The Amalgamation

Pencil on tinted paper, June 2008.

Isaiah 44:3-4 (Today’s New International Version)

For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams.

Humpback Whale, acrylic on canvas, January-April 2008, 8×8″ (approx 203×203 mm).

This is a rare case of me working on a piece for more than one session. Being notoriously impatient, I tend to prefer to get a drawing completed within a day of starting. This was a deliberate effort for me to try and develop more patience. This painting was developed over the space of a few months, one layer at a time. I’m not sure how successful it is - I am an amateur painter!

It was inspired by a photograph of a humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, and started around the time that the Australian news was dealing with the issue of whales being killed in our territory, against our laws. In Australia, whales are generally considered a vital part of the oceanic ecosystem, so it cause quite a stir when all these animals were being locally slaughtered earlier this year. Strangely enough, at the same time I have been reading the classic piece of literature, Moby Dick. I have found it a fascinating snapshot into human perspectives regarding whales - not to mention all the other deep themes explored in the text. The chapter devoted to arguing that whales are fish, not mammals, was particularly interesting. I wondered if perhaps describing whales as fish alleviates the burden of massacres when these intelligent, family-living, social creatures are cut to pieces.

More information -

- you might find the Animal Liberation Victoria website an interesting source of information regarding the 2008 slaughter of whales in Australian waters. Try http://alv.org.au/storyarchive/0607seashepherd/seashepherd.php or search for “whaling” at http://alv.org.au/.

- The Australian Government has online information regarding Australian legal policy directed towards cetacean conservation. Go to http://www.environment.gov.au/coasts/species/cetaceans/index.html.

(Links accessed 27 April 2008 10.46 am Australian Eastern Standard Time)

I love giraffes. I thought this one was pretty!

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Now playing: A Perfect Circle - The Hollow (Live at America West Arena, Phoenix June 2000)
via FoxyTunes

This was inspired  by an example in an art tutorial book. I used pencil pastels, they are effectively pencils with hard pastel in them. Using the shavings from the pastel enabled me to blend the colours together, and sharper lines and detail were made using the pencil pastels as pencils… I hope that makes sense!

The book I used is, as far as I know, English, so I tried to create a more Australian feel in my drawing. After all, I’ve never been to England; and I grew up in rural Australia. So it makes sense to me to draw what I know!

Sunday 3 February 2008 -

At the local National Park. NP’s are great ways of experiencing the Australian bushland.

Saturday 19 January 2008 - 6.07 pm

Sitting at church, in the Kids’ Church room supervising one of my children. I was probably not called to children’s ministry. Other people’s kids scare me…

Can barely hear the sermon over the sound of screaming kids!

Friday 18 January 2008 - 11.57 pm

Reading a book about the End Times. That is, the end of the world as foretold by the prophets and Jesus. Scary stuff, but with a good ending!

9.57 pm - Monday 14 January 2008

The neighbour’s cat had kittens, and they play in our driveway. They’re so cute.  I love cats… and dogs… and rabbits… and ponies… and cattle… and, well, I like animals. Simple as that - probably why I became a vegetarian (that was back in 1995 … still veg!)

Monday 7 January 2008 - 8.55pm

The disease* has become a prison. I can’t step outside. I hate the sickness so much. I hope there’s a cure.

Having an ok day… Spring cleaning in mid-summer. Better late than never!

~My House~

(these trees become polleny in December [allergenic])

(when this plant flowers I end up lying in emergency ward in hospital)

(these trees are poisonous)

(shed)

*I have serious allergy problems. They’re potentially life threatening and no one knows what causes them.

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A PS - looks like my body’s recovered from most of whatever the problem was. I still have allergy problems but not as severe as before.