Sustainability and Art

Sustainability has found its way into my life in a pretty organic way — not through some grand plan, but more through habit, curiosity, and a bit of scavenging.

If you’ve looked closely at the work, you might notice I’ve started noting where the framing materials come from. Truth is, I’ve become a bit of a dumpster diver. A lot of the timber I use is pulled from skips around Avoca — offcuts, old beams, bits of hardwood that have already lived a life before ending up in my hands.

That mindset really started when I built my studio. Almost the entire space is made from recycled materials, pieced together over time. It wasn’t necessarily about being “sustainable” at the start — it just made sense. But somewhere along the way, that approach quietly embedded itself into the work as well.

Now, I’d say about 90% of my frames are recycled.

What I love most is the character in the timber. The patina, the saw marks, the occasional old nail left behind — all those imperfections that tell a story. There’s something grounding about it. When paired with the bold blocks of colour in the paintings, that raw, weathered texture creates a contrast that feels honest and balanced.

It’s not a strict philosophy or a hard rule — more just a way of working that feels right. Using what’s already out there, giving materials a second life, and letting that history become part of the final piece.