"The theme behind this new body of work is colour humour and hopefully optimism in a time when we need it more than ever. These pieces are of a whimsical nature which include retro toys, old cameras and music items from my own home. And of course the star of the show, a jungle of plants and botanical colour. Its hard living in a place like Byron Bay and not be influenced by the diversity of the flora and wild environment that surrounds me everyday. I wanted to go beyond the still life botanical work, and introduce a more personal story. Moving to Byron Bay a few years ago my work was mainly focused on surreal cityscapes and whimsical caravans, new surroundings launched thoughts of new directions. I didn’t want to pursue seascapes and lighthouses, instead I chose a subject that was quite literally staring me in the face. Our garden was somewhat basic, but Byron’s weather means vegetation grows fast, really fast! We planted madly, and this series is inspired by the fruits of that labour- a serene contemplation of form composition and natures incredible beauty." This is our first solo exhibition with NSW artist John Santucci, we are thrilled to welcome these joyful paintings into the Gallery.