The golden age of travel In today's world of advanced technology and electronic gadgets, there's a certain charm in reflecting upon the origins of toys that captivated hearts and minds in a bygone era. With their simple yet elegant designs, tinplate toys have a unique...

My Sketchbook When people open a sketchbook, they expect the first image to be fantastic and a captivating book of art that draws them in from the beginning, every page a masterpiece of finished art. But for me, my sketchbooks are a world apart from that expectation....

Our tail-wagging friend Ten years ago, my partner Jo made a persuasive argument that our lives were missing something fundamental—a four-legged, tail-wagging friend. I, on the other hand, was sceptical. I wasn't quite ready for the responsibilities of a pet. After...

Temptation In Ross Jones' painting "Temptation," the artist captures a poignant moment in the life of Alice, his 10-year-old Labradoodle. The scene portrays Alice marooned in a tree hut, yearning for her prized tennis ball lying out of her reach. The late afternoon...

At what point did I start to think of myself as a fine artist? I started as a freelance Illustrator in the early 1990s. After 17 years of work as a commercial artist and all the challenges and frustrations that come with the advertising and design industry, I decided...

Special Guest Painting #2 Not everything is as it seems with our flowers; according to several scientific reports, the calla lily is not a true lily, and this flower has a great story.In the language of flowers, calla lilies mean "beauty." The name derives from the...

Solitude A Journey through Stillness"Solitude" is a story that combines a seemingly perfect place and a common event. Like all good stories, not everything is as it seems. The antique pond yacht, adorned with a classic white hull and elegant green stripes, rests...

Prized Possessions "Prized Possessions" is a captivating painting exploring the intriguing world of collectors. One person's junk is another's treasure. With a combination of realism, imagination and using the trompe l'oeil style, the artist portrays a variety of...

What Now? Ten years ago, my partner Jo said we needed a dog in our lives. I wasn't convinced, so we compromised and we got a dog. Alice, the labradoodle, arrived several weeks later by plane from Christchurch, a little ball of soft cuddly fur, she was the Energiser...

Introducing my new painting "Sea Breeze" I purchased this stunning example of an early 20th-century gaff-rigged pond yacht from John Stephens Antiques in Remuera early this year. Dating from the 1920s this Yacht is of medium size. 1350mm(L) x 1400mm(H) x 240mm(D)....

  Two of my earlier paintings, “Special Guest” and “Surprise”, have been in my private collection since 2009. They are the 2nd and 3rd artworks in my journey to reach 100 paintings. Both are now on display for purchase at Boyd-Dunlop Gallery in Napier. These paintings...

There is something magical about clockwork toys. The engineering is superb. Here are two of my tinplate windup toys. Both are about 17 inches long and are built for speed. I have featured Lionels Tinplate No 1-44 Toy boat. The 1 prefix denotes that this model is a...

The Rocket and city background were made for each other it has the 1960's science fiction feel which I had been looking for. I also wanted to show the toys scale, the Bumblebee was the perfect subject to contrast the man made toy and nature. The delicate detail of the...

I have featured Schucos amazing Nautico electric motor yacht is this painting titled "The Captain". This model is made of sheet metal and plastic. Coloured in white, blue and maroon, with a compass in the front deck so you know where you're going. I can remember...

Backyard cricket First slip or leg slip? are you a righty or a lefty? Backyard cricket and BBQs it's a summer thing. Chances are most kids have played the game in one form or another during their lives. The great thing was you really didn't need much in the way of...

The iconic Volkswagen Karmann Ghia recreated in the 70s the "Sedan" MF-743 VW Vintage Tin Toy Friction toy car. Made in China of tinplate and plastic, this 20 cm toy is a lovely example of toymakers capturing the essence of the model while not getting lost in the...

Line Honours Nothing is more peaceful and graceful than a pond yacht gliding its way through still waters. Pond Yacht racing reached a peak of activity in the 1930s, with many models built at home by craftspeople turning a hobby into an art form. The popularity of...

Destination Moon, Oil on linen, H 125cm W 95cm Inspired by the original movie poster. Destination Moon (a.k.a. Operation Moon) is a 1950 American Technicolor science fiction film.

Here's a chance to buy one of my smaller paintings: signed/dated oil on hardboard 10 layers of gesso sanded to a smooth base painted off a rich dark base A lovely study full of detail 47.5 cm x 37.5 cm (framed) $6500.00 nzd plus shipping email...

Shimmer is the 2nd print released in 2017 and has captured the fantastic colours that Giclee printing is best known for. Paper size is 71 x 84 cm Image size 50 x 66 cm Release date 21/4/17 Edition size 49