Callum mainly works with pastels and oil paint but also sculpts.
My artworks celebrate the unusual characters I encounter every day. They express my curiosity about the human condition, especially the quirky and eccentric among us.
The stories behind Callum's subjects are as interesting as the works themselves. For example, the first work presented here is a portrait of a man Callum saw in a YouTube video at a Minecraft convention. He was suggesting in the sweetest and meekest way that the Minecraft creators consider adding ‘birds that sing at dawn’ to the program. The YouTube clip is a bit of a mocking compilation of him asking for this. It was the man's genuine sweetness that inspired me to paint this enigmatic portrait as a tribute to counter the YouTube parody of him. And guess what? Minecraft has since added singing birds to the program!
Callum has just completed an Advanced Diploma of Visual Art and wants to teach. He wants to help other young people experience the joy of creative practice and help them discover how powerful creative expression can be as a communication tool.
I see tbC as more than a building or a project. I have seen it grow and connect people. tbC is exactly what young artists need, an opportunity to be trusted and treated as creative equals and a stepping stone into the wider artworld.