SALT SURF & SAND

A new exhibition at the Byron Bay Library. It runs from 27 May till 30Aug.

The Rusty Plank

About a year ago friend Jim Blower and myself decided to enter the 2016 Swell Sculpture Festival held every year at Currumbin Beach on the Gold Coast in southern Queensland.

A surfboard made of steel?

Combining our creative and sculptural expertise we decided to build a 3.7 metre surfboard out of steel. The whole concept came together through our passion for surfing, sculpture and of course steel.

Forged from cor-ten steel and weighing over 130kg. we have spent close to 100 hours creating our vision for this years, Swell Sculpture Festival.

The festival is in it’s 14^th year and has 48 artworks displayed on the Currumbin beach from 9^th till the 18^th of September.

Starting to add cor-ten steel to frame.

Finished deck…. love that curve.

Jim finishing the bottom.

Sanding the rails.

Delivering to festival site.

The Swell Sculpture Festival, Currumbin. Gold Coast  2016.

"Men of Steel"

Jim and me.

BOTANICALS. New artworks by Potts & Anne Leon @ The D-bar Gallery, Coollangatta. Qld.

                                           
The theme for this show came about when we realised we are both working independently with Australian plants and nature. Through we have very different styles and approaches to our subject, our work sits well together, and is complementary.
What makes this show unique, is the fact that we have taken a very traditional genre, 'Botanical Studies', and given this timeless subject a contemporary feel, by implementing techniques that stretch traditional use, and combine to give the viewer a fresh look at plants, flowers and the natural world.
The scale of the flowers in Potts' work reflect a joyous re-interpretation of this timeless fascination man has with botany.
Annes' works display a new way of allowing plants to imprint onto paper by extracting the juices and tannins of the plant, through a cooking process, leaving a delicate buy defined "eco-print".

  

My fascination in oversized plants & flowers has led me to create this new body of work, which draws on my Graphic background, but injected with a passion for Pop Art. A bit like Margaret Preston goes Pop! Wood block printing meeting silkscreen printing.
My original artwork is drawn on 'scrapper board at 1/4 the size of the proposed finished art. I then enlarge the artwork and photographically expose it onto a silkscreen. From there I print & hand colour the work on canvas.This whole process gives the finished work the look of an over-sized, textured, wood-block print.

    

POSTBOARDS -- wooden postcards. A new business project

The Story

Husband and wife creative team, Graham (Potts) Porter and Anne Leon have integrated their time honed skills: Potts’  graphic design background with Anne’s many years of screen printing experience, to produce a unique range of timber postcards.

They design, print and produce their Postboards from their studio in Mullumbimby, NSW, employing sustainable eco practices, which are the driving force behind their products: timber from renewable plantation resources and solvent free water based inks, are used in production.

The graphics are designed to capture an iconic Vintage look of places, cities and natural environs, from around Australia.

Each POSTBOARD is a hand-printed piece of art, capturing the essence of Australia!

At Lord Howe Island in June 2016, designing a Postboard for the island's museum shop.

PRODUCT RANGE TO DATE….

C O A S T a group show at the NRCG Ballina NSW Australia

Andrew Wells, Rusty Miller and Potts at the opening night.

Mural Kings Court Reserve, Lennox Head. NSW Australia

On the 22-10-14 I blogged that I was waiting final approval to start painting a mural that has been commissioned by the Ballina Shire Council. Approval & funding came though at the end of April this year and painting commenced mid May. I stopped at the end of May for a 10 day holiday in Bali with family. On our return I finished the painting on the 2nd. July after a few hold ups with bad weather.

Manchester United "The Last United Supper"

The Last United Supper

A few years a go I was asked by a friend to do a surfboard design of the Last Supper with Jesus and his disciples dressed in Hawaiian shirts. Last year I relooked at this image and decided to take it further into the 21th Century.
This in turn lead me into conversation (over a few beers) with my mate Jim, who is a huge Liverpool supporter. He told me Manchester United are the most supported football team in the world and dared me to take the Last Supper idea and make the MU team the Disciples with Sir Alex Fergusion as Jesus.
And I think I got close…

These posters are now for sale at my Etsy Shop. Just click on the Etsy logo on your right and that will take you to my shop 'Pottsprints".

If there is any problems or the shop is out of stock, just email me.

The Last Surfer