I did some little abstract paintings recently to go on a wall in the back nook of my favourite local cafe, Sweetbrew. I also did a little chalk mural in their front room.
I used wooden boards, did two coats of black gesso and then painted freehand with tiny paintbrushes and gouache. Each board probably took somewhere between 10 - 15 hours each.
I was a very anxious child and up until recently I couldn't remember a time when I wasn't very anxious. Doodling is a bit of a cathartic practice for me. I do it when I'm anxious and when I finish doing it, I feel a lot better. So this suite of paintings is called 'Worry Is A Misuse of the Imagination'. Use your imagination to make art instead.
They'll be hanging in the cafe for a few months. They're $85 each.
I thought I'd share some very lo-fi shots of the little chalk mural that I did in the front room at Sweetbrew too. I did it over about 4 hours on a Sunday afternoon after close, standing on some trestles. I sketched the basic idea first, scanned it, printed it out and then had it blown up and printed at A0 size so that I could scribble chalk all over the back of the print, tape it to the chalkboard wall and then trace over the line work with a pencil to transfer the basic layout and shapes. Then I used chalk and chalk markers to refine the lines. I printed the coffee paraphernalia sketches onto A3 sized paper and used the same method to transfer them. I'd love to work on something like this again!
Ps. Sweetbrew have the best coffee in town - if you're in Launceston, you have to go there. Or, if you're not big on coffee, their Prana Chai and banana bread are my favourite.
