Weekly drawing 30: Blue Banded Bee

Amegilla cingulata Blue Banded Bee, an Australian Native Bee.
We recently had six of these little pollinators in our Marrickville garden enjoying the tomato plants.

Weekly drawing 29: An Australian ABC of animals

Illustrated Alphabet of Australian animals, pen and ink

Weekly drawing 28: Stonemasons building the Papal Palace, Avignon

Stonemasons building the Papal Palace, Avignon

This drawing is based on a model I saw last year in France at the Palais des Papes (Papal Palace) in Avignon in southern France. I wanted to pay tribute to the highly skilled 13th century stonemasons who built this awe-inspiring structure. Their story isn't celebrated enough! With only simple tools and lots of elbow grease they achieved a monunental work of art.

13th century stonemasonry tools

Photos from our visit to Avignon in September 2010.

Weekly drawing 27: Luna Park resident fairground artists Arthur Barton and Fred Schweickle

Arthur Barton and Fred Schweickle painting
"The building of Luna Park" mural. Coney Island

This drawing was inspired after watching "The Art Of Fun" a documentary funded by the Library Council Of New South Wales. The Documentary is a history of Luna Parks art and artists. The artists include Rupert Brown, Arthur Barton, Fred Schweickle, Martin Sharp, Peter Kingston, Leigh Hobbs and Ashley Taylor. I thought it was a great insight into the many creative people involved in making Luna Park shine.

"You often see Arthur and Fred Schweickle walking around. They both had white overalls and hats on... Always looked dapper, had his little hat on. They were special"....  

                                        Tony Maloney Special Projects Manager Luna Park, 1961-2007