How do we define our sense of belonging?

And what happens in those moments when an absence is felt or a new presence enters?

The death of my grandfather who blessed me with afternoons spent painting in his shed drew these questions into sharp focus. I suddenly became aware of the preciousness of seemingly mundane objects and ordinary moments shared, which later inspired the composition of Self Portrait (oil on canvas).

The notion of belonging re-emerged when I moved from my home town of Melbourne to pursue the long held dream of living in ‘the country’.

Suddenly everything was unfamiliar and the long process of taking root began through moments of repetition and re-tracing experience until they became familiar; a street corner that was visited every morning on my way to work, a favoured route on my bike, the slow familiarity with shop keepers and neighbours.

During this time, almost daily, a group of birds began to visit the electrical wires outside my window. For the next 9 months I began recording their visits. I wanted to know what their interaction would sound like if their movement across the wires was translated into notes on a page.

What was the effect on the whole when one left or came, when they jumped about, gathered in groups or sat patiently out on their own?

More and more, I have begun to treasure the fleeting and mundane moments.

Sharing a cup of tea, a walk or a meal.

In order to explore this idea I asked those people who have been birds on my wire to choose objects of significance to them and used these as inspiration to continue the series of still lives, each offering a portrait of a treasured soul in my life. Through these works I have attempted to capture the value of simple objects, symbols of how we come to understand ourselves and express who we are to the outside.

Ties that Bind will be on exhibition at Segue, Stratford Courthouse until Saturday 21 November