Painting the white roses red

Unlike the roses planted in error by the hapless gardeners in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the roses in my linocut Everything’s coming up roses were always intended to be red. Throughout their transformation from white to crimson, however, I couldn’t help but recall one of my all-time favourite books (along with its companion volume, Through the Looking Glass), which it seems still influence my own work, even when I’m not conscious of it. Incidentally, the Alice books were also revered by the Surrealists.

Here is an excerpt from the relevant chapter from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland:

CHAPTER VIII

The Queen's Croquet-Ground

A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red. Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, `Look out now, Five! Don't go splashing paint over me like that!’…

…`Would you tell me,' said Alice, a little timidly, `why you are painting those roses?'

Five and Seven said nothing, but looked at Two. Two began in a low voice, `Why the fact is, you see, Miss, this here ought to have been a red rose-tree, and we put a white one in by mistake; and if the Queen was to find it out, we should all have our heads cut off, you know. So you see, Miss, we're doing our best, afore she comes, to--' At this moment Five, who had been anxiously looking across the garden, called out `The Queen! The Queen!' and the three gardeners instantly threw themselves flat upon their faces. There was a sound of many footsteps, and Alice looked round, eager to see the Queen.

To read the entire chapter, click here:

https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~rgs/alice-VIII.html

Everything’s coming up roses was created for IRREPRESSIBLE, an exhibition and print exchange portfolio coordinated by Rona Green. Comprising 55 relief prints by 55 invited artists, it will be exhibited at Whitehorse Artspace in early 2026. 

Images 1-3 from top: 

1 The hand-colouring begins;

2 Illustration by John Tenniel from the original edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, 1866. (Public domain). 

3 Completed hand-colouring of the first of an edition of 56, plus proofs. 

In celebration of Lewis Carroll

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, AKA Lewis Carroll, was born on this day (27 January 1832). Arguably his writing has had a more profound and lasting influence on my own work than any other writer - or artist, for that matter. He was also revered by the Surrealists. 

I’ve just unearthed these two works from one of my plan cabinets. The drawers are in dire need of a cleanup, so it’s a miracle I found them so quickly. I wasn’t even sure they still existed; in fact, I’d almost forgotten about them. But I’ve never forgotten about him. 

Happy Birthday, Lewis Carroll. 

Pictured above, 1 - 2: Alice of Hearts and Alice and the Chess Board, both 1992, hand-coloured linocuts, A/Ps, 13.5 x 9 cm.

My world... and welcome to it

Not Drowning, 1996, oil pastel, 160 x 120 cm. Collection Grafton Regional Gallery, NSW.
Acquisition of the 1996 Jacaranda Drawing Award. 

At present, I'm trying to keep my head above water as Shane and I tackle a slew of odd jobs and renovation projects before selling our respective properties and moving into our new home.

New carpet is being laid in my old Ballarat house this week. Our furniture and other possessions are strewn everywhere, including the kitchen, sunroom and my studio.

The contents of the boxes below, labeled 'Library Books', are from our personal library. Rest assured, they are not overdue library books!

Ideally, we'd have preferred polished floors, but the condition of the floorboards is too poor.

Before the carpet can be laid, Shane and I have to paint and install new skirting boards.

Meanwhile, in the Ballarat sunroom, a steadfast Alice guards our possessions.

As stress levels mount, however, she wisely decides to follow in the footsteps of her namesake and escape through the looking glass.

While the carpet installation is under way, we're in Melbourne, madly finishing numerous odd jobs, cleaning, clearing, rearranging and decluttering the contents of Shane's Abbotsford house before it's placed on the market on May 1. The agent is sending over a photographer on Tuesday, so the pressure is really on.

In the meantime, work deadlines, including a forthcoming solo show, are piling up. Despite my best efforts, it feels like I'm sinking fast. I may just throw in the towel and follow Alice into Looking Glass Land, where, with any luck, a clean, organised, workable studio awaits me.