Little Black Wheels

Mick Waters has a new film out. Check it out at littlehouseproductions.com.au. Mick Invited me to be in the film which led to Johnny Abegg and I lucking into a couple of fully sick sessions while filming around our local hood




Mick JAb & Jim


Jim


JAb


one goofyfooter


two goofyfooter

Inretrospect 10

Retrospect Galleries in Byron have a neat new book out called inretrospect 10. It features all their freaky artsists. Bree, the gallery owner, asked me a few questions and showed my answers and some of my art in the book. I'm pretty sure the book is $20 from the gallery or the retrospect website.

Q&A

Right now I am…
Listening to the clock tick and watching shadows move across the floor as the sun rises

The person who has most influenced my art is….
My Dad…He painted western scenes, and the next day he sculpted abstract vases. His paintings were photo perfect realism and his vases were total freedom

My favourite artist is …
More than one - My son Blake…He wakes up at 6am and starts drawing tigers on skateboards and horses surfing. I love my sisters’ early paintings of mountains and trees. My son Colby’s awesome self-portraits. My nephew Luke’s street graffiti

I am at my most creative/productive when…
Creative – when something dramatic happens in my life. Productive – When there are no other people around and it’s midnight

I usually start my day by…
Waking an hour before I need to get up. I lie in bed and stare out the window thinking about my dreams. I like letting my mind go for a walk

I am currently reading….
The Bible, Juxtapoz and The Surfers Journal. That’s all I ever read

The book that changed my life is…
Scuffy the Tugboat

My favourite album of all time is…
There isn’t one, It changes every few years. ’84 was Led Zeppelin, How the west was won, ’94 was Beastie Boys, Check Your Head, 2004 was Ray Lamontagne, Trouble

When I am working I like to listen to…
Birdies chirping

It makes me smile when…
I see my sons happy. When I finish a painting. When I give away money. When Lisa smiles

I get angry about…
Misplacing things. People trying to talk to me when I’m singing

My three most valued possessions are…
My tent, my diaries, my laptop (I think)

The three things in life I could never give up are …
Camping, vegemite on toast, daydreaming

If I was stranded on a desert island I would want…
Nothing. Being stranded is something I’ve enjoyed in life. I once slept in a chicken pen for 2 days when I was stranded on the island of Lombok

If I could travel anywhere back and forth in time, I would go …
To Heaven on Thursdays to visit my Dad. To Spain on Fridays to hang out with Salvador Dali

My dream dinner party of six would include….
Aside from my family, I’d have; Duke Kahanamoku, Michael Angelo, Jesus, Sir Edmund Hillary, Brett Whiteley, Dorothy McGee (my faux Grandma from Vaucluse in Sydney)

If it were my party, I would serve…
Homemade pizza and ginger beer, and I’d invite the local homeless people

The achievement I am most proud of is…
Not going crazy. Writing a best selling book

My most embarrassing moment was…
There have been many embarrassing moments, but I love them. Embarrassment is such a cool emotion. It’s very humbling and it passes so quickly

The craziest thing I have ever done was…
Walk and hitch hike across Australia with no money and no food. I got kidnapped

When I die, I would like my gravestone to say…
He was an awesome Dad

I wish I had listened when my parents (my Mum) told me…
Not to listen to Slayer. Note to youth of today: Add a bit of soul to your playlist

I hope my art.….
Is more than just pretty pictures staring back at you

My legacy to the world will be…
My art and books

If I wasn’t an artist I would like to be….
A drifting missionary in Africa


'balance' 2006

Harry

It was the weekend of Splendour in the Grass 2009 and Bree from Retrospect had an idea to host an artist do a live painting out front of the gallery. I'd done this type of thing before, on stage with Dave Rastovich at Twin Towns Coolangatta and as well at Splendour '08. It can be an interesting process interacting with the public and the art as it gets created. I like it. It kinda gives the art life as it evolves.  On this day lots of festival peeps stopped by for a chat and a comment on what I was creating. Amongst the art I purposely included a dollar sign, a crucifix, a heart and a surfboard. I then asked, mostly under 30's, what they would choose. Unfortunately money won. Sometime after lunch Harry the Hat walked by with red sunnies on like mine.

Day of the Dead

Retrospect Galleries in Byron Bay is my artwork home in NSW. They recently had an exhibition called 'Day of the Dead'. The theme was around death and religion. I had 3 days to do a painting for the show. I thought if I stayed up for 2 nights and got to work with my brushes I'd be pretty much dead by the second night and therefore be connected with the theme. I really liked my finished work. I titled it 'sundays (gettin' high on)'. It sold to a young family on opening night. Yeeew!


'sundays (gettin' high on)'

Splendour in The Grass Byron Bay 2008

This was a cool event to be part of. The Splendour honcho's asked four local artists to paint a mural whilst the festival was in full swing. They supplied our gear and gave us a free ticket in (I got my groms in too, they loved it!) I did this piece called 'love is the new drug'. It turned lots of heads and caused a few outbursts.