodexterous":

Week 24: Octopus III

Week 24: Octopus IV

Things you do when you should be packing boxes of books and action figures for the interior painters' imminent arrival: A piece of iPhone photography. I uncovered a cache of stuff last night, including these glass octopuses (above). They are suspended from transparent glass bubbles with fishing line. Originally bought at Fremantle Markets, Western Australia in the early 90s. Took me waaaaaay longer to set up this shot that you'd expect. They kept swimming away!

52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 22

Week 22: Eyes

I originally printed out an A4 sheet of cartridge paper with the text on it, intending to use it last week as a Jack-in-the-box for Boxes, but it evolved, instead, into a focus on the hypnotic eyes. (Coincidentally, I've spent the last week packing books into many, many boxes. Preparation for internal house painting!) Collage with acrylic and watercolour paints, permanent black marker and the nose of Roger Woodward.

Update:
Week 22: Eyes II. What to do when you've worn out your welcome? The school library's "Welcome" mat had lost all of its signage due to four years of kids trampling in and out. With only an hour to spare, I cut some paper templates freehand and used three cans of spray enamel to create this new message. Final detailing with permanent black marker.

Week 22: Eyes II

Paper templates

52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 20

Week 20: Colour

A huge challenge for a red/green colour blind man, but I thought I might take you into my secret world of 1958-1975. When the rest of Australia was watching b/w transmissions, I was able to see black, white, grey and *green*, especially in cartoons! (I added some red, too, because I've come to realise that red and green are the same wavelength to my eyes.) It was a family discussion during an episode of "Happy Days" (1974, just before Australian colour test transmissions started here ) that led to this amazing revelation... that I was colour blind! Bok the Frog was drawn on cartridge paper, photocopied on various red, green and grey sheets of paper, elements cut and pasted as a collage, and the plastic overlay of grey ripples was printed by b/w photocopying the green ripples on the backing sheet onto an overhead projector plastic cel.

Bok the Frog (and his garden of croakuses) as only I would have seen him:

Week 20: Colour II

Bok the Frog (and his garden of croakuses) as *most people* would have seen him, had he been on b/w TV:

Udates:
I had a new colourful idea: Here's a miniature gesso canvas painted in acrylics by me, on behalf of a bendy, smiley man, with detail in black Unipin fine marker, and silver and gold Signo pigment ink.

Week 20: Colour III.

Dyed chicks at the Royal Easter Show, before the RSPCA complained. Fingerprint art with acrylics and a black Sharpie:

Week 20: Colour IV.

52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 17

Week 17: Horse I and II

Horses and Seahorse in double-ended black Sharpie on acrylic backgrounds over primed canvas miniatures. Detail in metallic gold Signo pigment ink. Horses are based on a sculpture displayed in the foyer of the Manning Building, Pitt Steet, near Central Station, Sydney CBD. Seahorse is from a photograph I took at Darling Harbour Aquarium.

Updates:
I saw a giant permanent marker in a discount store and had an idea to try sketching a zebra with minimal pencilled guidelines. I'm quite happy with the result. It's huge in comparison to the miniatures!

Week 17: Horse III - Zebra

Zebra sketch inked with 7mm "extra broad" black permanent marker, with watercolour muzzle and background on A3 art paper.
I also had a burning idea for a cartoon:

Week 17: Horse IV - Washing day at the pantomime

Double-ended black Sharpie (no pencil lines!), plus watercolour on white primed gesso canvas sheet.

Toy Porn 2!

DAY 20 coincided with opening night of "Toy Porn 2" exhibition at NG Art Gallery.
Claudia Chan Shaw introduces the art of Nick Stathopoulos.


Thunderbird 1 by Nick Stathopoulos.


Batman and Robby the Robot by Nick Stathopoulos.


Tin Tin paintings by Nick Stathopoulos.



What a great night. Thanks, Nick, fo the invitation. Nick's beautiful Archibald-entry portrait of illustrator Shaun Tan (above) was in the downstairs restaurant.

Pearl Beach memories

Recently, my family has been reminiscing about Pearl Beach, on the Central Coast of NSW, destination of many McLean family vacations over the years. I'm really not much of a beach person, but made a pilgrimage there today, being the first Father's Day since my Dad's passing, and it seemed like an appropriate time to check out this beautiful part of paradise.


Dad at Pearl Beach, 1968

I've also dredged up a few comparison shots from the old photo albums, which in desperate need of a revamp. Those white "sticky page" albums of the 70s have a tendency to either turn a ghastly yellow, lose all adhesion - and all the photos slide out - or they cling onto the photos and make them impossible to remove for scanning.

I've decided to juxtapose some of the images. For example, here is Lion Island, as seen in 2010 (from the Mt Ettymalong Lookout), and from the beach in 1970, in glorious b/w:





In 1966, 1968 and 1970, we stayed at Bob Godding's beach house on the corner of Diamond Road and Agate Avenue:


House at Agate Avenue, 1966


Ian, Keith & Brian McLean and "Little Keithie from across the road", 1968


House at Agate Avenue, 1968


Replacement house at Agate Avenue, 2010; Bob's house
had been extended in the early 70s, but supposedly burned down and rebuilt


Pearl Beach lagoon, 1966


Pearl Beach lagoon, 2010


Rock pool, 1968


Rock pool under repair, 2010


Mum and Brian, 1968


Rock wall being reinforced, 2010


Keith and Brian; Keith, Brian, fish, and Ian, 1970

Meanwhile, how come I'm always the palest one in any beach picture?


1973



Here's the article about my capture of a deadly blue-ringed octopus at Pearl Beach in 1973. The Daily Telegraph did an extensive interview by reverse-charges - on the only public phone in Pearl Beach - but the story was watered down after several more octopuses were caught on the Central Coast the same day. Must have been breeding season?


Brush turkey crosses Pearl Parade; lizards at Mt Ettymalong Lookout, 2010


Mrs Gava's old house on Pearl Parade, 2010; we stayed here in 1973,
behind the now-sealed up middle door!


Revamped shop/cafe on Pearl Parade, 2010; site of the original Post Office Store.

We hope do do a family picnic at Pearl Beach, sometime soon. More photos as they come to hand!


Shell painting in acrylics on canvas, with driftwood border,
bought from Pearl Beach General Store & Cafe. Artist: Peter Baka, 2009.