A major Solo Exhibition of 14 large portraits of Local Farmers and 9 working dogs. This series was my biggest undertaking thus far and took a year to complete. Shown at MAMA, Albury’s regional Gallery and my home town The portraits of highland farmers aptly named “The Disappearing Farmer:” highlighted the importance of small family farms and how they are increasingly becoming rare due to a number of reason.. The successful series was well received, so much so they extended the exhibition. After Albury the works then returned home to be Exhibited at The Cosmopolitan Hotel (The only place big enough in town for the show) The building was perfect, in the centre of town and a beautiful historic building. On opening night the Pub was jammed packed with farmers and local alike. A night i will not forget, and one of the farmers came up thanked me for acknowledging them and that they hadn’t been forgotten, It was wonderful to watch these usually modest people bask in this new found recognition they so thoroughly deserved.

These large portraits are oil on primed Caravaggio linen as it’s a fine material similar to primed paper so wont aggravate my skin when i blend in with my hands. With the use of fingers as brushes, blades and erasers I created different marks and textures. This is lightly applied to give the illusion of transparency. This is to symbolises the farmers disappearing from the canvas gradually showing the pencil mark of an unfinished work.