After a month in the USA I have seen lots of inspirational art. I particularly loved the time I spent in National Portrait Gallery in Washington. It set me in mind of doing some portrait work myself. Like anything that you want to do and do well you have to PRACTICE.
It was not hard to find subjects as our house has been filled with an annual dose of Tour de France fever. Here are my 6 subjects, all inspired by Timm Kolln's wonderful portraits of cyclists. He captured them on film just after they have completed gruelling races. I have done quick black and while images with oil on linen.
With the space race in full flight by the mid-1960s, stepping outside an orbiting capsule and seeing what would happen became a massive hurdle to leap. The brave USA astronaut to make this great leap was Edward White, on June 3, 1965 - 47 years ago this week, as part of the Gemini space program.
The extra-vehicular activity (EVA) started at 19:45 UT (3:45 p.m. EDT) on Gemini IV's third orbit, when White opened his hatch and used the hand-held maneuvering oxygen-jet gun to push himself out of the capsule. The EVA started over the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii and lasted 23 minutes, ending over the Gulf of Mexico. Initially, White propelled himself to the end of the 8 meter tether and back to the spacecraft three times using the hand-held gun. After the first three minutes the fuel ran out and White maneuvered by twisting his body and pulling on the tether.
I have painted his first moments in space, hurtling at 17,000km/h above the USA. The photographs on which it is based were taken by Commander James McDivitt.
Ed White died in the tragic fire on board Apollo 1 in 1967. One of the bravest ever.
Uncertainty Oil on Canvas 1230mm x 1230mm Melbourne 2012
Here is a sentimental piece of work. It was my Mother's 80th birthday recently and I painted this for her. It is from a photo taken in 1965 with Mum and the six of us in the snow in Ohakune. I love the way she looks so lovely and all of her children look so dopey. That's me - the chubby one on the right.
