Scampus
@darkescampus
Just a self-taught artist and trivia buff, aging fairly gracefully by the bay in Brisbane, Australia, along with his partner AnnMaree.
"Northwest Bay from Chris's place, Lower Snug", Posca paint pens on canvas panel, 41 cm H x 51 cm W. The happy view on a sunny day from the back deck of a friend and former work colleague's home in Lower Snug, a village on the coast several km south of Hobart, Tasmania.
"Dark Mission", acrylic on stretched canvas, 41 cm H x 51 cm W. I love these late afternoon views of a creek running across a darkened beach to the sea. This one is based on a photo I saw somewhere on social media of Mission Beach in North Qld, with Dunk Island offshore.
"The Forts of St Malo", paint pens on canvas board, 41 cm H x 51 cm W. After the realism of the painting of Max the Dog, it was time for a bit of fun. This is based on the view from the walls of St Malo, the old walled town and pirate haunt on the northern coast of Brittany, France.
"Good Boi Max", acrylics and paint pens on stretched canvas, 51 cm H x 41 cm W. A little memento for our former neighbours up at Peregian, of their beloved older dog, Max. He's now 14 and a little slower than he used to be, but he still loves his beach & bush walks.
The 2021 version. Obviously a lot darker overall, and with a much busier sky.
"Ninderry Over Pavonia", acrylic paint & water-based paint pens on canvas panel, 41 cm H x 51 cm W. I first painted this view about 5 years ago, when we lived up the Sunshine Coast. It turned out rather dark. Ever since, I've wanted to do a lighter toned, more colourful version. Finally got to it!
"The Yellow House of Tamaree," mixed media (acrylic paints and paint pens) on canvas, 41 cm H x 51 cm W. Thought I'd 'scale up' a more informal study I made of this neighbourhood house a few months back. I freely admit, the colours I've used are a bit brighter than in real life.
"AM in the Bush", acrylic paints and paint pens on stretched canvas, 61 cm H x 51 cm W. A view of my partner, AnnMaree, walking on a dirt track through Eumundi Conservation Park up Noosa way, one of her favourite places, although the background fields and mountain have been thoroughly reimagined!
Gum Nuts Acrylic paint & paint pens Canvas board, 31 cm H x 41 cm W I found this beautiful Eucalyptus tree gum nut, probably only recently fallen from the tree, while out walking during our recent Sunshine Coast stay, and decided it was worth trying to paint. Reckon I was right.
We've been up here on the (sometimes) Sunny Coast for a little over a week now, house sitting a place with great hinterland views. Brought the paint pens and a few canvas boards with me. I had big plans, but other demands on my time and bone idleness won out. I did get this nice study done, though.
"Lambretta on the Harbour" acrylics on canvas, 71 cm H x 61 cm W. A commission for my partner's brother-in-law and his wife. Depicted is their former yacht, the Lambretta, somewhere in Auckland Harbour or the Hauraki Gulf. They sold her quite a few years ago now. I'm very pleased with this one.
Rue du Puits, Honfleur. Acrylics and paint pens on canvas board, 61 cm H x 51 cm W. Last October we stayed for 3 mights in an apartment up the far end of this street. This depiction is something of a memorial to that all too brief visit.
"Some Hazards Ahead", Posca paint pens on canvas board, 41 cm H x 51 cm W. A view we saw from the Coles Bay foreshore walk during our Tasmanian visit 3 years ago. I really enjoy how paint pens let me work so quickly, and how they force me to stick to bright, non-muddy colours.
"Eastern Yellow Robin", Posca paint pens on canvas board, 50.5 cm H x 40.5 cm W. Based on a photo I found on social media. (If it's yours, thank you!) Pleased with how quickly this one came together, actually.
"Sunrise on Sunshine", Posca paint oens on canvas board, 51 cm H x 41 cm W. This is based one of our favourite views up on the Sunshine Coast, looking south from David Low Way at Sunrise Beach towards Coolum and Mooloolaba. Another one where I've avoided using any acrylic paints.
"Appetites" Paint Pens on canvas board, 41 cm H x 51 cm W Based on some photos I saw on Threads; a Moreton Bay fig is swallowing the nearest parts of a green, cast iron fence. I thought it made a great topic for a painting.
"The Mad Professor's Place", acrylic paint and water-based paint pens on canvas board, 46 cm H x 36 cm W. This is actually based on a real house in St Malo, France. I don't really know who lives in it; the title is from a comment made by a brother-in-law.
"Oregon Coast", water based paint markers and acrylic, 346 cm H x 46 cm W. Another step in the process of learning how to use Posca paint pens more effectively. I found they didn't work for the sky area, though, so it's mainly done in traditional acrylic paints. Quite pleased with the outcome.
Another sketch or study done completely with paint pens, this time of a double river bend somewhere in southeastern Australia. Based yet again on a photo from a Facebook friend, even if I can't exactly remember who that friend was! I think it was the colourful cliffs at left that caught my eye.
"Stronghold", paint pens on loose canvas, 30 cm H x 40 cm W. A preliminary study for a future painting of St Malo in France. It was a chance to really lash out with the Posca paint pens, try out patterns & layering techniques for shade & colour adjustments. I think I learned quite a bit from it.
"Young Master Frodo", acrylic & paint pen on canvas, r1 cm H x 41 cm W. Done for a niece and her hubbie, featuring their dog when he was a puppy, not all that long ago. Hopefully I've captured his essence.
"Kalimna's Bogong (Truer Colour)", acrylic & paint pen on canvas, 41 cm H x 51 cm W. The same subject as the last painting, only this time using colours closer to reality, unlike last time's opposites. A beautiful part of the world that I hope to visit one day.
'Bogong from Kalimna (Reversed)', acrylic and paint pen on canvas, 41 cm H x 51 cm W. View of Mt Bogong, Victoria, from the valley below. I painted in reverse colours from the natural colours, with the blues in the foreground and pale greens for the mountain, just to see the result. Weird, not bad.
Chris's Place, Granite Belt. Acrylic and paint pens on canvas, 51 cm H x 41 cm W. Nothing too fancy with this one, just the view from a former work colleague's backyard down near Stanthorpe, about 3 hours southwest of Brisbane. What a lovely place to live.
With our big OS trip imminent, I didn't have time to start and finish a more substantive work. So here's a nice, colourful study in acrylics and paint pens of one of the prettier houses in our street.
King Edward Parade, Devonport. Acrylics, 41 cm H x 51 cm W. My take on a delightful house that overlooks Auckland Harbour in NZ (and keeping with the purple and red-orange theme of the last few paintings where appropriate).
"Flying: Moreton Bay Fig buttress roots, Devonport, NZ" Acrylic on canvas, 51 cm H x 41 cm W. Another work in my current 'purple patch', which started with the recent ptg of the rock face in Launceston's Cataract Gorge. This one shows a tree's roots from the waterfront on Auckland's north shore.
Rockface, Cataract Gorge, Morning. Acrylic on wood panel, 51 cm H x 41 cm W. Somehow it's already been over 2 years since our holiday in Tasmania. On our last day there we walked through Launceston's Cataract Gorge, marvelling at the amazing rock formations. This one of them.
Matt's Big Duck. Acrylics on canvas, 50 cm W x 40 cm H. A commission for my nephew, done in close cooperation with him, and the result is suitably quirky. (The actual beach is, once again, Home Beach at Port Macquarie - a great beach to paint.)
"The Falling Out (Red Surf)", acrylic paint on canvas, 40 cm H x 30 cm W. The first work I've done where I used not only paintbrushes but other tools, in particular, a variety of palette knives. An interesting process, leading to quite a rough, chunky look in some places, e.g. the sun.