When I tell people this story I usually cry. It represents one of those times in your life when you realize coincidences are much more miraculous then some like to believe. Its a long story so I’ll try and keep it short. Imagine this:

I’m visiting Mykonos for the first time staying at the annexe my art school owns at the port. This popular Greek island is my father’s birthplace. He was last there as a small boy and no family that we know of live there anymore; they all moved to Piraeus. Family connections are frayed on dad’s side and my first hand experiences are distant and ‘out of focus’.

I take a bus to the village Ano-Mera where dad was from, just to say I visited and then in an hour I was to take the next bus back to the Port where I am staying. Its Summer, a public holiday and siesta time so the village square is isolated. I have a telephone card with little credit but i go to a phone booth and call Australia to surprise my dad and tell him where I am. He never answers the phone but he did this time; the seconds passing, we are going to get cut off and my dad shouts out, beckoning me rather:

“Go to the wind mills, mention my parent’s names, go and see my mother’s home, it will probably be in rubble !!”. I say:“OK, yes I’ll try” and then the phone cuts off. All I was left with was my:“Yes” and I am big on my word, my father taught me that. I said yes, but I felt it was impossible..but i said yes.

A small Odyssey followed that led to me late in the day, being seated out on a porch of a house amongst a garden oasis and encircled by a rocky and hilly landscape, playing backgammon with an old Communist. He reminded me of my dad in more ways than one. There were qualities he had that I couldn’t easily recognize in my father growing up, yet what emanated from this gentleman felt absolutely familiar and very much who my father was at his core.

Needless to say I missed several buses and arrived back at night to the annex, to worried friends with a story no words could adequately satisfy. All I knew was that I had been given a glimpse of paradise. Andoni and his wife Alexandra were an elderly couple who were still very much in love and flirted and joked the whole time I was with them. To this day they have left a lasting impression on me.

“Our blood had called us to each other” were words Alexandra said to me when she opened her door and saw me standing there and then came a loving, full hearted embrace I also have never forgetten.

I’ll leave my account here for now; ts a beautiful story, filled with the potential for many more paintings, and yes I found my grandparents house and of course, so much more… now the tears are coming.

In the suburbs of Athens the fresh produce markets come to you. They are called the ‘Laiki Agora:’ The People's Market. One select day of the week a street in your suburb would go from grey bitchemun to a full spectrum of colour. My street in Gizi, central Athens, was one of the chosen ones and would be transformed into a bustling corridor of market stalls every Tuesday.

I learnt to barter, to choose fresh and sweet fruits and to scout out the prices at the many stalls before walking off with the most delicious bounty. I learnt to be assertive, to make sure I said hello to my favourite stall holders, to accept compliments and buy something new to try every now and then. I always made the most of the vibrant energy i was lucky to live amongst.

A full array of fresh fruit and vegetables, bread, flowers even fresh fish, the smells the sounds and the characters, the boisterous, flirtatious, loud and full of life characters that would generously sell their produce right at you door step. This used to be one of my favourite days of the week.

The Greek Blues known as Rebetika developed in the 1920's and is still popular today. This icon represents the musicians and singers who perform this style of music

The female singer has small Cymbals on her fingers accompanying the musicians and singing, the Oud player (an important string instrument brought over from the Orient) and the drummer, playing the Touberleki make up this ensemble.

The red and white border is influenced by the way iconography frescoes in Greek churches are often framed. This Icon was the first painting I did honouring the tradition of Rebetiko music.

My grandmother lived in Corfu in the famous Liston, a multi storey building built in 1807 by the French during the Napoleonic period. She lived on the top level and my mother grew up there.

When I went to live in Greece this was my home too as was my Grandmother’s love and nurturing heart, she was my family’s angel. I painted this interior of her bedroom and all the objects I remembered and of course the view of the old fortress. This was a paradise hard to describe but easier to paint.

The swallows had their nests in the roof and because her home was at the very top, swallows and pigeons were always part of the world outside her window as were the sea and the sky. This was the room from which this tremendous soul also took flight.

I painted this in her honour less than a year before she passed away and sent her a photo of it when I had finished it. Eventually I gave it to my mother and now it is back with me again; a family heirloom painted in a style that was used for depictions of the sacred, doorway to healing miracles and the spiritual world.

2003, 60 X 35 cm

acrylic on canvas

$1000.00

click to inquire

I am inspired by Byzantine Iconography’s methods, colour schemes, technique, allegorical and figurative style. The modern Icons are only derivative of this tradition and though some may have a spiritual tone they are not religious in any way.

A while back it was explained to me that iconography for example: with its highly stylized faces, was also a way of distinguishing saints and other holy figures from mere humans. The golden Halo, the curves and lines that make up the face, the layers of coloured light applied to the skin all gave them an other worldliness. Realism was not relevant to what these artists wanted to express.

Perhaps the suggestion of ‘realism’ in my Lovers Icon helps to quash any religious undertones. Though it could also be a controversial depiction of Adam and Eve. Sometimes Art has a way of making its own mind up, in spite of the Artist’s intention.

The Lovers Icon is currently available and is one of only three remaining icons from the original series. For more details and expressions of interest please visit my main website efrossiniart

The Tavern owners were my grandparents, their photo still hangs on the back wall as you enter the family tavern. Now (‘Thio’) Lazaro, my dad's youngest brother and his family run it. The figure in this icon is based on my uncle.

The Taverna is called Margaro's Fishtavern after my ‘yiayia’ and is one of the oldest fish tavernas in Piraeus; located next to the Naval Military School. It's an institution as they say.

Dad told me lots of stories, some harrowing as the family had it running during the German occupation. The naval school was a Nazi headquarters. I gave the painting as a gift to my dad when he was alive, bless him.

The 3 pictures on the wall are: a photo of my grandparents, a picture of the ocean liner The Patris, and windmills.

I never met my grandfather and my grandmother was a faded memory as I was very young. Centered, the painting gives them a key role which was important.

The Patris brought my dad to Australia in the late 50's. He had a job as a Ship’s Accountant aboard it and disembarked in Melbourne for medical.reasons. 10 years later he briefly returned to Greece as he was engaged to marry a girl from Pireaus. Dad by chance met my mum on Corfu island and broke off the engagement. Two months later he was on the Patris again, but with mum. This time he didn’t return to Greece til his 70's..

The windmills are a strong symbol of Mykonos, my.father's birthplace and represents his childhood and a carefree spirit far away from the pressures of working life in Australia.

Family relations were always strained but there was lots of water under the bridge so it was significant that the tavern ower is in a welcoming pose and that the pictures hanging on the wall were personal for dad.

This icon is a good example of how I can represent family stories and migration stories in a painting, using symbolism and familiar objects.

Two young students, rebels, activists, lovers, pose in front of the Polytechnic, the building in the heart of Athens that housed my art school. This is also where a tragic massacre of civilians occurred in 1973 heralding the beginning of the end to the country’s brutal dictatorship.

I heard many stories from friends about that time but the graffiti, demonstrations and generally politically active society made it present, especially to a politically ignorant Greek Australian.

The two figures have been strongly based on paintings of saints, One wears a Palestinian scarf, an adornment chosen by youth with anti American sentiments. The red moped a preferred mode of travel in Greece. I paid attention to the accuracy of detail in the wrought iron fencing, the cigarette butt and bus ticket on the ground.

I like the romanticism in this image. I felt an appreciation for people who had strong socialist values and who had courage to speak out against the establishment. It was an important life lesson.

I was also lucky to receive an education within its walls.. The Polytechnic was walking distance from my home at the time and a constant reminder of its past. I either entered it or walked by it everyday. A subject for an icon was an obvious choice.

Characters from mythology have a way of embedding themselves into cultures and they become  a reality when matched with actual places and elements of nature

The Mermaid is such a figure. She is synonymous with sea faring people, the waters and the surrounding land. Greece and her islands have a close connection to this mysterious feminine creature. The threat in Odysseus’s Sirens is not reflected in this icon. In my version she is more a friend who guides you to learn the secrets of the sea.

I painted her thinking of the times I spent at the Aegean and Ionian Sea, the islands and all that is magical there. The surface of the sea glistening under the sun at certain times of the day, aqua waters and the world beneath: abundant and full of vibrant sea-life are condensed into this icon of a Mermaid; a figure not far from the imagination when surrounded by such beauty.

The original painting was matched with an ornate gold frame to further and added blue strokes of paint to enhance the striking iconographic style of the work.

2001, 30 X 50 cm

acrylic on canvas

SOLD

click to inquire

The Special Guard icon which I also refer to as the Tsolia icon is another painting from my Modern Icon series. Apart from depicting personal stories and memories they also celebrated figures from everyday Athenian life. Dedicated to the iconic ‘Tsolia’: a Greek solider that serves in the Presidential Guard (similar to the Beef Eaters of London who stand guard at Buckingham palace) this painting also reminds me of a friend who I studied together with at the Athens School of Fine Arts, who used to be a Tsolia.

I often saw them near Syndagma Square in Athens, marching or standing guard in front of the presidential palace which houses the modern day Greek parliament. In Greece young men are obligated to do army service. The Special Guards are hand-picked amongst the new recruits to undergo intense training. To be part of this elite unit they have to be 1.87 metres tall and athletic. A tsolia needs to learn how to stand for several hours in a row, avoid eye contact, stare at an imaginary point without moving or blinking his eyes. Tourists have fun trying to get their attention.

Tsoliades have an impressive marching style, lifting their legs up to shoulder height and are impeccable dancers, required to perform in official ceremonies; and yes, their uniform makes an impression too, it’s a skirt but it is also strongly symbolic. The skirt is said to have 400 pleats, one for each year the Turks occupied Greece.

I’m pleased to note that the guy in my painting looks very much like a pacifist, don’t you think?. He seems innocent almost childlike in his expression, even resembles a toy solider, though he is holding a gun. Perhaps this painting is a little tongue in cheek; it definitely has a lightness and irony to it that could provoke discussion. Though I take pride in aspects of my culture I am suspicious of unchecked national pride.

If you look carefully you can spot my signature on the bottom right hand side of the painting. My first year back in Australia I signed my surname on my paintings in English, but like it sounded in Greek: ‘Hanioti’ with a H instead of ‘Chan-i-o-tis’… a different kind of pride perhaps? This icon is one of the earlier paintings of this series, which I placed in gold frames to deliberately refer to the gold leaf often used in icons of saints.

I felt it fitting, perhaps an act of justice to paint a Gypsy like a saint. She represents music, nature, people outside the norm and cultures misunderstood..

Anyone that has travelled to the smaller Greek islands knows that they give the impression that they have their own rules.

This painting is inspired by the Aegean Sea’s blue colour and the chain of small islands there that you can hop on and off from on a ferry boat. I remembered seeing priests on the islands that had an informal air, a familiarity among locals that is understandable. I think this one used to be a fisherman.

I proudly gave this Icon Painting to my first cousin in Corfu island on her wedding day.

This is the second icon based on my Grandmother and my first Modern Icon. It sold a long time ago in Adelaide and though the photo is not the best, I am grateful to have it.

I remember paying particular attention to the objects she had in her kitchen: a plant she infinitely propagated from, the pigeons that my ‘yiayyia’ fed daily, the patterned lino table cloth.

The kitchen was six flights of stairs up and my Grandma had the best view of the tall bell tower of Saint Spiridon Church, (in fact, best views were common from every window of her house!!) it was as much a part of her kitchen as the stove was.

So many precious conversations took place in that kitchen, so much laughter, lovely food and stories galore. I received one of the most important educations of my life in my Grandmothers kitchen. Under her care and nurturing I experienced her unconditional love, you wisdom big time and connection to my family tree, which was hard to keep up with at times .

My yiayia Frosso was a short woman with big hands and heart. This was her topsy turvy kitchen at the top of the historical Liston, under the terracotta roof on the shortest and narrowest of apartments.

Here once upon a time, through the night, her and my Grandfather, who was a respected musician and music shop owner, baked for the local sweet shops at a time when money was extra tight as they insisted on giving their two daughters an education.

I proudly present : The Angel’s Kitchen

A favorite of mine, the Baglama, is like a mini-Bouzouki which in the 1920’s and 30’s also made smuggling and keeping it hidden from the authorities easier. The Greek Blues = Rembetika in the early days was associated with ‘speakeasies’, crime and antiestablishment music so people who played this music could find themselves targets of the local authorities in Athens and the Port where the music thrived.

A little more whimsical than the others, this icon experimented with bolder lines and humor.. Looking back, I can appreciate that the less traditional style created more movement. This painting was one of my first modern icons painted between 2000-2001. All the paintings from this series were finished off with unique ornate gold frames chosen to match the brush strokes or patterns in the paintings. The gold also made subtle reference to the opulent Byzantine origins of the style. 

 (Like my Angel Cook this is unfortunately the best photo I have of this painting. It was bought by someone from a gallery on Swanston Street in the first months I arrived in Melbourne..The buyer’s details were not passed on.) 

The above statement remained in my website for many years. On a fateful Sunday afternoon in 2021 I got a call from a lady telling me she just purchased a sculpture of mine . She added that she thinks she may also have one of my paintings in her collection from 20 years earlier.  Turned out to be my Rebeti and Black Cat and at the time she lived in my suburb. Needless to say a lovely reunion took place, as did a photoshoot and new friendships were forged.

2003, 40 X 50 cm, acrylic on canvas

SOLD

Between 2001 and 2003 mermaids and fishermen featured in my work. It wasn’t until many years later whilst travelling in South America that they reappeared.

Halo was one of the few early modern icons I did that depicted mythological characters, instead of everyday people. I have used shiny gold paint and a fine brush strokes. This iconography style  used for the main figure may be more authentic than in most of my other Modern Icons.

The Surreal nature of this piece has the hair doubling as the sea. I have made several artworks since where the contour of the body is also a landscape. It feels poetic, rich in imagery and full of expressive potential

When expressing emotions through art you aim to express the inner world outwards. Here, the outer world is one with the surface of the body expressing a closer connection to the natural environment than is depicted in realism.

(Commission)

This is my first Modern Icon commission for 2019, requested by a local Melbourne musician and Greek Blues enthusiast; the original painting now hangs in his office. It had been ‘17’ years since I last did one, so was happy to experience the joy and excitement of revisiting this style.

The consultation process was easy and took just two brief phone conversations. We discussed which instruments he wanted represented and how many musicians to include in the painting. He sent me images of black and white photos from the 1920’s and 30’s while I also did some of my own research. Funnily, when we came to discuss them we both had found the same photo as the main point of inspiration: A famous photo of The Smyrna Trio consisting of Roza Eskenazi (vocals, percussion) , Agapios Tomboulis (Oud) and Lambros Leondaridis (Classical Kemence)

My composition differs, as do other details such as: painting a violin in place of the Turkish Lyra, how the musicians hold their instruments, adding colours of course and their facial expressions. The border was inspired by some patterned paper of musical notes I had in my studio.

The scale of this artwork is 60 x 80 cm. I chose a high quality box canvas and painted the sides in ochre yellow, so did not necessarily require framing. Medium is acrylic on canvas and includes gold acrylic details.

2019, 25 X 25 cm

acrylic & mixed media on canvas

SOLD

She holds a purring cat in her arms & together they emanate the most awesome vibes! 

I made the people black and white with a golden centre to express that often times it’s our perception, our inner world that affects what we see and how we experience life around us. There are 3 small paintings of this series: I See Love, I See Rain & I See Flowers.

2019, 25 X 25 cm

acrylic & mixed media on canvas

$365.00 (frame incl)

click to inquire

Pretty flowers held with care and wonder

In the original painting I covered the background with a collage of colourful patterned paper which a friend once had wrapped flowers in, to give me as a gift.

I made the people black and white with a golden centre to express that often times it’s our perception, our inner world that affects what we see and how we experience life around us. There are 3 small paintings of this series: I See Love, I See Rain & I See Flowers.

2019, 25 X 25 cm

acrylic & mixed media on canvas

SOLD

The rain clouds above her are in the shape of birds and turtles and dragons!  The rain brings a welcome outpouring of cool, fresh sensations. Gratitude is everywhere and so is her joy in watching the animals move through the sky.

I made the people black and white with a golden centre to express that often times it’s our perception, our inner world that affects what we see and how we experience life around us. There are 3 small paintings of this series: I See Love, I See Rain & I See Flowers.

2019, 25 X 25 cm

acrylic on canvas

SOLD

My Ode to all the barbers and bearded ‘Melbournians’ about town: a gentle folk that reinvented the beard, taking it back from monks, and biker bad-boys. Melbourne is a city where lots of beards sprouted, as did old fashion barber shops.

He holds a comb in his hand , just so, in a similar pose to sacred figures in icons. His hands are skilled, his mind sharp and his ears open to each man that sits at his chair. In turn his customers hand over their hair, as they would to a friend.

This icon started out like the I SEE series : black and white figure with colour in their surroundings; but the shirt the barber is wearing was too hard to resist and the colour spilt out beyond his golden heart.

2020, 76 X 52 cm

acrylic on canvas

$2,000.00

click to inquire

I completed The Flood during the Corona Virus lock-down. They say it took Noah more than 100 years to build his ark so time and crisis is well associated with this theme. Seems fitting that it took me about 20 years to complete this painting,only that I built the foundation and some of the structure before abandoning it.

Over time, it was moved from one studio to the next with only the 15 figures blocked out in one base colour and some scant details dispersed throughout the painting. Some time between 2001 and 2002 I had started this painting and then lost motivation as my interests were diverted to a large more expressive painting style (examples can be best seen in the Gallery section of www.efrossiniart.com). I had created many icons by then and felt a need of contrast. The nostalgic, emotive and strongly Greek themes and style had served me well.

You see, I was making an effort to embrace settling back in Australian culture after Greece and intent on ‘moving on’ with my decision. ‘Moving’ physically that is: with the heart, the mind, the body, the extended arm and finally the paintbrush that I held in my hand. This is the truest mage I can conjour of how the transition in my work reflected a transition in my life. A returning to larger scale works was in line with my early student years in Australia. Another type of full circle was drawn.

AFTER THE FLOOD is drawn from a medieval fresco from northern Greece. I re-envisioned the original work with my modern icon style. Around 2000-2001 I had been involved in African music culture so the fabrics the men are wearing have patterns from their textiles. I went on to add patterns from other cultures and added the dots in the sky that are characteristic of the particle atmosphere of my earlier Constellation Landscapes series. A strangely dramatic scene unlike my usual work and at the same time infused with harmony and optimism, my particular bent!

2020, varied dimensions

acrylic & mixed media sculptures

$1,100.00 : Set of 4

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The Band is a set of 4 painted, wooden and mixed media sculptures portraying a group of musicians typical of the Greek Blues known as the Rebetika: a clarinet and bouzouki player, singers and a baglama player, a violinist and a Politiki lyra player (they are each approx. 12 x 30 x 10 cm). Inspiration for this work came after a year of participating regularly in a local Rebetiko music jam.

I went on to explore the culture and history of this music, as well as its influence on the Greek diaspora, through numerous paintings and sculptures presented in a solo exhibition titled:. A Brush With The Blues (held in Melbourne, Australia in February, 2020).

(An example of a painting from the show can be seen here )

Rebetiko music, for those who don’t know, originated in the early 20th Century in Asia Minor and Greece. Its history is enriched with cosmopolitan life and cross-cultural influences and at the same time burdened with war, conflict, forced mass migration and suffering. i was very drawn to how the the refugee experience teamed with urban Greek culture produced a creative and highly expressive genre.

The sculptures were made from recycled wood blocks and the positive and negative shapes of the wood inspired an assemblage approach. I kept the natural finish of all wood elements, whether rough or smooth, to retain a rustic, spontaneous and raw character. A fitting metaphor for the musicians of the early Rebetika who at the time were outcasts and even considered outlaws in modern Greek society..

The 4 sculptures can be hung on the wall or stand freely on a surface. There are in fact numerous ways they can be displayed for example: can be hung in a cross formation; positioned in a row, in groups of two and hung at different levels. There are details only seen from certain angles, reflecting the combination of the icongraphic style of painting on their surface and the robust 3D nature of these unique sculptures.

In closing, one of the four sculptures makes reference to a famous and widely respected musician and composer Vassilis Tsitsanis. The lyrics coming out of the figures mouths: one in English and the other in Greek, is a line out of a popular song that mentions him.

2020, 30 X 40 cm

acrylic and gold paint on canvas

$575.00

click to inquire

My Music Maidens (that I also refer to as Sister Icons) are a triptych of modern icon paintings. Number one, is of a female Bouzouki player

They depict three, seated, barefoot musicians in a part interior / part outdoor space, with objects from a domestic setting. The 3 paintings were created at the beginning of the first lock down in Melbourne in 2020. From inside my small suburban apartment, I dreamt of returning to Greece carefree. I envisioned connecting with nature, making up for all the times the urge wasn’t acted on, or taken for granted.

Painting them felt very much like an act of hope and celebration. I used my creativity to sooth and inspire me. Importantly, using it to create a desired reality so that I could give myself relief beyond the stark reality of wintery and foreboding circumstances.

From my imagination and longing, three powerful, confident, women holding musical instruments emerged. Their surroundings are made up of my apartment’s interior (my home furnishings served as inspiration) merging with three beautiful, natural environments: mountainous, tropical and Mediterranean landscapes paired up with a bouzouki player, a guitarist and a toubeleki player. An archway serves as the meeting place between the two spaces.

I have hand painted gold details in parts of the image to suggest there are iconic and precious dimensions to what these paintings represent.

2020, 30 X 40 cm

acrylic and gold paint on canvas

$575.00

click to inquire

My Music Maidens (that I also refer to as Sister Icons) are a triptych of modern icon paintings. Number two, is of a female Guitarist.

They depict three, seated, barefoot musicians in a part interior / part outdoor space, with objects from a domestic setting. The 3 paintings were created at the beginning of the first lock down in Melbourne in 2020. From inside my small suburban apartment, I dreamt of returning to Greece carefree. I envisioned connecting with nature, making up for all the times the urge wasn’t acted on, or taken for granted.

Painting them felt very much like an act of hope and celebration. I used my creativity to sooth and inspire me. Importantly, using it to create a desired reality so that I could give myself relief beyond the stark reality of wintery and foreboding circumstances.

From my imagination and longing, three powerful, confident, women holding musical instruments emerged. Their surroundings are made up of my apartment’s interior (my home furnishings served as inspiration) merging with three beautiful, natural environments: mountainous, tropical and Mediterranean landscapes paired up with a bouzouki player, a guitarist and a toubeleki player. An archway serves as the meeting place between the two spaces.

I have hand painted gold details in parts of the image to suggest there are iconic and precious dimensions to what these paintings represent.

2020, 30 X 40 cm

acrylic and gold paint on canvas

SOLD

click to inquire

My Music Maidens (that I also refer to as Sister Icons) are a triptych of modern icon paintings. Number three, is of a Toubeleki player.

They depict three, seated, barefoot musicians in a part interior / part outdoor space, with objects from a domestic setting. The 3 paintings were created at the beginning of the first lock down in Melbourne in 2020. From inside my small suburban apartment, I dreamt of returning to Greece carefree. I envisioned connecting with nature, making up for all the times the urge wasn’t acted on, or taken for granted.

Painting them felt very much like an act of hope and celebration. I used my creativity to sooth and inspire me. Importantly, using it to create a desired reality so that I could give myself relief beyond the stark reality of wintery and foreboding circumstances.

From my imagination and longing, three powerful, confident, women holding musical instruments emerged. Their surroundings are made up of my apartment’s interior (my home furnishings served as inspiration) merging with three beautiful, natural environments: mountainous, tropical and Mediterranean landscapes paired up with a bouzouki player, a guitarist and a toubeleki player. An archway serves as the meeting place between the two spaces.

I have hand painted gold details in parts of the image to suggest there are iconic and precious dimensions to what these paintings represent.

2020, 30 X 30 cm

acrylic and gold paint on canvas

$575.00

click to inquire

THE ARK was created at the beginning of the first lock down in Melbourne, from my small suburban apartment.

I dreamt of returning to Greece, care free, envisioning connecting with nature, making up for all the times the urge or idea of nature wasn’t acted on and taken for granted.

Confident, sensual women emerged, surrounded by a domestic interior with a wonderful view of nature; pouring in through an opening that dissolved the boundaries of the two worlds.

The Ark has kittens and sparrows occupying her space, curious co-inhabitants along with house plants from my own apartment.

2020, 40 X 30 cm

acrylic and gold paint on canvas

$575.00

click to inquire

Hawk Eye was created at the beginning of the first lock down in Melbourne, from my small suburban apartment.

I dreamt of returning to Greece, care free, envisioning connecting with nature, making up for all the times the urge or idea of nature wasn’t acted on and taken for granted.

In total: 5 Confident, sensual women emerged, surrounded by a domestic interior with a wonderful view of nature; pouring in through an opening that dissolved the boundaries of the two worlds.

Hawk Eye, the last of this series has the main female figure looking up into the heavens. Perhaps I had enough of looking out the window. This is an image of asking questions and looking beyond the familiar, even the imagined and instead into mystery. The hawk is in line with those miraculous dreams where you can fly. Again nature comes to the rescue and to console as well as keep you wild and alive,

(Commission)

A phone call from Alexandra’s grandmother in Canberra started my journey into creating a painting of one of the most enchanting and colourful islands of the Eastern Mediterranean.

Over two conversations the design and concept of the painting was established as well as specific elements to be included, that held significance to both the grandmother and granddaughter.

The modern icon was to embody and reflect the deep connection that Alexander felt for her island and family in Greece. “She always felt happy there” . I received photos of Alexander on the island at different ages , celebrating family, customs, culture and island life,

The island’s port quickly provided the backdrop and over a week i sent progress photos at different stages of the painting to clarify details and the personal symbols integrated into the artwork.

The painting was presented to Alexandra as a surprise: a reward for perseverance studying for her HSC, during a challenging year. It was also a gift of love and gratitude from a grandmother to a grandchild who shared her love for family and a spirit of pride in their Greek heritage.

(Commission)

Price: $2,500.00
Art Medium: Acrylic and mixed media on canvas
Size: 61 cm x 61 cm
Year: 2023

This Matchmaker sees people as if they are stars in the heavens. Amongst trillions, her eyes have the ability to distinguish which two shine the same quality of light.

Aligning people on this basis comes easily to her.  The table is set for a gathering of souls who are about to meet for the first time. Like any great hostess she has a good instinct for inviting the perfect mix of guests.

On my recent trip to Amalfi town, I saw frescoes of saints with their halos painted so they had texture, raised slightly on the surface of the wall (impasto) This compelled me to adorn the Match Maker’s halo with small jewels of gold; a crown to reward her with, for her brilliant and precious gift.

Price: $2,500.00
Art Medium: Acrylic and mixed media on canvas
Size: 61 cm x 61 cm
Year: 2023

The Sculptor is strong, brave, determined and focused, he chisels and carves away to uncover deeper layers of himself. He is surrounded by sculptures in his studio resembling some of the subjects in the paintings of this exhibition. He is my co-creator.

In this painting you can see some of the tools of his trade. They indicate precise, measured and decisive action. He brings structure and a framework to a meandering mind and senses that would otherwise lead me down too many paths.

The Sculptor in appearance ‘is’ marble, wood and metal and so has an skillful albeit innate ability to reveal the core truths that lie within. This reminds me of Michelaengelo’s famous quote “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free”.

The angel showing him the sketch is both an allegory of creative inspiration and self-actualization when you realize that the head, he holds actually bears a resemblance, it further suggests the creative act is a source of self discovery

61X61cm, 2023

acrylic on canvas

$2,500

The Lighthouse Keeper has released all manner of sea life.

He holds a lighthouse to his chest facing inwards, a metaphor for having the courage to look inside for answers as much as looking to others for guidance. He believes in people following their own path.

I woke up the morning of painting him with the phrase: ”we are born a lighthouse and die a lighthouse” in my head. An existential reflection rather than an ode to aloneness. This is how I came up with the idea of assigning him a lighthouse to hold. A powerful and rich symbol. Prior to that moment he was a fisherman.

The angel on his shoulder represents a whisper of reassurance in the face of any self-doubt, especially when going against the grain of societal expectations or conventional beliefs. I used the icon of Saint John the Theologian as the basis for the Light Keeper. As an apostle he was on the margins and was visited by an angel who helped him write the ‘apocalyptic’ book of revelation. His story provides an opposing layer of synergy with my vibrant bearded man.

Price: $2,500.00
Art Medium: Acrylic and mixed media on canvas
Size: 61 cm x 61 cm
Year: 2023

Catman is a portrait of a young man who represents the journey to self-mastery, one that we all are invited to go on in life.

Loosely based on the mythical demigod Hercules, Catman has references to two of his conquests: pythons and lions. One at the start of his life and the other in adulthood.

Two angels look on with headless snakes in their grip. Catman has snake tattoos on his muscular arms and one from an ancient vase depicting Hercules fighting the Nemean Lion.  A playful pet cat is coiled around his neck. Perhaps in making friends with both creatures they have merged for him.

The snake symbolizes the beginning of life, the awakening of life force. The lion equates to courage; not the absence of fear but the willingness to ‘be’ in your truth in the face of it. 

Price: $2,500.00
Art Medium: Acrylic and mixed media on canvas
Size: 61 cm x 61 cm
Year: 2023

The Brunswick Barber is all about cutting through chaos, neglect, inertia and cutting back unhelpful ‘strands’, in people’s lives. Together with his apprentice (the angel holding scissors) they create opportunities for new growth to sprout.

Compassionate yet direct in his assessment of what is needed, the Brunswick Barber has no time to waste as there is a queue of customers waiting. He is a master of his craft and whoever sits before him is guaranteed to leave feeling renewed and wiser for it.

This painting is based on a small 20cm x 20cm Brunswick Barber I did in 2018, inspired by the growing numbers of bearded hipsters living in the Northern suburbs of Melbourne. This current version is a more adventurous exploration into this archetype. The figure is loosely based on icons of Christ or saints with hand in an attitude of blessing.