Richard Caladine - Words and Pictures

ABOUT

Photography, video, writing, digital and traditional drawing and painting are all important parts of my practice. My art is about the environment, built and natural and communicating the importance of happiness, empathy and creativity. In the past few years I have:

• written and illustrated a children’s picture book, 'Squawk!' the first adventure of Ocky.
• completed and exhibited photographs, digital prints, videos, paintings and drawings.
• developed and delivered the subject, 'Camera Computer Create!' at Wollongong Art School (www.rava.org.au).
• researched and developed learning materials for Practical Creativity, an educational project on what creativity is, why it is important and how to do it.

I am a regular participant in competitions and have been selected as a finalist in The Thirroul Seaside and Arts Festival (2004), The Fishers Ghost Award (2017 at Campbelltown Art Centre) and ‘Flow’ the national watercolour prize (2019 at Wollongong Art Gallery). I continue to enter the Wynne and Sulman prizes at the Art Gallery of NSW but so far have not been selected.

I am passionate about creativity and the link between creativity, empathy and happiness. I believe that when we all (not just artists) use our creativity wisely we will solve the problems of the world both large and small. I live in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia and am constantly inspired by the beaches and forest.

Say hello!

PRACTICAL CREATIVITY

The goal of Practical Creativity is to help individuals and groups develop and express their creativity. More creativity will produce more empathy and hence change the world for the better. When creativity is expressed individuals experience a sense of fulfilment or well-being, and society benefits. Materials for this project are currently being developed and the dates of the first events and publicatons will be announced soon.

Information on the mission, goals and topics covered.

WRITING

I have written on many topics and have been published in journals, magazines and books. I am currently looking for a publisher for my first children's picture book, 'Squawk'.

The following articles were first published in Photo Review Magazine.
Creating Visually Balanced Photographs. Issue 18: Aug/Sept 2004
Creating Visually Appealing Photographs. Issue 20: Dec/Jan 2005
Creating Visually Intriguing Photographs. Issue 22: April/May 2005
How Many Megapixels? What Resolution? Issue 16: April/May 2004

Humourous writing, mainly on mixed metaphors and etymology.
Here's an episode of a series of comics that explains technical concepts of photography to art students.

VIDEO

I have been involved with all levels of video production for over 35 years (from before vhs and well before YouTube). In the 1980s, 90s and 2000s I taught video production to staff and students at University of Wollongong. My work in video spans the range from educational to video art, from documentary to music video. My roles have included, camera operator, presentor, actor, editor, writer, audio recorder, director and many more.

PHOTOS, PAINTINGS and DRAWINGS

Much of my work can be described as realism with degrees of abstraction. I often use text in my works to make a point that's humorous, ideological or both. Recent works have been influenced by Warhol, Smart, Hockney and Lichtenstein, and much of my work has been described as neo-pop.

SQUAWK! - the first in a series of children's picture books

Ocky’s a weird breed of bird. Half cockatoo and half toucan. Some call him a cockatan, a toucantoo or simply a tootoo. Ocky tried and tried, but he couldn’t make a noise like the other tootoos. On this, his first adventure Ocky sets out to find his squawk and as well makes a new friend. 'Squawk' is Ocky's first adventure.

In 'Swoop', his second adventure, he confronts his fear of flying. Well it’s not really a fear of flying but a fear of falling down and going SPLAT!

My picture books bring together my loves: photography, drawing, text and technology.

HOOTWORKS

Hootworks is a collection of my digital drawings (plus a couple of tradtional ones). They are quirky and make most smile, chuckle or perhaps even guffaw. Mixaphors are a combination of mixed metaphors and graphic art. Adlibs are graphical advertisements with a curious or humourous twist. Signs of Life are signs that have benefited from some photoshop treatment. Typographics are words that look like their meanings.