(NB: I use the term ‘teacher’ here as a convenient reference, but it might be more accurate to say I was a ‘facilitator of creative learning experiences’. Either way, my central motivation and passion was to share skills, ideas and inspiration with others, through creative play, curiosity and discovery.) From 1990 to 2017 my main […]
An Overview of My Teaching Life Read More »
In 2013 I began to synthesise a range of teaching techniques I’d been testing & refining over many years, into a process I called thINK Draw Connect Learn, or thINK for short. You can read more about thINK here. The thINK Process includes deconstructing drawing into abstract ‘Elements‘ and modelling how these simple building blocks
SCHOOL OF CARTOON ARTISTRY: Cartoon Workshops Designed To Make You THINK! Read More »
A DIFFERENT WAY TO thINK ABOUT DRAWING thINK is an educational drawing process and a set of creative learning tools I developed as a metacognitive teaching model for my students. It evolved over a lifetime of deep observation of my own drawing processes, and decades of teaching creative thinking via the art of cartoon drawing.
thINK Draw Connect Learn Read More »
Plenty of cartoonists have offered ‘how-to-draw’ workshops on ways to capture emotion in cartoon faces. Often the ‘workshop’ is more of a demonstration or performance – the style is quick and sketchy, a quick fix aimed at entertainment rather than learning, and usually intended to promote the cartoonist’s latest book or other product. Of course,
Creative Communication: Cartooning for Emotional Literacy Read More »
It took me many years to get used to drawing on any kind of large scale, especially anything larger than A2 size. Several different experiences helped free me up in this area; in particular, when I began running cartoon workshops in schools, drawing on large blackboards (remember them?) and whiteboards in front of a class.
Murals & public art Read More »
As described elsewhere in this archive, the 90s were a creatively prolific period for me, and I developed simultaneously in many directions, and through many different media. Most of my focus was on the four strands of esoteric art I was developing – Essence Portraits, Power Symbols, Personalised Mandalas & ‘cave paintings’ – but I
Cartoon illustration: Funky 90s Read More »
At various times during the early 90s, in an entrepreneurial effort to generate some income from my cartoon art, I designed and self-published several series of gift cards & cartoon art prints. Self-publishing, in this case, meant spending what little money I had on laminated colour photocopies (not particularly cheap back then), and hawking them
Cartoon illustration: Card designs Read More »
Even as a five year old I was a keen observer of human behaviour, often coupled with a sense of the absurd, so it’s not surprising that caricature became part of my cartooning repertoire from an early age. Comics and cartoons, to a child of my interests, were a form of sociological and psychological text,
Cartoon illustration: Caricature Read More »
In 2014 I revisited the A5 mini-comic format with 4 issues of THUNK, showcasing cartoon art developed by students in a series of cartoon intensives & masterclasses I ran in Hobart and Melbourne late 2013 and early 2014. These classes were part of my School Of Cartoon Artistry series, intended for previous students and students
Publishing Projects: THUNK 1-4, 2014 Read More »
BUGOUT! (A5 Colour-in Comic, 2000): Although I contributed cartoon art to a few zines as a teenager in Newcastle during the 80s, I’ve only published solo collections on 2 occasions, both as b&w A5 colour-in mini-comics. The first, which via some elusive logic I titled BUGOUT! (exactly the same title I used for an entirely
Publishing Projects: Personal mini-comix 2000 / 2013 Read More »
In 2001 I initiated a youth-based publishing project of my own, with the assistance of Hobart council, Youth Arc (youth services) and Salamanca Arts Centre. A professionally-printed A5 zine with full-colour cover, it was released in Jan 2001 under the name BRAND NEW SHIRT, and showcased quality cartoon art by Tasmanian youth (ages 12 –
Publishing Projects: Mini-comix 2002 / 2006 Read More »
Bruny Island Holiday Book: In early 2001 I moved from Melbourne to the isolated rural community of Bruny Island in Southern Tasmania. I quickly developed an ongoing creative relationship with the small local primary school, which averaged about 30 students. Then-principal Gay Cumming secured funding for a Numeracy & Literacy Artist-in-Residence project – I provided
Publishing Projects: Bruny Island PS artist residencies 2001 / 2004 Read More »
In the late 90s, I was still living in Melbourne, and alongside my standard cartooning workshops in primary schools, my work as an artist / teacher had extended into several other more specialised areas where education & well-being intersect. For instance, my inspirational approach to teaching drawing skills, my easy rapport and capacity to encourage
Publishing Projects 1999 / 2000 Read More »
Community arts, health & well-being and education seem to be where I gravitate in my creative work. Over the last 20 years I’ve often been engaged by councils, usually via their Community Arts or Community Development teams, to facilitate workshops, youth or community arts projects, or provide illustration such as promotional art, logo design &
Cartoon Illustration – Knox City Council (2007 – 2016) Read More »
One of my most enduring creative relationships was as in-house illustrator & creative consultant for music education publishers Bushfire Press. Bushfire Press are a passionate team of ex-music teachers / musicians, who began writing & publishing Performing Arts resources for primary & secondary schools in the late 80s. My work for them has included a
Cartoon Illustration – Bushfire Press (2000 – 2016) Read More »
In Oct 2015, Relationships Australia Tas employed me as a “visual mapper”, to illustrate in realtime the core themes and ideas that emerged from their annual 2-Day conference of 150 employees from around the state. I stood at the back of the room, listening, observing, interpreting & translating into symbolic images & key words. At
Visual Scribe @ Relationships Australia (TAS) Conference, Hobart Read More »
Following my experience as visual scribe at Calvary Hospital’s Death Café in 2015, one of the organisers Belinda Clarke approached me about being involved in an innovative pilot program she had devised in partnership with Calvary Hospital & two Hobart high schools.A group of Yr 12 girls who were considering a career in nursing, were
Visual Scribe @ Calvary Palliative Care schools pilot program 2016 Read More »
In 2015 I was invited to provide live cartoon “scribing” for a 2-hour “Death Café” event at Calvary Hospital in Hobart. The general public were invited to meet and have open conversations about death and dying – not a grief group, but a safe space in which to normalise the usually-taboo subject. More than 1000
Death Cafe: Visual Scribing @ Calvary Hospital 2015 Read More »
2-DAY WORKSHOP: JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF YOUR MIND!!! See drawings from last July’s Journey here: MELBOURNE and HOBART. TUES SEPT 29 & WED SEPT 30 @ Cooper Screen Academy, Hobart 10am – 2pm | $100 | ages 9 – 14 only (why?) A 2-Day Creative Cartooning intensive for experienced drawers, using thINK drawing games
SEPT 2015 2-DAY CARTOON INTENSIVE Read More »
TERM 4 begins OCT 21 | 27 Albert Rd, Moonah WEDNESDAYS | 4 – 6pm | Ages 9 – 14 | $200 Can you help spread the word? Download & print this poster for your local shop or school! CRITTERS – real or imagined, they offer endless opportunities to explore creative drawing skills. In Term
8-WEEK CRITTERS @ MAC, TERM 4 – HOBART Read More »
In 2003 I spontaneously answered a small hand-drawn ad in MacFie’s Music shop in Nth Hobart, someone looking for interested parties with whom to play guitar music of a Eurofolk bent. It was Luke Yates, a young uni student recently-returned from travels in France, previously an 80s metal guitarist who had an acoustic epiphany while
Mini-Exhibition: Spondooli Brothers artwork Read More »
Just had a great couple of cartooning workshops at the brand-spanking new Moonah Arts Centre, which opened recently. The new MAC building is quite a departure from the old space – lots of post-modern concrete & steel, with that MONA sheen that’s become a popular aesthetic around town. The new design offers much more space
April 10 & 11, 2015 – Cartooning @ Moonah Arts Centre (Tas) Read More »
DRAW YOUR WILDEST IMAGININGS! @ MOONAH ARTS CENTRE, 27 Albert St, Moonah It’s back! I’m very pleased to be able to offer another after-school Creative Cartooning Course in Term 2, this time at the fantastic new Moonah Arts Centre! Last year’s Courses were very well-received, with the students really extending their skills & developing their
6-WEEK CREATIVE CARTOONING COURSE / Apr 22 – May 27 Read More »
Every holidays I get mothers asking why I don’t run Holiday Workshops for under 9s. Most mums are understanding when I explain, but there is always a percentage who insist their 7 or 8 year old should be an exception, and some who just outright lie about their child’s age in order to book them
Some Reasons Why My Holiday Workshops Are Only 9+ Read More »
Apr 19 – Kids Like Us (Sandringham) On Sunday April 19 I’ll have the pleasure of continuing some drawing exploration with a small but highly-creative & enthusiastic group of young people from Kids Like Us. This will be our third gathering, and I’m really looking forward to seeing where the journey takes us this time.
Kids Like Us – vital work for (twice) exceptional kids Read More »
A fine selection of creative cartooning workshops on offer these Spring holidays, using drawing games & “experiments” to get the kids thinking in new ways about drawing technique, and to push them into new areas of their own creativity. The focus is on fun skills, new perspectives, and creative inspiration. Warning: your children may want
OCT 2014 HOBART HOLIDAY NEWS!! Read More »
“Bradfield came to Cygnet Primary much celebrated and recommended. Many of our students had been to his workshops in the past and when his name was mentioned were especially excited. The workshops explored line-making and observation. All the students were engaged by Bradfield’s guided drawing sessions and he lead them gently and respectfully through different
thINK DRAW CONNECT LEARN – Drawing Residency, Cygnet Primary, May 2014 Read More »
Another workshop in my whirlwind mini-tour of Glen Eira! This one came about after a suggestion by Philippa from the Glen Eira Adult Learning Centre, where I was also running workshops this week. Cheltenham Community Centre run a school holiday care & an activities program, and the program co-ordinator Tammy invited me in to be
Melbourne Holiday Workshops, Sept 2013 – Cheltenham Community Centre Read More »
Each year Glen Eira Council runs SCHOOL’S OUT, a fantastic youth-oriented school holiday program with a focus on creative skills, thanks to the efforts of Arts & Culture officer Tori Hayat. Tori invited me to run a day of 2 x 3hr cartoon workshops for the program, as well as create the image for the
Melbourne Holiday Workshops, Sept 2013 – Glen Eira Town Hall Read More »
These holidays I trialled a couple of holiday cartoon workshops in the cozy quarters of the Glen Eira Adult Learning Centre in Ormond. The Centre runs fantastic life & work skills programs for adults, especially working with the local migrant community, and GEALC Manager Philippa Caris is clearly a passionate teacher who cares about her
Melbourne Holiday Workshops, Sept 2013 – Glen Eira Adult Learning Centre Read More »
Sept 12, 2013 After my 3 days up in Penguin, it was time to head South, halfway back down the state to Waverley, near Launceston. Tony Brazendale, the exuberant principal of Waverley Primary, had been very excited about his students having some Creative Communication workshops. Waverley PS works with one of the most challenging demographics
Northern Tasmanian Tour, Sept 9 – 12 – pt 4: Waverley Primary School, TAS Read More »
Sept 9, 10 & 11, 2013 So after the morning session at Penguin High, I scooted 20 mins down the road to Burnie, to spend the rest of the day cartooning at Montello Primary School, at the request of the wonderful Josie Courto. Josie had invited me to be artist-in-residence over 3 days, working with
Northern Tasmanian Tour, Sept 9 – 12 – pt 3: Montello Primary School, TAS Read More »
Sept 9 & 10, 2013 For the Mon & Tues of my visit up North, I began each day with a 2-hour workshop at Penguin High School. The focus was Creative Communication, and I was working with a small group of Additional Needs students, a mix of pretty high-functioning kids with various developmental or learning
Northern Tasmanian Tour, Sept 9 – 12 – pt 2: Penguin High School, TAS Read More »
From time to time I get to travel a bit further afield in my quest to inspire young minds, and in Tassie this usually means getting to take in a bit more of the amazing landscape of this beautiful state. This trip was definitely no exception, in fact for the whole week I felt I
Northern Tasmanian Tour, Sept 9 – 12 – pt 1: Penguin, TAS Read More »
Four years ago, the Friends School (Secondary Campus) in Hobart approached me about running my Creative Communication cartoon workshops with their Year 7s, as part of their Connections program. Over three days I worked with all the Year 7 home groups, a different group each day, and about 50 students in each group. What was
Hobart, September 3, 4 & 6 2013 – Friends School, Yr 7s Read More »
Years ago I used to run a cartooning course for adults (5 x full day sessions) in Kingston, for what used to be known as Adult Ed (now Learn Xpress). Teaching adults is a whole other realm to teaching kids – insecurities & self-doubts are more deeply entrenched, as are opinions and habits of perception.
Cartooning For Adults, August 2013 – Kingston Read More »
