Drawing Vs Dormancy

From pencils and paints to chook wire, this artist revelsin creating a wonderful array of art.

- Paul Ballantine

Although English born, my folks had wanderlust, so I spent my childhood growing up in numerous locations across Australia and New Zealand. We always lived in rural areas, with the countryside on our doorstep, which, naturally as kids, we explored. So I developed a love for nature that still influences my art and life.

As a result, my interests are diverse, from fossicking for gemstones, hunting for native orchids, camping and gardening, to poetry (in the Spike Milligan vein), writing fiction, photography and on and on and on.

Most of these interests carry over into my art. I think my real love of drawing began as a boy when we discovered Marvel comics in the ‘60s. My older brother was a much better artist than me (although he never pursued it) and I would follow his lead in carefully copying in pencil the great comic book artists of that era.

I guess I went into hibernation in my teens and early adult life, with just the odd drawing here and there, maybe a farewell or anniversary card for someone; that sort of thing.

It was only when I landed a job as a graphic artist for our local newspaper in Mount Gambier, South Australia that I started to develop interest again. I wasn’t hired because I was artistic in any way; I was just there at the right time and cheap.

The job didn’t demand much artistically, but it did teach me about deadlines, layout, writing creatively quickly and photography under pressure. I was able to draw the occasional cartoon/caricature etcetera for some of the advertisements I designed, but that was about it.