As a keen swimmer I thought I might take advantage, at Sandringham beach, of the warm weather. However, after jumping in and swimming a few stokes I soon found out that the sea was swarming with jellyfish. After receiving several stings I made hasty retreat to the sand.
Instead I got my sketchbook out. yes, there is a LITTLE artistic licence.
As a boy I had some very nice and interesting uncles. One of them was Uncle Des, my mother's only sibling. He was a 'dabbler'. Des did sign writing, managed art galleries and was a photographer. He also did abstract paintings I call 'splatter paintings' and pictures that combined his painting and photography. I decided to redo his portrait with one of his paintings in the background.
Ned Kelly is a hero to many and a villain to others. He was a bushranger akin to America's outlaws, Jesse and Frank James. In both cases large elements of their communities helped them because of perceived injustices from the authorities.
Sadly, it has been revealed that he probably never, on his pending hanging, remarked 'Such is life'. But it is the kind of thing that he would say.
Below are three versions of my portrait of Ned.
