Thousands of years after the glaciers melt, we ride up the waters of Lake Chelan. The Stehekin River flows in at the top of the lake at Stehekin, still fed by mountain glaciers. We’re learning to fly fish. Beneath the water of the river are thousands of Kokanee Salmon, getting ready to spawn and die. They’re a brilliant orange. I’ve never seen so many fish … Continue reading Painting with soot and glacial water 水墨
Taking risks sometimes pays dividends. The risk is worth the reward. Other times, they fail terribly. Like at my high school dance. Important lessons from risk-taking The school dance is beach themed. I thought it would be a good idea to make breasts out of coconuts and pink socks, wrap myself in a hibiscus tablecloth and apply red lipstick. I remember looking at myself in … Continue reading Suburban LA life for The Other Art Fair
Here’s the thing – getting a commission from someone is always a little bit tricksy. You go from doing whatever you like, whatever is in your head, to creating something for a specific person with specific tastes for a specific environment. Even though many benefactors will say ‘Do whatever you like!”, you can’t not be influenced by them. You want them to like what you … Continue reading Finding your twin is not easy
There’s some things we keep going back to again and again as an artist. For me, it’s memories of my childhood. I can’t quite pin my finger on why, other than it’s formed who I am as an adult. I truly believe we carry our childhood all our lives and when we meet people as adults we still greet them as a child looking out from within our … Continue reading Letting the inner child loose
Sebastian was an early Christian martyr killed in 288 in Rome on orders from the Roman emperor Diocletian. He was at first tied to a tree and shot with arrows, but after surviving that attack, he was clubbed to death by Diocletian’s soldiers. If you haven’t seen Hunger of the Pines by Alt J, take a look at their video, there’s a strange surging melancholy … Continue reading Why is Saint Sebastian the sexiest of all saints?
When I lived in New York, I worked in an ad agency on Madison Avenue, just around the corner from MOMA and St Patrick’s Cathedral. Just like all things New York, the advertising agency I worked in was competitive, the best idea always won. The trick was coming up with the best idea. Sometimes in desperation I would escape onto the streets looking for inspiration. Sometimes I’d … Continue reading Reuniting old faces. Ben Quilty is always fresh; the man we love to love @AWMemorial
I’ve decided to go back to school and learn to draw all over again. After spending 20 years in the mad world of advertising, my drawing skills became institutionalised. They became kind of pictionary-esque quick-draws to get an idea across as quickly and simply as possible. It’s a joy to step back into school, at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra and pick … Continue reading Back to basics, re-learning to draw
We had friends visiting with two gorgeous girls last weekend and they listen to everything that’s happening, even if they don’t react. Anyway, our new puppy got into the chicken shed and found an old dried rat that had probably died of rat poison. She picked it up and ran away with it. Of course, when I tried to get it off her, she thought … Continue reading Ray shouts at Trim with poison rat
Ray Monde 