Superhero Artists podcast with Ash-Man and Ben.D

Ash-man & Ben D
Welcome art enthusiasts and heroes of creativity to the superhero Art podcast. Join us as we dive into the
vibrant world of Perths local artists, exploring the superpowered talents and uncovering the stories
behind their incredible creations. I’m your host, ash here with Ben, and together we’ll embark on on an
artistic journey like no other. So get ready to unleash your inner superhero and let the artistry begin. We.
We’d like to, um, welcome our second guest, John, to, um, the Bending Man podcast. Uh, Toby, he’s
another participant. It does, uh, here. And, um. Yeah. We’d like to welcome you. Um. Hi, John. How are
you going? Yeah, not too bad. How do you approach working with different mediums and materials?
Yeah, I like working with different mediums and materials. I like painting, I do art. I do Aboriginal art.
I’m an Aboriginal. Yeah, I’m an Aboriginal elder. Oh, wow. And I do a lot of art. Yeah. And it’s that
good. Help! Here? Yeah. Do you have a specific style or theme that? That you enjoy exploring in your
paintings? I write my paintings and I write a story to them. Oh, wow. That’s really cool. Awesome. So it’s
like. Yeah, it’s like you’re gonna start into your painting. So it’s pretty cool. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sometimes
I do that or I just make it make it on, you know, make it as I go. What do you hope people feel or
experience when they see your paintings? I just like to say that I’m just a beginner learner and I’m
developing my better skills. Yeah. Yeah, it’s good to, um. It’s good to learn. Uh, it’s it’s good to learn
those skills, you know, um, and feed off other artists and, um, just have that, have that knowledge, you
know, um, I guess have the artist knowledge that you can create something or get any ideas from any
other artists. You, you want to, you know, um, you like. Um, I feel that I’ve really benefited from coming
here. Yeah. And I’ve expanded in my art. Yeah, and it’s getting better. Putting it to the board. Yeah. You
know, I, um, you know, in my, uh, your artwork, um, it’s really early, um, developing. Yeah, it’s really
good and really detailed as well. Um, how did you develop your passion for painting? I’ve been doing it
for years. Wow. Um, but I’ve only been doing that painting for the last three years. Yeah. But I’ve gone
into it in depth. Yeah. In the past year. Yeah. Wow. Oh, that’s. That’s amazing. Yeah. I, um, I noticed,
um, I think you’ve you’ve told us that, um, you’re a fisherman, and now you you love to do, um, do that
kind of art, you know, um, like crate do crayfish and, um. Yeah, it’s it’s the mix of, um. Uh, I guess sea,
sea life and, um, and Aboriginal art. It’s really amazing. Um, you know, you’re so glad to have that, um,
like, mix of, um, mix of knowledge. Yeah. As a professional fisherman. Yeah. Gone back? Yeah. And in
1979, I had a car crash that ended my fishing career. But I’ve gone on, and I’ve in my wheelchair life. I’ve
been 47 years in a wheelchair, but I’ve developed skills in accounting. Yeah. Well. That’s good. You’ve,
uh, in painting, you’ve strived. Strived for it, and, um. Yeah, you’ve you’ve gone ahead with life and
you’re really awesome painter. And, um. I had a lovely wife. Now we got our home and we lied. Oh,
wow. Do you have, um. Do you have a family or just. Or just a just. I’ve got a family, but I sort of stick to
my wife. Yeah, and go and see my family on Christmases and all that. Yeah. Oh, beautiful. That’s really.
Yeah. Really? Yeah. Really lovely to the support from your family. Yeah. Um. Can you talk about any
exhibitions or galleries where your work has been showcased? Yes, I used to work in an art school in
Fremantle at Bathers Beach. It was called Khadija Joanna Smith, which was the teacher. And that’s where
I first began to do my Aboriginal art. I got a certificate in contemporary art. And that’s fantastic. And
then I went on further and I’ve had exhibitions in Fremantle Gaol. Yeah. From around in um up above the
train station in Perth. Yeah. A exhibition in the casino doing art where people walk around. Yeah. And
buying it off. Yeah. Wow. That’s. Yeah, that’s quite a achievement to have. And, um. Yeah, it’s really a
huge achievement. Uh, it’s, um. Yeah. It’s unbelievable. Yeah. Um. How did you develop your passion
for art? I mean, for painting. I’ve always been as a kid. I’ve. Always just. Paintings. My brother in law
was a terrorist. I used to do tattoo designs. Yeah, well, that’s, uh. Can you share a challenging project
you’ve worked on and how you have. I can overcome it. Okay. Honestly, the biggest, bigger paintings.
Now I’m bigger canvases. Yeah. And I’ve got to move it. I got limited arms. Yeah. And I’ve got to put a
stick in between my fingers. Yeah. And hold it to stabilize my hand and balance it. And lean forward and
get it to the middle of the of the canvas. Yeah. And do a whole big canvas. Yeah. Wow. Yeah, that’s
that’s really cool. It’s, um. Yes. You know, some people find it, you know, um, easier, you know, to do
art or to, to handle art. Some people find it, you know, harder. You know, it’s just art. Um. Art covers a
whole range of, um, genres and people. Different. Um. With, uh, what’s called with with different
abilities. Um, yeah. It’s. Yeah, it’s a really, really big, um. No matter what country you’re in, this always.
There’s always art. Um, and different ways of doing that. Uh, how do you overcome creative block? By
the pattern. Ha! Ha ha! How do you overcome creative block? Block? Yeah. Um. Creative block. Like. I
guess. Uh, it’s, uh, at the time, I guess, like, um. When you can’t do something. Yeah, when you can’t.
Um, I guess when you can’t, um. When you can’t think of anything that’s creative and. And you want to
do something. Um, how how do you, um, overcome that? Like, how do you. I guess you do something
else just to get past that. Um. There’s nothing so hard. Yeah, yeah. There’s always a way around. Yeah.
And to do it. Yeah. Um. What? What sort of art do you make? Yeah. What sort of art do you make? I like
all different art. I can do paint animals. Yeah. Paint portraits? Yeah. Abstracts. I do a bit of mine. I have
an epidural. Yeah. Wow. All that sort of stuff. Yeah. But at present, I’m just doing my daughter. Right?
Yeah. It’s good to have the variety. Yeah. Uh, we, uh, on the on the, um, Brendan Ashman podcast. We’d
like to thank you for for, um, for coming and telling us your story and, um, answering a few questions as
is really great. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you very much. That was pretty good. Yeah. It’s good to you. Okay.
Yeah. Good to hear everyone’s. Everyone’s stories. Yeah. Thanks for that. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah.
Anyone out there? Nothing is hard. You can always do something.