Art in Architecture

31/12/2025

https://www.instagram.com/p/DS5xm8fEjvS/?igsh=d2dncjBhZTJkZmFr

23/09/2025

A powerful Franciscan TAU created for St Francis College Crestmead.

It stands some 3.6m tall and 2.8m wide.
Though I can’t take the credit for designing this cross, it was a pleasure realising John Marinucci’s Vision and creating what he calls, “A Celebration of Heritage, Community and Learning”.
A Tau standing on one point always presents a challenge….

17/07/2025

So proud of this elegant cross created for Avila College.
Congratulations to Dr. Michelle Cotter and her team (Kristen Steer, Kelly Bunning and Kim Edwards) on not only their new Admin building but also the dramatic new forecourt and entrance to the school.
The cross was project 1 of a Catholic Identity Artwork Masterplan we prepared last year.

10/07/2025

Yesterday we installed this artwork for Shalom Catholic College in Bundaberg,it’s still a building site and better photos will follow.

‘Common Ground - Education is the Key’
Catherine McAuley and Edmund Rice shared a simpathetic view (a common ground) about the welfare of children
and how to improve their station in life. They both believed that the key to success was education and they set out to build and establish schools where the children of common people, the poor, could attend and become educated.
This piece titled ‘Common Ground / Education is the Key’’ is set in the common ground between the two buildings named after these two
patrons.
Catherine sits on a rock - a huge book with a clasp requiring a key. The book title is ‘Education is the Key’ it is carved
into the stone. The stone edge is shaped to form the cover and pages. The other edge is shaped only in one small
part at the base to form the binding edge with the names of the authors (Catherine McAuley and Edmund Rice)
carved into it.
Catherine holds the key to unlock the book.
This particular key is a replica of the original key to Parade College on Alexandra Parade Melbourne, the first school built by the Christian Brothers on their arrival to Australia.
Edmund Rice stands casually with one foot on the book holding plans of future builds under his arm while in conversation with Catherine.
Education is the key and their common ground.
Edmund Rice Education Australia
Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea
Catholic Education Sandhurst Limited
Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education Limited (DOBCEL)

29/03/2025

29/03/2025

The MAGNIFICAT CENTRE!
Congratulations to Tim Newcomb and his team at Doreen who blessed and unveiled their second building at Marymede Catholic College Doreen Campus yesterday.
Along with it was our installation depicting the visitation at the entry titled : ‘A Joyous Journey’.
Please read the narrative explaining the meaning behind the symbolism.

“A Joyous Journey”

Mary, a young teen, full of life and love travels from Nazareth to Ein Karem to visit with her much older cousin Elizabeth who is pregnant with her first child (John the Baptist). This has happened at a later stage in life - when all hope of conception had long gone. A very special time for her.

Mary herself is eager to share the news of her own pregnancy - bearing God’s son.

As Mary makes her way toward a stream (later known as Mary’s stream, also known as the stream of the vine), she spots Elizabeth resting on a rock just on the other side. Full of excitement and joy Mary steps over three stones representing the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and jumps onto a rock in the stream waving to her cousin. Elizabeth waves back and in that moment is surprised by the kicking of her baby in her womb apparently also sensing a moment of joy in the air. She gazes down at her belly, arm still up in the air.

Along the edge of the stream are 6 posts with glass flowers. These are the 6 virtues of Mary and they sit within the plantings that form Mary’s Meadow (Marymede).

The stream bubbles out of the rock and travels down to the path. There are 8 stepping-stones in the stream that lead up to where Mary stands. They represent the joyous journey she has travelled from Nazareth to Ein Karem. Each stone bears the name of a significant village along the way.

17/03/2025

What’s it all about?
You will have seen posts of the works I have created for schools over the years, they may look impressive but what do they mean? Basically, I tell stories - your stories, and doing so, create or further develop your Catholic Identity.

Late last year we installed ’Hail Mary’ for Ave Maria College in Aberfeldie. This is my artist’s statement explaining the meaning behind the work.
Please take the time to read it.

‘Hail Mary’
Do we really see Mary?
She was chosen by God to be the mother of His child, to give birth, nurture and protect Him and devote her life to Him.
She is known as a mother and for her kindness, gentle and caring nature.
But what do we really know about the woman who is Mary mother of Jesus?

Upon closer scrutiny we see a woman of love, joy and devotion, of fierce loyalty and commitment. But to accept such a challenge she is also unconventional, brave and bold and above all she is blessed with an incredible strength of character.

Though the mother of God she seems to play a lesser role in our Christian story, we tend to see past her or through her to look at those more important. But without her where would we be?

The sculpture:
She stands tall and firm, arms outstretched with some definition in her muscles. Her hands open and stretched out palms up. Her head is tilted back looking up to the heavens and her eyes are closed. She stands firm and strong.

She is giving of herself completely, fully and forever surrendering her life to God, to a force she only feels but cannot see (blind faith).

Behind her rising high up on the wall is a colourful display of glass (symbolising stained glass and a chapel) representing the joy she exudes and has brought to our world. At the centre of this glass (the centre of her being) stands a cross. An omen of the future.

Behind her protective pose, on a bench at the base of the cross (his mortal destiny) sits a boy - he’s looking lovingly at his mother.

Either side of the bench are garden beds of white lilies and marigolds for her purity and heavenly glory flowering in spring and summer. Red climbing Roses symbolising her love of God climb up the wall either side of the glass reaching up to Him.

It is only when we sit on the bench side by side with Jesus, behind Mary’s protective figure, (implying we follow in her footsteps) do we see through the window to Mary’s beautiful soul.
A glass panel in her back reveals her illuminated inner glow.

02/08/2024

Some works over the years