Rock near Cowra- Oil Sketch

I followed a Wedge Tail Eagle to this place. Knowing it would take me somewhere special…and it certainly did.  Sometimes surrendering to the imagination can lead me to the most magical experiences. The way these wonderful birds soar and sail through the sky is truly mesmerizing.  Their freedom is my freedom. Seeing them releases me. They stir my awareness. Like  ancient memories flooding into my being. The present moment becoming so full and sweet it could only be a dream. These moments are glimpses of eternity. Then, like the Eagle they drift out of reach until they are just a speck in the sky …and then they are gone. Until the next time, this painting is a reminder.

Hillside near Cowra- Oil sketch 8x10

It is wonderful to be free to take a walk in a place like this.

Freedom to wonder.

Be enchanted.

To connect.

Feed the soul.

Calm the  mind.

Feel.

See.

Experience and appreciate.

Recharge.

Vanishing Point- Oil sketch

Finns- Oil sketch 8x10 Oil on canvas

This is the where I live. Home. In fact, in the Wiradjuri language, ‘Canowindra’ means home. I do many paintings of Canowindra and the surrounding landscape. Although on the surface nothing seems to happen here (some say this is what Canowindra is famous for), the one constant thing that can be observed is change. The light, the mood and the flow of energy. This town has a life force of its own. I find it inspiring and beautiful. As well as its significance to the Wiradjuri people, the town has an interesting history which includes bushrangers and I am sure that many of their descendants are walking the street today. The main street has many bends in it as it evolved along the original bullock track not far from a crossing on the Belubula River. It is a place I know well but everyday I see something new.

Monuments- Oil sketch

Paintings are interesting things really. Funny things. Sometimes they can say more about the artist than the subject. For me painting is not just a thing to do, it’s more like a process that i can’t not do. I always look at paintings and wonder why they were painted. What was driving the artist. Of all things, why this?

I am enjoying painting these small oil sketches as part of  ‘Mudita’, I am moving through a lot of ideas more quickly and this is refreshing. This old car and collapsed house  are a  great example of how a subject can call to an artist. Perhaps paintings are self portraits – of things that they see / feel about themselves. This is me. Standing my ground, exposed, earthy, defiant, and growing in character and beauty as time passes.

Standing Still -Oil sketch

There are certain places that invoke a sense of wonder in me. Sydney Central Station and  Lygon Street in Melbourne are those kind of places. They are like moody characters that hold your attention because you are uncertain about what’s going to happen next. Even when nothing is happening it is interesting because you know that something might.  I almost find them overwhelming and yet I am captivated by the light, forms, activities, the aliveness and colours. They defy reason for being. They just are.

Such a place is Silverton, in Out Back NSW. This is a harsh and unforgiving landscape and where once there was a prosperous mining town, there is now the occasional stone and tin ruin slowly sinking back to the earth. The slowness and the inevitabile decay of  these very humble dwellings  brings me sharply into the present moment. No things are permanent.

Nice idea Matt.

One of my paintings, ‘Game’, is currently on display on the exterior wall of the Orange Regional Art Gallery as part of  ‘Art Alfresco 2′

'Game' by David Isbester

It will be going up for auction  by Sotheby’s on the 26th June 7pm at the Orange Regional Gallery along side works by Lucy Buttenshaw and Heather  Vallance.

Photo by Kay Greenhill

I’ve never been one for keeping a journal but I realise now that I need to connect the seemingly random events that occur in my life with my ever changing philosophy which also seems random but in a different way. Somewhere in this, I’m quite sure, my artwork is related also. We’ll see in good time I guess.

I’m thinking at this moment that what might be of interest, to me and you maybe, is not the actual events themselves or my final understanding but the dreamlike and perhaps paradoxical link between them. There may be some value in finding these connections, or at least exploring how amazing and complex, or unrelated and ridiculous, or simple and obvious, or contradictory and perplexing they may be.

So here it is. This Blog. My Journal…and how I came to be sitting here writing it.

A month or so ago I received an email from Alexander Hayes,  offering to help me learn to build a web2.0 website. I didn’t even know what web2.0 was, who he was or why he would want help me. I admit, I was sceptical. But at the same time I felt very excited that someone was interested in helping me achieve something that seemed to be beyond my capabilities.

Time to do some research, I thought.

Google… Alexander Hayes…flicked through website, OK …he’s an Educator…lives not far away. That explains a fair bit… clicked on some links as you do…found some things he is into. EduPoV…Eh! Wow! cool. Googled PoV …I’d never heard of any of this before. I kept clicking links and clicking back, reading stuff, looking at pictures moving more and more away from his website but still following threads of stuff he is into …and then I clicked on this video.

Intuitively I now had a good idea of where he was coming from, and why he may be interested in me and what I am doing with the gallery.

So I did reply to his email, met with him and I’m so glad I did, we built the bones of the site and here I am writing about it . In it. With much gratitude to Alex and Pinky.

photo diary 20-05-2009

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This is like a Scrap Book of things I find about drawing. I will add to it I go.

Firekites – AUTUMN STORY – chalk animation from Lucinda Schreiber on Vimeo.