The ‘SWERVE’ series is similar to ‘The NASA Series’ in look and style, but the subject matter is quite different. Both are designed to be shown as a group or grid of paintings which are more narrative like, than my previous work, with their repeating symbols, motifs, references and characters.

The ‘SWERVE’ series is based mostly on two books - John Bunyan’s, ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’ and C.S. Lewis’s, ‘The Pilgrim’s Regress’. Other concepts and ideas are incorporated into the works, as they freely develop during the reading, thinking painting process.

The paintings are not designed to be just illustrations of the stories. But, are complex amalgamations of personal stuff, the two stories, art, religion, culture and events from current and past times. The works show a character, who is generally seen in transit, through various terrors, obstructions and bizarre events. One theme developing from this is about the relevance of past beliefs, in our time. Both books are full of symbols and references with a strong underpinning of a belief in absolute truth, which in our day has been challenged and seen as a product of a bygone time. In many ways the ‘SWERVE’ paintings are a statement about our culture, beliefs, purpose and moral issues.

• 'Swerve', Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy, Melbourne, Victoria, 2013.

• 'Recent Paintings', Juggler's Art Space, Fortitude Valley. Brisbane, Queensland, 2014.

The paintings are created in a simple way using a three colour painting system – plus white and black. White for mixing and black for outlines and scumbling. The works are designed to be accessible, not elitist and aloof.  But they have been held back from being too easy to read, so as to allow the viewer a chance to bring his own experience and interpretations to bear. The painting style is simple and graphic, almost cartoon like, yet the aim is to have a content rich work expressed in a simple and immediate way.

The works are in acrylic paint on canvas. They works were all the same size - 60x50cm in a landscape formate.

As like 'The NASA Series' before 'Swerve', the series was built upon small sketches.  But the sketches now became an intergral part of the exhibition, displayed seperately in their own frames.

Relevant hand written quotes were also displayed on the same page as the drawing. The finished size of each drawing and quote is A3.

Moving forward from this series, the small drawings from my notebooks have now become an important part of my other exhibitions.