Inspired by the skyline and nature
Some of the arrangements I create are inspired by the Melbourne skyline, especially at sunrise and sunset. I call these works cityscapes.
Often I try to incorporate ‘natural features’ – a bent nail that suggests a meandering river, rusted sheet metal that transforms into a cloud, or a broken tile that becomes a mountain in the background.
Inspired by what I find
My more abstract works are often stimulated by the found objects themselves. Often I place these in juxtaposition – for example, locks and keys, washers and wires, or hair clips and cream chargers.
At other times, I emphasise their rusted, scratched or variegated metal surfaces. For example, ‘City of Gold’ features golden-coloured pieces of metal, while ‘On Bended Nail’ uses bent, rusted nails on a weathered board.
Sometimes I use the materials I find in odd ways. For example, rather than glue found objects to the front of a tile, I might glue them to the back of a used tile that has been water-stained. Sometimes I will glue bolts flat against a surface; at other times, I will stand them bolt upright!
Inspired by other artists
The artists who have most inspired me are Rosalie Gascoigne and Lorraine Connelly-Northey. Both have worked with weathered wood and rusted metals that they salvaged, although the scale of their works is often much larger than mine.
