Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Darren has put out a bunch of my en plein air paintings as part of his Summer exhibition. These were a real experience to make alone in the heat of Malaysia... hands sweating, mozzies biting, light changing, storms rolling, paint splodging. Open this week and then reopening mid January. www.darrenknightgallery.com


Friday, November 29, 2013

Larina, familiarizing herself with a pile of art history.
 Irrashaimasse (welcome)
 Cafe Jiro
Street Scene
Spring

Larina found my little Jiro Osuga book in the book shelf. Great to have another look at his world.
perfect vision

Monday, November 11, 2013

'Gentle cleanser' oil on linen
The title came to me in the shower while I was scrubbing the rash on my face with QV wash, but this piece is more about prayer and peace, although the jacket is a Thai boxing jacket with this great embroidered lion and Thai writing on it. So you may ask yourself why a Japanese looking cowboy is praying in a Thai boxing gown... let me tell ya it happens every night down in Thonglor.

 
Wild new 'God paintings' by Dana Schutz showing in Berlin at the moment. link here
Kevin Hooymans tumblr site is great! hooyman.tumblr.com

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

tidy roof-top garden you can see from Sala Daeng station in Bangkok.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

hotel man- sorry we only have smoking rooms available
me- do you have a baby cot, can we get a baby cot
hotel man- yes we can offer you that free of charge
me- ok  
5 min later...
me- mmmm this room stanks!  pop your togs on, lets head to the pool on level 5.

Saturday, November 2, 2013


'Pattaya pad'
collage, 2013
 
I was very surprised I saw the inspiration for this collage after I'd actually made the work with this kind of bloke in mind.
'

Modern lizard I and II
oil on linen

A view from above of a modern lizard just before it scurry's back in amongst the lush plant world. Warm on the pavement but safe in the plants, the modern lizard has to decide.
'Eliza has a new pram'
pencil and water colour, 2013

This is about the day Eliza hit the pavement with her new pusher. It absolutely dwarfed Larina's Chicco liteway stroller.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013


Some marvelous weaving and threading on show at the MCA in Sydney at the moment, as part of the String Theory exhibition.
New Brian Calvin paintings on show now at Corvi Mora gallery
are you really there?

lady singing on horse

A couple of drawings I included in the recent Farang Mak exhibition, are seemingly unrelated to the Thai theme. They were done back at my parents house in Melbourne, when we landed back here in July. The lower one is a young Stevie Nicks. The one above is a lady from Baz's Great Gatsby movie and a character of my own invention, enjoying her company. I like the the real/unreal theme in the Gatsby story.

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Peak hour
oil on linen, 360 x 310mm
A selection of my new work can now be viewed online at www.brettmcdowellgallery.com

Monday, October 21, 2013

  
My portrait of Darren Knight for the Doug Moran Portrait Prize. I've never entered a big comp like this so was happy it made it through to the final.



don't get too tired for love...

Monday, October 14, 2013

The show has quite a Thai influence as it was mostly made during our first ten months living in Bangkok. We would go for a walk each day when it cooled down a bit and buy some durian fruit or a cold drink and sometimes a Thai vogue magazine, then sit outside with the other Thai mothers and their children in the park where I would practice my terrible Thai skills and learn about raising a child. Back at the apartment I started cutting up the Thai vogue magazines to make collages some of which have been recomposed for paintings. I imagine Thailand is a very different place now to 1948 when US entrepreneur Jim Thompson, set up a huge (cheesy) silk trade there. He went out to remote villages to find silk, while in 2013, I just flicked through magazines. The invite image is inspired by this kind of exchange.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

not really sure how to feel about it,
somethin' in the way you move
makes me feel like i can't live without it
it takes me all the way
and i want you to stay

Monday, September 16, 2013

new 'bobby tang ginger fringe' necklace hot out of the kiln

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Lovely dirty great sail boats in the bay yesterday.
father and child, 2010
Nice tea pot in the NGV
An early Matlok Griffiths piece, 'The Lok' kindly lent us his flat screen t.v whilst he takes time in the Philipines. Watched the Life of Pi on it last night a great one for the whole family...

Antonio Balester Moreno

Tuesday, August 20, 2013


Joe L'Estrange opening this week at Brett McDowell gallery.

Monday, July 1, 2013

hmm

Didn't show this one either, 2007. Sometimes you make things between shows that never have the chance to bathe in the fluorescent light.

out of touch

Matlok is showing again at Chapter House Lane this week http://chapterhouselane.org.au/

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Very hard to capture an image of these eloquent paintings by King Rama VI, as its so dark in the Thai National gallery and you're not meant to take snaps, but they have 5-6 of these little gems.

You can get any sort of button or zipper you need in the fabric markets in Old Siam, or wigs plenty of wigs if you happen to be a short hair lady but want long hair for your wedding.
No one can deny these guys own the lakes and swampy bits here.


would like to see some music back in Melbourne, no backyard rock here all highrise pop

Saturday, June 29, 2013


Is that a love heart or a large pair of maroon Reg Grundys spotted out of the taxi window.

never showed this one, I updated Sidney Nolans' 'Burke' painting with the Alice Springs Kmart, 2010.


sorry Scarlet, I could use those sultry eyes, 2010
this one worked ok, 2010

not sure why I painted Oliver Mann touching Heidi Yardleys face, 2010