Although the last few days we have had blue skys, a calm ocean and warm winds, earlier in the week the sky was spectacular. Rolling storm clouds, lightning and thunder were the norm for a while. I took this photo in the Mullumbimby Industrial Estate before the storm hit. Out of interest - I found some incredible storm photos on an Australian site called Downunder Chasing. Anthony Cornelius is a storm chaser and meteorologist for Weatherwatch. You can see his photos at: 
http://downunderchase.com/duc/photo-gallery.html

We drove through pouring rain today to get to Suvira McDonald's studio sale of pottery and ceramic sculpture. The drive through the hills on the way to Goonengerry was spectactular. Tunnels of trees, laden in mist and moss, shaded the pot-holed road. 
Suvira's work is fantastic, and we left with a small platter and bowl. You can visit Suvira's website and see images of his work at http://www.suviramcdonald.com/

I'm working on a portrait - A drawing of the teepee I photographed above, is to be an element of the portrait.
The teepee seemed to work well in black and white. The dark background and tonal changes on the canvas, seem to stand out well in black and white. I'll post a picture once I'm finished.

 

I first heard a Rodriguez album when I was sharing a house in Sydney in 2000. One of my housemates was from South Africa, which happens to be the only place in the world where Rodriguez sold a lot of records; becoming a cult figure from the 70's when his albums were written, to the 90's when he first toured South Africa. 
The South Africans originally thought he had died in tragic circumstances, but for almost 20 years he was working in construction in Detroit, oblivious to his popularity abroad. 
The story of Rodriguez; his failing career in America and subsequent revival; the story of his family and his philosophy, is very well told in the recent Oscar winning doco "Searching for Sugarman".
I took the photo above at the Byron Bay Blues Fest last Friday, and feel privileged to have seen him perform.  
 

Trapeze artists and acrobats entertained the crowds between the main gigs at Blues Fest. Quality food stalls also provided a great break from the music. 

Although the rain came down fairly heavily in the evening the Good Friday at Blues Fest, was really good.
Rodriguez was fantastic. At 70 his voice is still quite strong and he had a few pearls of wisdom to pass on to the huge crowd. Joan Armatrading belted out the hits - and showed off her guitar brilliance.
Ben Harper was as cool as ever, and a big crowd pleaser was a duet with Xavier Rudd towards the end of his set. We also saw some good Aussie acts: Skipping Girl Vinegar and Leonardo's Bride. I caught a guitar solo and a drum solo from Santana and his band. (pictured above: the Mojo tent, before the rain began).  

I just finished this piece for a local furniture maker Jye, and his partner Gaye. It includes one of Jye's woodworking jigs. A lot of the other wood offcuts I use come from their workshop in Byron. They will be missed by the Byron Shire as they are setting up in Tasmania in the coming weeks.   

Craig Bennett's new show "Second Time Around" opened at Arthouse Gallery this week. 
I had a look at the show early in the morning on the opening day and it was fantastic. Lots of beautiful wall pieces, one sculpture on a plinth and some framed collages. I have always been a big fan of Craig's and this show is a great example of his brilliance in composition and his masterful ability to make found materials dance and sing to a fascinating rhythm.  
You can get details and images at: http://www.arthousegallery.com.au

My show has opened at Tweed River Art Gallery.  It runs until April 14 and I'm giving a floor talk on Sunday March 17 at 1pm. The show includes photos, drawing and sculpture. For more images of work in the show have a look at the "Current Show" tab on my website. Thanks very much to everyone who helped me prepare and hang this show (particularly Grant Parke), and thanks to everyone who could make it to the opening, especially Richard Weinstein for a great opening speech (and my Dad who came all the way from Singapore). Thanks to everyone who is able to visit the show or checkout my website - thanks for your support. Dave x 

We hung my show at Tweed River Art Gallery yesterday. This is one of the pieces I finished in the last few days, inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's swimming pool at the Fallingwater house. The exhibition opens this Friday at 6pm, although you can preview from Wednesday March 4.