Tasmanian Gothic: MY LITTLE PUPPY

14 August 2026

MY LITTLE PUPPY

An exhibition of new paintings at Nolan Art Gallery , Salamanca Arts Centre, Hobart in September 2026

My Little Puppy oil on canvas 30 cm x 30 cm

My Little Puppy is a still-life study of a cheap airport souvenir with one of my collection of creepy dolls. Not particularly intimate. The title, however, could be read as meaning this is my own private undertaking, quite appropriate for the most personal collection I have shown up until now.

These paintings are inspired by my activities over the past year, and include social events, walking trips, nostalgia and a bit of colonial history.

Teddy Bears Picnic oil on canvas 45 cm x 60 cm

Garden Party oil on canvas 71 cm x 56 cm

Night Market oil on canvas 71 cm x 56 cm

Flowers for the Bride oil on canvas 76 cm x 61 cm

Last year I spent a week on the west coast exploring old mine sites and visiting waterfalls.

Admiring the Relics oil on canvas 40 cm x 50 cm

The Way to the Waterfall oil on canvas 56 cm x 71 cm

There is a historic hut at Twilight Tarn in Mt Field National Park. A century ago enthusiastic parties used to walk in from National Park to enjoy a weekend of partying, ski-ing, and skating on the tarn. It doesn’t freeze over these days.

The Track to Twilight Tarn oil on canvas 41 cm x 30 cm

This is the most personal of all these works. Out of curiosity I wrote down all my earliest childhood memories; some of them were very early indeed, according to my mother’s diaries of the time. However, she didn’t mention what is definitely the most personal, from when I was about two years old – licking the pins holding the wheels on this toy train and discovering the unique taste of metal. Although I still have the train, I have not felt the need to repeat the experiment.