Straight on the wall – posters you’ll want to keep

Martine Allars — Fri, 15 Jul 2022 05:19:08 +0000

Danielle’s beautiful piece.

We ran a competition with Torren’s university and the results were incredbile. Their challenge was to make wall posters that you would want to have on your wall.

It was a really hard choice but in the end we chose Danielle Leedie Gray and Damien Davis’s pieces. They were really different to one another but BOTH were amazing.

Danielle Leedie Gray.
Damien Davis

Let’s find out a bit more about our winners!

How did you come up with your idea?

Danielle: Astrology was an important navigating system for First Nations people. As a First Nation artist and designer I wanted to be able to share that fact creatively using my totem animal – the emu.

Damien: My goal was to give the bright people that read Australian Geographic Explorers something to be hopeful about in their future and let them know that their passions have the power to impact the world positively.

While researching for this project, I found Jake Dietsch’s article in the Western Australian about our future in space. In this article, he interviewed the International Space Centre industry and engagement manager, Ms Pru Steinerts.

Ms Steinerts mentioned that she was very excited not just to be a part of what is to come but also what this can mean for the future generation of kids and the opportunities this opens up for Australians. After exploring this idea further, I knew I’d be able to connect it to my goals for this project and create something incredible for the readers.

What was your favourite part of the project?

Danielle: Seeing the finished piece in its entirety.

Damien: That’s hard to answer because, truthfully, I enjoyed all of it. Potentially encouraging or inspiring the passionate group of readers Australian Geographic Explorers has by drawing all day was one of the best feelings and experiences I’ve had in my artistic journey to date.

Can you tell us what surprised you the most about your final project?

Danielle: How much my people depended on astronomy for navigation.

Damien: The growth I had pursuing my passion as an artist over the time spent at BillyBlue and what I was able to accomplish for this project. I wanted to challenge myself, and I’m over the moon with what I was able to do.

Who is your art hero?

Danielle: French artist – Henri Matisse.

Damien: Robert Stacy and his youtube channel helped me to learn a lot over the years. Even over the periods when I’d stopped drawing and being artistic, he helped keep that passion alive.

If you could give a young aspiring artist one tip, what would it be?

Danielle: As a 6-year-old I was told – there is no mistake in art.

Damien: If it’s painting, taking photos, drawing, or even making videos keep having fun and enjoying it. One day you’ll be able to reflect on all that hard work and be proud of how far you’ve come.

Download for your walls. We think they are pretty awesome!