4ZzZ interview - Art to Lunch

I've just been interviewed by Jo-anne at 4ZzZ radio for the Art to Lunch arts program that's aired every Sunday lunch time. Wowee, what an interesting experience! What a great program for the arts!

I was invited as part of the Queensland Independent Education Union (QIEU) Art Awards 2009 (now in its 15th year), which are held at the Bardon Centre on 9th September 2009. Judging by previous years, the standard of art is extremely high.

QIEU sponsors the Awards for Excellence in Art Design, and is a co-sponsor of a state-wide literary competition. QIEU sponsors the Art Awards to promote the artistic endeavour of students, teachers and school officers in the non-government sector.

Closing Date for Applications: 31st July 09
Entry forms can be got from your teachers or from:

QIEU Art Design Awards
P O Box 418
Fortitude Valley
QLD 4006



The Interview
4ZzZ

Throughout its history, 4ZzZ has been renowned for supporting local music and artists, putting on great events, presenting news and opinions not found in mainstream media and providing support to our local community.

When tuning into 102.1fm you will hear many musical genres including rock, hip hop, indie, dancehall, punk, dub, reggae, noise, electronica, ska and drum & bass.

4ZzZ is unique in that we don't use playlists to control what music hits the airwaves.

Here are some of the pix.

The Old Communist Party Headquarters,
St Pauls Terrace, Fortitude Valley that is now 4ZzZ

And this is Jo-anne
Thank you Jo-anne and Hollywood (not his real name) for steering a very nervous artist through a very harrowing interview.

Guard dog

There was a sign in the paper today that read:

Attention Dog Guardians
Pick up after your dog.
Thank you.

Attention Dogs
Grrrrr, bark, woof.
Good Boy

Horrocks Beach Ratepayers

Here's another I came across recently...

The Dog

Working hard? Good boy.

Creating an Artful Curriculum

Art should never be ignored in schools in my opinion. Art may seem less useful to some people than say, maths, science and language (the more quantifiable disciplines) but it is not. There is now, a growing opinion that art is essential for rounded development and is fundamental to problem-solving. Doing art awakens parts of the mind that would otherwise lay dormant.

The book ‘Drawing from the Right Side of the Brain’, by Betty Edwards is an excellent learning-to-draw book and suggests that art uses the right side of the brain and analytical-type activities, the left. The one aspect I know intuitively from being an artist and running a business is, not to use one or other, but both. By doing art, you stimulate the side of the brain not often used well from the age of about eight, and by combining the two side, you literally become smarter, I think... twice the grey matter as it were. It is also a great way of learning problem solving skills, and if you are already pretty good at solving problems, it keeps you good at it. There is no CTRL Z in the artist's pallet.

Sir Ken Robinson sums it up in his talk at the conference 'Do schools kill creativity?' Feb 2006. I urge you to watch this... "Do schools kill creativity" it is hysterically funny and gets the message across brilliantly.

New Artwork and Leaf Blowers

Red Bath Tub by Banx - Acrylic - 850 x 1000mm

Catwalk by Banx - 1200 x 900mm

and just for a bit of fun...

Art Work Ahead by Banx - Acrylic - 600 x 750mm

Also, like everyone, I have the occasional gripe! My latest, apart from the state of the world economy, dodgy council policies, the state of the road traffic control system i.e. traffic light synchronisation, etc., etc., etc., is the use of leaf blowers. We have a throughway under our bedroom window and every Wednesday morning, a man starts up a leaf blower and redistributes the leaves and dust there. Quite apart from the appalling noise, nothing really worthwhile is achieved by the practice, leaves are blown around a bit, and so is the dust, and five minutes after the man has left, everything returns to exactly as it was before he arrived. The only change being that I am now awake and cranky.

So here is my protest against the use of leaf blowers...

No Leaf Blowers by Banx - Acrylic on Canvas - 600 x 750mm

Mind you, I put up one of these signs a while back and talked to the man nicely about it and so far he hasn't returned.

The Rock Star

Meet Rocky.


Portrait of Rocky by Banx

Rocky is my partner's niece's pup, a very happy lab of about 3yrs. We had the worst weather in Brisbane in a long time, where the longest drought in about eight years, turned into...

The Hot Gold Hush of Noon by Banx

the biggest floods, in I don't know how long!

Life's a Beach by Banx

Kaye's sister, Anne, told us via txt that the floods had swept through Rocky's en suite (he has the whole downstairs area to himself - more room than a dog can throw a stick at) anyway with very heavy rain on the way, we offered to look after him for the day. What a pleasure it was... it was me and my shadow, all day.

I painted in my studio and Rocky did what dogs do best, sat close in case I needed any help or needed to go for a spontaneous walk or anything... because you never know your luck !

Sri Lanka

Unawatuna Beach, Sri Lanka

Can it really be true that the troubles in Sri Lanka are finally over? It's been 26 years... 200,000 displaced; countless thousands of brothers, sons, fathers, mothers, daughters, sisters, aunties, uncles, friends, lovers, wives and husbands killed, maimed, lost, traumatised or dislocated, and those that are left must wonder 'was it all really worth it'?


Negombo

Are there lessons the rest of us can learn? Can we not, as a species, put aside our drive to dominate, control and own property to the point of destruction, and live our lives in peace?

The Galle Face Hotel welcome

Let us now hope that the people of Sri Lanka can put aside differences and embark on rebuilding their beautiful nation. If you have never been to Sri Lanka for a holiday, I urge you to do so, it is a sparking jewel in the Indian Ocean and deserves all the support we can give it. All we need do is put Sri Lanka back on the tourist agenda and the locals will take care of everything else.


The Sea Spray Restaurant, The Galle Face Hotel, Colombo


The Sun House, Galle

Flautist at The Kandalama Hotel

Banx Exhibition 22 - 31 July 09

We've just received our DL's for the 'Off the Wall' exhibition! It's going to have a bit of an urban theme this time re the brick wall and the Vespa.






The expo will be in the foyer of Central Plaza One, 345 Queen Street, Brisbane CBD. All are welcome, there's no entrance fee and doors are open during business hours. If you put your business card in the bowl, you have a chance to win the painting on show when we do the draw at the end of the exhibition.

Leopard

This is yours truly, when I was 12 or 13. Skinny little fella, wasn't I?

I was born in Ceylon in the days when Ceylon Tea was known throughout the world!

It was exotic: Rudyard Kipling (the renowned British poet 1865-1936) is supposed to have referred to Ceylon as the the Garden of Eden, now known as Sri Lanka famous for its Tea, Spices and beautiful homely beaches, has produced many culinary specialities and gastronomic delights. Noel Coward (the English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer 1899 - 1973) wrote Mad Dogs and Englishmen, in Ceylon in 1955, and Arthur C Clarke (British Science Fiction Author, Inventor and Futurist 1917 - 2008) made his home there (I learned to scuba dive in his pool).

My Dad was a tea estate agent in Colombo and part of the business managed Hotels. The leopard was a guest at one of them (had a room by the pool with room service). I still recall what it felt like to stroke a leopard - short coarse fur and powerful frame. I was well aware of the leopard's killing skills and that under different circumstances I could easily be on the menu, so for me to stroke one was definitely a privilege. I was happy he didn't take my hand off. He chewed my shoes instead and Mum had to get me a new pair when we returned to Colombo.

Pareidolia

Seeing shapes in clouds now has a name - Pareidolia.

From Wikipedia... The term pareidolia (pronounced /pærɪˈdoʊliə/) describes a psychological phenomenon involving a vague and random stimulus (often an image or sound) being perceived as significant. Common examples include seeing images of animals or faces in clouds, the man in the moon, and hearing hidden messages on records played in reverse.

Just mucking around with black and white as a change from the usual colours. Thought it would be a change.

This one's called: Whisper.

Acrylic - 1000 x 850mm

Anyway, I've been busy painting for my next exhibition at Central Plaza One, Brisbane.

We're calling the expo ' Off the Wall' and giving it something of an urban feel so a brick wall, Vespa, and so. Most still to be painted so no one knows what will be in the expo.

Photographic essay in New Farm.

Cafe Bouquiniste on Merthyr


But someone calls it home.


Ferry


One rainy day.


Skateboarders on the Powerhouse "Flood" sculpture by artist Richard Tipping, commemorating the floods of 1974.



Sundown at New Farm Park in April at about 4pm


Not such a prank!