Tomatoes with Brandy Bottle

 

All vine and brandy

Oil on canvas board, 8" x 10"

Bosc Pears with Vintage Spray Bottle

 

St. Jerome at Pear (or St. Jerome spraying) by Hieronymus Bosc

Oil on canvas board, 8" x 10"

Figure Study of Leaning Man with Dreadlocks

 

Whilst I enjoyed making this painting overall, I approached the hair with a certain amount of dread.

Many thanks to robbiiray for leaning into the pose.

Oil on canvas board, 16" x 20"

Dam at Pipers Creek II

 

This is the same subject I painted over six years ago (Dam at Pipers Creek).  Like the subject, I've had a bit of time to reflect.

Oil on canvas board, 8" x 10"

Off McPhersons Lane, Pipers Creek

 

A well-known search engine tells me that this eucalyptus tree is an Apple Box, and while I'm not entirely sure it's correct, I do agree that it's a box of some kind -- there's no thinking outside the box here.

Oil on canvas board, 10" x 12"

Quinces with Small Enamelware Bowl

 

This was painted just before the winter solstice, which like the equin(ce)ox, is often considered to be symbowlic.

Oil on canvas board, 8" x 10"

Pears with Ceramic Jug

 

Fitting more than a pair of pears into the frame required a bit of juggling.

Oil on canvas board, 8" x 10"

Persimmons with Stoneware Jar

 

Thou shalt write this is stone, in the second persimmon.

Oil on canvas board, 8" x 10"

Mandarines with Enamelware Mug

 

William of Orange was on the throne for a-rind about thirty years, but not everyone was enameled with the idea of his mug on the currency.

Oil on canvas board, 8" x 10"

Reclining Figure

 

For this painting, I took a more laid-back approach.

Thanks to model Khya.

Oil on canvas board, 12" x 16"

Carlsruhe Station Road

 

Having slept in, I arrived late at this location to paint with friends.  It was a Carlsruhed awakening.

Oil on plywood, 9" x 5"

Vintage Kitchen Scales with Green Apples

 

I have to admit that I never quite know how to approach the depiction of scales, but I always seem to find a weigh.

Oil on canvas board, 20" x 24"

Persimmons with Blue Enamelware Jug

 

The persimmons were not exactly cheap, and although I thought this painting could have worked with fewer pieces of fruit, I didn't want to be persimmonious.

Oil on canvas board, 20" x 24"

Portrait of Bearded Man with Brown Cloak

 

Our model Paul wore a long-flowing, brown garment which might be referred to as a cloak, or possibly a robe or a cape; I can't say for shawl.

Oil on canvas board, 16" x 20"

Quinces with Enamelware Coffee Pot

 

Some of the quinces depicted here are the same as appeared in my last painting of quinces; or for the potted version, one might simply say "quince and repeat".

Oil on canvas board, 16" x 20"

Exhibition: Remains to Be Seen

 

As part of the Victorian Artists' Society IMPRINT 2026 program, I'm exhibiting about 30 still life paintings that reflect this year's theme of "What Remains" (hence the very bad pun for the title).  The first half of the program kicked off this week with a number of excellent solo exhibitions, so get to VAS now for a squiz, but please return for the second half when my little daubings will be gracing a number of the walls (along with the art of a bunch of great artists).

Oh, and there's an opening on the evening of the 30 April if you're looking for a glass of something to help you forget the economic climate and spend recklessly on artworks.

When:

29 April – 10 May 2026

Where:

Victorian Artists Society

Opening:

Thursday 30 April, 6pm

I also wrote a bit of art self-gratification that I must confess to actually believing in (sort of) which might interest you if you're inclined to sport designer glasses and a turtleneck:

Nostalgic reflection has been described as a “peopling” of the mind through symbolic ties to loved ones. By depicting nostalgic subjects, this collection of works represents an unashamed attempt to pull at the heart-strings of viewers, though it is primarily a reflection of the yearning of the artist for the certainties of childhood.

These certainties existed, in a material sense, in the inanimate objects that adorned the kitchens of the artist’s grandparents – items that lasted generations and, prior to the pervasiveness of planned obsolescence, were expected to last generations more. Rather than dilapidated things to be discarded, these objects were imbued with character – perhaps even personality – shaped by familiarity and age.

By portraying scenes in a realistic manner, it is hoped that the viewer might share, if only for a moment, in the artist’s visual experience and be transported to another time and place. It is also hoped that once cherished objects are contemplated for their simple beauty and functionality – may it remain that there’s still life in the old dogs yet.

Portrait of Bearded Man in Hat with Still Life

 

A still life model and a modelled still life

Oil on canvas board, 16" x 20"

Poplars on the Campaspe River, Kyneton

 

Soon after starting this painting, I realised I'd disturbed a wasps' nest, so I made a fairly rapid decision to move -- it seems I was less than poplar with the local residents.

Oil on plywood, 9" x 5"

Mill Street, Kyneton

 

A run of the mill painting

Oil on canvas board, 10" x 12"

Quinces with Stoneware Jar

 

For more than a decade I've been painting quinces and making bad quince puns, and I'm struggling to come up with anything original.  I suppose I'll simply present you with this pot-boiler and stop stewing over it.

Oil on canvas board, 16" x 20"