Animals

Pastel on Pastelmat Card (Sold)

87cm W x 67 cm H

The Australian Cattle Dog (also known as Blue or Red Heelers) was developed for its ability to drive cattle over long distances in the harsh Australian Outback. It is now considered the best breed in the world for this task. It is a sturdy, muscular, compact dog capable of great speed, agility and strength, when required. It will create a strong bond with its owner, typically resulting in the dog never being too far from the owner’s side. The Australian Cattle Dog can be the friendliest of companions, although as it is quick to respond to the emotions of its owners, it will typically be very protective of them and may defend them without waiting for a command. All these combinations make it an excellent farm dog, working when required and caring for the children, keeping them safe from snakes and other “intruders”. In this image, the quintessential Aussie farmer is not gushy with his dog, just a gentle touch on her head tells her she has done a “good Job”.

Pastel on Colour Fix Art Spectrum paper ($POA)

39 cm W x 58 cm H
The Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial, and an integral part of the Australian bush. They usually sleep for 20 hours a day, perched high up in eucalyptus trees. Their diet consists exclusively of these leaves, considered poisonous to most other animals. The word ‘Koala’ is thought to mean ‘no drink’ in the Australian Aboriginal language, however koalas do drink especially during heatwaves and in times of drought. Koalas are in serious danger of becoming extinct by 2050 due to deforestation, drought and bushfires.
This little guy is “Arni”, a northern koala (their fur is shorter and more silvery-grey than their southern cousins). He is a lovely gentle male, almost in his prime, who happily resides at the Byron Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, in northern NSW.

Graphite on Arches paper ($POA)

42 cm W x 63 cm H
The African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana)  is considered endangered,  threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, and poaching for the illegal ivory trade. African elephants have grey folded skin up to 30 mm thick that is covered with sparse, bristled dark brown to black hair. The trunk is a prehensile elongation of its upper lip and nose, manipulated by about 40,000–60,000 muscles and so strong that elephants can use it for lifting about 3% of their own body weight. They use it for smelling, touching, feeding, drinking, dusting, producing sounds, loading, defending and attacking. This artwork focuses on the skin, trunk and tusk of a large bull and attempts to convey the immense size and strength of these magnificent creatures.

Watercolour on Arches paper ($POA)

30 cm W x 33 cm H
Being the favourite prey of lions, zebras must always be alert, and often stand head to tail to keep an eye on the terrain all around them. Naturally when they stand this way, they can also give each other a good scratch on the rump, and with their tails constantly swishing, help chase flies away from each other’s faces.

Pastel on Canson paper (Sold)

63 cm W x 48 cm H
Little Bent-wing Bats (Miniopterus australis) roost in caves, mine tunnels and tree hollows, often in colonies numbering in the hundreds. Common Bent-wing Bats are often found roosting alongside them. Like all microbats, Little Bent-wing Bats also feed on small insects that fly beneath the canopy of thick forests. They are agile fliers, having to manoeuvre through the trees to catch their prey. Female Little Bent-wing Bats have a single baby in summer. They leave their babies in nursery caves at night to go and hunt, returning in the morning. These bats are also vulnerable to disturbance from human visitors to cave roosts, destruction of caves by limestone mining, and loss of feeding habitat by forestry operations, clearing and land degradation from agriculture.
I enjoyed creating this artwork although I found it challenging controlling the pastel dust fallout on the black paper and counting all those heads, making sure everything aligned correctly.