Waiting For The Tide
2013
Acrylic on Canvas
100 x 70cm

During the full moon tides were extreme, fish seemed to be frightened off and people became erratic in behaviour. My father told me that the energy given off was very powerful and he told me it was better to be quiet and be still at these times to take this energy in.

Hauling In The Sea Mullet
2013
Acrylic on Canvas
102 x 76cm

My father and his crew dragging net on the beach hoping to get sea Mullet. Winter time the sea Mullet travelled north so conditions on the beach were cold and rainy but there was big money to be made catching sea mullet.

Mud Crabbing At Night
2013
Acrylic on Canvas
100 x 70cm

During the school holidays my cousins would take me to our Ukerhab Island to catch mud crabs and my cousins would have to steal gapples we’d try and find crab holes on the low tide and try and pull crabs out of the hole then my cousin would cook them on the camp fire.

Standing In The Rain
2013
Acrylic on Canvas
122 x 140cm

I loved going to the beach. When it rained I would stand there looking at the rain clods coming across the water and passing over the beach completely soaking me. I had such a strong affinity with water it seemed to nourish my soul.

Spotting For Sea Mullet
2013
Acrylic on Canvas
120 x 100cm

In winter time the sea mullet would travel north for spawning. The local fishermen got excited cause there was good money to be made from catching sea mullet. I would go on to the high sand dunes with my dad, hoping to spot a patch of mullet travelling along the shore. The weather was cold and rainy but it was my fathers livelihood. He had to do it to make a living.

Wolf Whistles
2013
Acrylic on Canvas
90 x 60cm

When I’d take my girlfriend down to the beach my cousin would be hiding in the sand dune and would be cooing and wolf whistling at us.

Oystering With My Parents
2013
Acrylic on Canvas
92 x 61cm

This painting is of me, my mother and father “oystering” at the rivers mouth. When I was young I’d go oystering with my parents, they’d open oysters to make money and us kids would get a good feed of oysters.

My Hearts Beacon
2013
Acrylic on Canvas
120 x 100cm

When my father would go out fishing at night I would worry about him being ok and would send a little pray out to him, imagining him surrounded by light.

Crabbing With My Sister
2013
Acrylic on Canvas
102 x 76cm

This painting I would go help my sister check her crab pots. Summer was the best time of year for mud crabs. My sister caust mud crabs and sold them to make extra money. She had seven children to feed. She would give me a couple of crabs to eat for helping her out.

Waiting By The Campfire
2013
Acrylic on Canvas
92 x 61cm

After my father and uncle had set their nets in the river they would come back to camp and start a fire to keep warm and boil water for a cup of tea. They might have a sleep before they went back ou to check if there’s any fish caught in their nets.

Kids Digging For Pippis
2013
Acrylic on Canvas
122 x 40cm

We kids were always at the beach swimming and digging for pippis. It was second nature even if you didn’t get any pippis you still had fun with your friends.

Stars Brighter
2013
Acrylic on Canvas
130 x 70cm

This painting is called starbright. When I was young I would sneak out the back door and go down to the beach at night and stare at the stars. Years later my sister told me she used to do the same thing. I think she also got a lot of peach from star gazing.

Night Fishing
2013
Acrylic on Canvas
102 x 71cm

This painting is of my parents, my aunty and uncle fishing in the Southport Broadwater. They would use two boats and nets to haul fish into the boats. Fish were a lot more plentiful back then when my father and uncle were in their prime.

Far Away
2012
Acrylic on Canvas
120 x 100cm

This painting shows me looking back to shore and the discomfort I’ve felt when I’vw been in boats a t sea looking back to the shoreline so far away.

Night Fishing
2012
Acrylic on Canvas
122 x 90cm

This painting is of my mother and father, pulling in a fishing net onto the beach at night time. My mother did a lot of fishing with my father who was a professional net fisherman.

Crab-Catcher
2012
Acrylic on Canvas
120 x 80cm

This painting is of me and my dad setting crabbing pots in the river. Every summer, we would go crabbing. It was how he supplemented his income in the off season, when fish were scarce.

Spirit View
2012
Acrylic on Canvas
150 x 100cm

This painting is of me when I started my schooling at a Catholic School at Coolangatta. The school was on a hill looking at the ocean. It was very comforting this view for me, as I didn’t like school, the view often got me through.

Beach Fishing
2012
Acrylic on Canvas
100 x 50cm

This painting is called Beach Fishing. My brother would take me fishing at the beach. He did most of the fishing and I mostly got tangled up in fishing line. It was only the rare times I got to spend time with my brother when he took me fishing with him.

Dad's Life Jacket
2012
Acrylic on Canvas
100 x 50cm

This painting is about the stabilising effect my mother had on my father. Swh was his bouy keeping him afloat through many a storm

Patience
2012
Acrylic on Canvas
100 x 50cm

This painting is of me and my father waiting for fish to travel up river. My father did a lot of this fishing at night. We would wait for hours for fish to come past us. I would lie in the boat waiting.

Pippying
2012
Acrylic on Canvas
122 x 90cm

This painting is of me and my mother and father “pippying” at the beach. Pippis were a staple food in my community and winter time was the best time of year to go. Sometimes there would be a couple of families that would go. The women would clean and cook the pippis in big pots as there were lots of mouths to feed.