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A Sense of Place and Presence Explored Through Abstraction in the Portal Series

Updated: Sep 20


Abstract painting with green and blue stripes creating a landscape pattern. Bold, vibrant colors suggest a serene, natural setting.

Beach Access track No.47 at Marcus Beach on the Sunshine Coast, has for me, over the past 20 or so years, become entwined with, and an integral part of, my life journey.


I have walked this particular track hundreds of times, finding it different each time from the last; in all weathers, at different times of the day, in various emotional states, on special occasions and celebratory days with family and friends, and sometimes alone to contemplate events and life happenings.

 

So much of my personal story seems held within the environmental surrounds of this pathway and the section of beach it leads to and I find that my emotional energy shifts each and every time I walk along it.


Having interpreted both visual and sensory aspects of the site from varying perspectives and through employing processes that have included drawing, collage, painting and printmaking, 'Portal' is my response to this place.


This creative endeavor has allowed me to delve deeply into the essence of the location, capturing not just its physical attributes but also the emotional and atmospheric qualities that define it. Through on site drawing, I have sought to capture the contours and textures of the environment, translating the trees in the swale, and the shadows cast by them into a visual language that speaks of both familiarity and discovery.

 

The broader landscape, small environmental details, textures, the interplay of light through the trees and an overall sense of the energy of this place have all been explored through these artworks.

​

There are 20 paintings, prints and collages in this collection.


| All the Promises


All the Promises is a visual journey that begins in the shade of the swale, a place where the sand hills dip as if holding a moment of pause before the terrain unfolds and opens out onto to the expansive vista of the open sea. The work reflects on the promises we make to ourselves and others — some kept, some broken, but all carried with us as every foot print in the sand leaves its mark. The layered forms within the painting suggest both concealment and revelation, echoing how human experience is shaped by both our inner thoughts and those outwardly expressed. This piece invites you to share in the quiet anticipation of what is promised just beyond the horizon.


Mixed Media on Canvas

100cm x 100cm


Abstract painting with green and yellow geometric patterns; vertical lines and overlapping shapes. Bright colors create a vibrant, dynamic feel.

Abstract painting with green and yellow hues on a wall above a wooden sideboard. Candles, ceramics, and books are neatly arranged below.

Original - SOLD


Prints available on request (see below).


| Big Wander


Big Wander echoes the rhythm of the coastline, where shifting tides and sweeping horizons mirror the human urge to explore, drift, and return. The painting speaks to the expansive pull of wandering — not just across landscapes, but through phases of thought, memory, and emotion. These journeys wait patiently at the end of the beach access track offering both an escape and an emotional settling, which is shaped by the ebb and flow of what we seek and what we leave behind.


Mixed Media on Board

30cm x 30cm


Abstract art with blue, green, and white patterns. Leaf-like shapes and geometric forms fill the image, creating a dynamic, layered effect.

Framed abstract painting with blue and green tones on a beige wall. Wooden cabinet below holds baskets, candles, and a tall vase with dry plants.

Original - SOLD


| Brooding


Brooding is a stark black and white monotype that carries the weight of atmosphere and emotion. Its dark, layered forms evoke gathering clouds or shifting shadows, holding a sense of tension and anticipation. The absence of colour sharpens the focus on mood, suggesting the quiet intensity of unresolved thoughts or feelings — a reflection on the human tendency to dwell, linger, and wrestle with what remains in the shadows.


Monotype on paper

19cm x 12cm

1/1


Abstract black and white artwork with a sweeping white arc across a textured black background, resembling brushstrokes and creating dynamic contrast.

Framed black-and-white photo on wall, below is a table with a wicker basket of greenery, white teapot, cups, and gold candle. Minimalist decor.

Original - SOLD


| Dappled


Dappled captures the play of shifting shadows in the swale, where light filled forms appear to scatter across the sand like fragments of memory. This print holds a sense of movement and transience, echoing how fleeting moments of interaction, whether in nature, or in human experience, can leave lasting impressions. It invites you to pause in this in-between space and be present in the moment.


This piece was created by making direct impressions with a Banksia seed pod into a substrate which was then passed through an etching press.


Monoprint on Paper

16cm x 11cm

1/1


Abstract black and white pattern of irregular, scattered leaf-like shapes on a textured background, creating a dynamic, organic visual.
Framed abstract black and white artwork on a textured blue wall. Dark lower section adds contrast. No visible text.


| Emerging


Emerging speaks to the quiet strength of forms coming into being, where shapes rise from layered depths with a sense of renewal. This print captures that fragile yet powerful threshold between concealment and visibility, echoing the human experience of growth, change, and stepping into new phases of life. It suggests a moment of transition, where uncertainty dwells alongside possibility.


Monotype on Paper

12cm x 19cm

1/1


Abstract black and white texture with dynamic brushstrokes. White area on top, dark space below, creates a sense of movement and contrast.

Framed black-and-white photo on gray wall above marble shelf with vase, pine branches, baubles, star ornament, and star-patterned gift.

Original - SOLD


| Fallen


Fallen carries a quiet gravity, its forms suggesting both the beauty and fragility of what has come undone. The painting reflects on cycles of loss and renewal, where collapse is not just an end but a reshaping of what remains. It resonates with the human experience of surrender — moments when we stumble, let go, or are brought low — and the possibility of finding meaning in what rests on the ground before rising again.


Mixed Media on Board

30cm x 30cm



Abstract black-and-white collage with geometric shapes, lines, and textures. Features patterns like leaves and a black circle on the right.

Abstract black and white art hangs on a gray wall above a teal shelf with a hand sculpture, patterned box, and textured bowl.


| Hiding


Hiding is a piece that explores the tension between presence and concealment. The layered landscape forms and deep perspective evoke the human instinct to withdraw, protect, or hold something back. It contemplates the experience of needing to keep parts of ourselves unseen, retreating to the dunes and creating space to tune into the soothing sounds of nature.


Monotype on Paper

19cm x 12cm

1/1


Abstract black and white artwork of sweeping brushstrokes, resembling a crashing wave. Dynamic movement and contrast create intensity.
Black and white abstract photo in a black frame on a white wall, with a woven basket, white vase, and large candle on a white surface.

Original - SOLD


| Into


Into feels like a step across a threshold, drawing the you inward. Layers of collaged texture create subtle shifts in tone suggesting movement from one state of being to another, as if the work itself is an invitation to enter and explore. Its intimate scale heightens the sense of focus, offering a contained space where fragments and materials converge into something whole, yet open-ended. It was inspired by the light filtering through the casuarina trees which line the walkway to the beach.


Mixed Media on Paper

10cm x 10cm


Black and white abstract image with vertical lines and textured patterns. High contrast creates a dramatic, moody atmosphere.
Vintage camera on stacked books, framed art of birch trees on a textured gray wall. Classic and nostalgic ambiance.

Original - SOLD


| Later


Inspired by the slope of the dunes at Marcus Beach, Later is a small artwork that carries for me carries a sense of deep reflection and distance as it's a constant view as you walk along the beach. Its two tone simplicity heightens the weight of what lingers after the event; shadows, impressions, and quiet visual traces of the view absorbed over many years of walking north along the beach.


Monotype on Paper

12cm x 19cm

1/1


Black and white abstract texture with diagonal division; rough, scratched patterns create dynamic contrast between light and dark areas.

Framed abstract art on gray wall, beside potted aloe plant and stack of books on wooden desk. White letter "C" on a gold tray.

Original - SOLD


| Nightwalk


Nightwalk is a painting that captures the stillness and quiet mystery of navigating the beach access track after dark. Deep tones and shifting forms evoke the way familiar landscapes transform under moonlight, becoming both intimate and strange. It suggests a journey inward as much as outward, where each step is guided by instinct and imagination rather than clarity of sight.


Mixed Media on Board

30cm x 30cm



Abstract black and white artwork with geometric shapes, lines, and textures. A small white circle contrasts with dark patterns and angles.

Black and white abstract art piece on a white wall above a wooden bench with patterned pillows featuring text and beach imagery.


| On My Way


On My Way is a painting that speaks to the anticipation of the reward of an ocean view, that lies just beyond the swale. Its forms and colours set the scene for what is to come. echoing the human experience of being in-between; neither at the beginning nor the end of the journey. The work evokes a feeling of possibility and positivity, as if the act of moving forward is itself the destination.


Mixed Media on Board

30cm x 30cm


Abstract landscape painting with patchwork of green, yellow, and blue rectangles. A small yellow circle in blue sky suggests a sun.


Art piece with abstract yellow and green patterns on a wall. Below, a white table holds glass jars, bowls, and flowers in a red vase.

Original - SOLD


| Passage


Passage is a painting that reflects on transition, marking the movement from one state or place to another. Shifts in tone and rhythm suggest both fluidity and threshold, evoking the sense of crossing into new territory. The work carries an undercurrent of contemplation, embodying the gravity of change and of moving through emotional shadows, echoing the changing light along the pathway.


Mixed Media on Board

30cm x 30cm


Abstract artwork with blue and green shapes, black lines resembling trees, and a moon-like circle. Intricate patterns create a textured look.

Artwork with abstract blue, green, and black patterns on a wall. Below, a white table holds stacked books, a glass bulb, and a vase. Minimalist.

Original - SOLD


| Passing Through


Passing Through is a painting that captures the fleeting nature of experience, like a moment glimpsed. Layers and shapes convey progression and movement, evoking the way people, places, and emotions drift in and out of our lives. It holds a sense of impermanence in the act of simply moving onward towards the bright sky.


Mixed Media on Board

30cm x 30cm



Abstract landscape with a hill of vertical green stripes, patterned patches, and a yellow sun in a blue sky, creating an energetic, colorful scene.

Minimalist room with a white table, a chair, and white flowers. A colorful abstract painting with green and blue tones hangs on the wall.

Original - SOLD


| Portal


Portal evokes a threshold, a place of crossing between one state and another. The beach access track is a space of transition between the place where people dwell and the place where nature dwells in all her raw beauty. The painting describes the feeling of standing at the edge of the known, walking through the pathway of transformation and emerging into a space of possibility. Layers of colour and form create a sense of depth, as though the work itself is an opening that invites you to step through and embrace what lies beyond.


Mixed Media on Board

30cm x 30cm


Abstract artwork with geometric shapes in blue and green tones. Patterns and leaf-like forms create a dynamic, layered landscape.

Abstract painting in blue, green, and black hangs on a light gray wall above a table. A tan vase with a plant sits on a beige cloth.

Original - SOLD


| Solstice


Solstice is a small collage that captures the shift of seasonal turning points that happen in nature, and contemplates the cyclical emotional transitions of the human experience. which we go through in a cyclical rhythm. Inspired by late night walks to the beach glimpsing the moon through the trees in the swale, layered textures and bold contrasts suggest an environment filled with moonlight and shadows.


Mixed Media on Paper

10cm x 10cm


Abstract black and white image with a textured, swirling pattern. A white circle contrasts against a dark background, evoking mystery.

Framed abstract art on a wall beside white and pale blue vases with branches. Wooden surface, minimalistic and calm setting.


| The Edge



The Edge was inspired by the meeting place of land and sea, where the ocean’s shifting boundary mirrors the thresholds we face in life. Just as the beach is both a place of arrival and departure, the painting reflects the human condition of standing at life’s edges—between certainty and the unknown, belonging and release. It evokes a timeless place where we can be reminded of both our fragility and our resilience.


Mixed Media on Board

30cm x 30cm


Abstract artwork with blue, green, and black geometric shapes. Curved patterns and dotted textures create a dynamic, aquatic feel.


Abstract painting with blue and green tones framed on a light wall. Below is a wooden cabinet with pampas grass in a vase and books.

Original - SOLD


| The Mystery


The Mystery is hints at more than it reveals. Suggestive forms and atmospheric tones evoke a tree-lined pathway that feels familiar yet elusive, inviting you to linger in its ambiguity. It speaks to the way landscapes can hold secrets, echoing our emotional vibrations and gifting us comfort and solace. The tree lined beach access track is a place to absorb nature's energy, in exchange for emotional release.


Mixed Media on Paper

10cm x 10cm



Black-and-white abstract image of tall, white lines on a textured dark background. A bright circle is near the top, resembling a moon.



Framed black and white abstract art with tree patterns on gray wall. Three textured white candles, lit, with gold ribbons on shelf. Cozy mood.


| Through the Swale


Through the Swale captures the winding passage of a sandy track edged by coastal grasses and casuarina trees, a liminal space between land and sea. The painting carries a sense of movement and anticipation, as though each step forward brings the promise of arrival. It reflects the human experience of transition—navigating narrow, shifting pathways that lead us toward new horizons.


Mixed Media on Aluminium

60cm x 90cm


Abstract painting with green, blue, and yellow rectangles, lines, and textures. A sun-like circle in the top left corner. Geometric and vibrant.

Abstract painting with green and blue blocks on a white wall above a black console. Console holds stacked books, a glass lamp, and a vase.

Original - SOLD


Prints available on request (see below).


| Underfoot


Underfoot explores the textures and patterns found while walking through the swale toward the beach. Grasses, sand, fallen leaves and scattered debris become a tapestry of subtle detail, grounding the experience of passage. The painting reflects how the smallest impressions beneath our steps can anchor us in the present moment, reminding us that each journey is made up physical fragments and also emotional ones.



Mixed Media on Canvas

91cm x 91cm


Abstract landscape with vibrant green and yellow fields, geometric patterns, and a stylized sun. Vertical black lines suggest trees.
Bedroom with a white bed, black headboard, black lamps, green abstract painting on the wall, and a side table with flowers and a clock.

Original - SOLD


Prints available on request (see below).


| Yesterday


Yesterday is a small mixed media collage that layers fragments of landscape into an abstract memory. Subtle shifts of texture and tone suggest traces of place, like impressions carried forward from a moment just passed. The work evokes the way yesterday lingers—not as a fixed image, but as a layered feeling of time, place, and experience.


Mixed Media on Paper

10cm x 10cm


Abstract black-and-white collage with geometric shapes, lines, and textures, featuring a black circle and contrasting patterns.

Minimalist room with black-and-white abstract art in a black frame, beige pampas grass in a green vase, and a gray cup on a wooden shelf.

Original - SOLD

Prints available on request:


Canvas - Unframed, Gallerywrap or Framed in Australian Oak, Black or White.


Paper - Unframed or Framed in Oak, Black or White.






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