I was so proud to be invited to join in this wonderful event. Each year the Cairns Regional Gallery has a major annual fundraising event, Start Collecting Art! The Affordable Art Auction, and it’s one of the most popular fixtures on the Cairns arts calendar.

Described as the cornerstone of the Gallery’s annual fundraising activities, Start Collecting Art! is a two-stage event: “an exhibition of dynamic artworks” by some of Far North Queensland’s most exciting contemporary artists, and “a fundraising auction” that allows you, our supporters, to acquire works from the exhibition for your own art collections – without breaking the bank!

The art encompasses paintings, sculptures, ceramics, drawings, photographs, original artists’ prints, and more, reflecting the wonderful diversity of artistic practice.

This is how it all works. every work in the exhibition is available for purchase. If you would like to acquire a work, all you need to do is submit a silent bid for it; then, on the closing night of the exhibition, you will learn if your bid has been successful. Also on closing night, a number of works (those that have attracted the highest bids) will be auctioned in an open auction.
To assist you with your bidding, this brochure lists the works in Start Collecting Art! in four pricing tiers, with price estimates based on artist recommendations.

Unlike other galleries that are fully funded by local government, Cairns Regional Gallery is an independent institution. As such, it receives only around 55% of its annual budget as funding from Cairns Regional Council and must therefore raise around 45% of its own funding each year. By purchasing an artwork people are enabling the Gallery to continue to both build its Permanent Collection and develop its programs. Patrons will also be supporting an artist participating in our fundraising exhibition. While there is an option to receive fifty per cent of the proceeds from the sale of their these works. I generously donated the full proceeds of my work to the Gallery.

Below is my contribution. Enjoy!

Mist Dancers – Brolgas 2013, was one of my favourite drawings of late. It sold of $200 at the recent Cairns Regional Gallery Start Collecting Art Exhibition. Personally I love the lighting effects and the brolgas stance, it was like photography by it’s a kids book illustration.

Originally hand drawn in pencil and ink. Scanned, coloured and prepared digitally using Adobe Photoshop. Then Printed out on high quality paper using high quality
commercial grade colour poster inks. I had two other pieces (see below), which I also donated to the gallery, thanks to my good friend Rob Koppel, at Pumpkin Digital who helped me print and ship these amazing pieces. These two weren’t auctioned, but I believe became part of a art bundle raffled off at the auction night.

The Avid Collector – Satin Blue Bowerbird  2013,

The Brood – Cassowaries 2013,