I just got promoted.
One of my photos (well two actually) has just been used to promote the home page of the Photo Art Gallery (a.k.a. PhArt Gallery)

Come see my complete portfolio here: http://www.photoartgallery.com/artist/doublehelix

The rest of my work can of course be found here: http://www.redbubble.com/people/doublehelix

I was lucky enough to attend the Star Wars experience exhibition before it finished here at the ScienceWorks museum in Melbourne last week.

Here are some shots from the show:

I’ve been spending a lot of time looking at photography and art lately in a bid to immerse myself in some sort of creative release (see: Bubbles of Inspiration), and I’ve come to a few realisations – firstly, I’ve finally figured out my genre. I like dark moody imagery, with personality… Abandoned buildings, dark portraits and the like. There are so many fantastic artists and photographers out there, (a lot of them in Melbourne too!), that it can sometimes feel like your a bit of an amateur in comparison, but rest assured there will always be someone out there that will recognise your work as creative and passionate, and enjoy it in their own way.

So, I suppose I’ve realised that I can’t disregard my own work as quickly as I have been known to in the past. I decided to post a picture I took of some reeds, not my most favourite subject, but the composition was sound, so I put it online anyway. Very quickly it was commented on, and even added as a favourite image by someone I consider a very good artist themselves. It was a bit of an eye opener. I know that everyone has their own tastes, but we can’t deny ourselves the possibility that even experimentation with art may be very well received.

By the same note, you can’t be so critical of art. It’s all about fun and passion. If someone creates something, it’s because they wanted to or needed to. It doesn’t really matter what it is, or what it means. If only one person appreciates it in their own way, the creation hasn’t been in vain. People object and critique too quickly. To have an opinion is one thing, to criticise is another. I’m so very happy that I found a group of like-minded artists and photographers that all appreciate art in the exact same way I do… They appreciate it for themselves! They love to create, they love to discover and they love to share. There’s no animosity or belligerence, just creativity, passion, hospitality, and encouragement!

If only the rest of the work could work like that.

Well I’ve finally been inspired to publish a little of my photographic work from the past few years. Not much up there so far, but I’ve been posting to this new Australian built website, Red Bubble (http://www.redbubble.com/), for artists and photographers to showcase their work. The people there are extremely friendly, helpful and supportive! Redbubble themselves can offer your work for sale as anything from cards, to laminated photos, to mounted and framed prints.

The community environment that they have created is fantastic. Other members can comment on your work and if you’re lucky enough to get added to someone’s “favourite” list, you start getting quite a bit of exposure. Most of the members on the site are either artists or art connoisseurs, so you’re being critiqued by your piers (or in my case, being an amateur photographer, being critiqued by some rather higher talent than myself), which is nice, mostly because they understand all too well how dedicated you must be, but also how personal art is to someone, so the feedback you receive is not only inspiring but very helpful!

Check out my list of personal favourites, and people to watch.

The Bill Henson exhibiiton closed this week at the National Gallery of Victoria. I was lucky enough to go to the closing party and view his work.

Bill Henson, arguably one of Australias leading contemporary visual artists, has proven his mastry of light and colour with his three decades of photography exhibition.His use of light and dark compares to the traditional styles of the great European masters. Presented were beatiful and often confronting images, portraying life in its simplicity, and complexity.

The exhibition was like taking a hand held journey into the lives of his subjects, and walking down the street with the artist as he picked out interesting features in every day life and explained in his own way why he was fascinated by each one of them. His message was inspiring and emotional