Local artist Luke O'Donnell brings his nostalgic feel to Wester.

Little things is a... Collection of mixed media works with a primary focus on painting via abstraction and minimalism - honouring the artworks as objects and vessels.

These artworks are a part of an ongoing inquiry and documentation of the complexities of suburban life; a concept central to ‘little things’ amounting to profound transformation and/or consequence. This body of work highlights the truth of, and despite our best attempts at times, avoiding and experiencing the full spectrum of emotions which
lead us to where and who we are in this very moment. Looking, listening, and feeling drives this series to inquire who we are and what we want, both individually, and collectively. I like to imagine my paintings as windows; to look outward or inward as a quest for deeper understanding, compassion, and empathy. There is always more; more joy, more pain, more reason for being, more reason for doing - We owe it to ourselves to understand - to be understood.

Participants will observe the slightly ambiguous intersections of colour - this is commentary on the nuances of thoughts, feelings, and relationships. I like to think about the structure of my paintings as intersecting thoughts and streams of consciousness which become the foundation of relationships. The palette used in this series is directly referencing a deep sentiment for walking my dogs in the soft afternoon light with my wife - admiring pastel, ageing weatherboard homes. This is an example of a simple, insignificant daily practice which in fact is manifesting a deeper, more profound purpose and reason for being.

Little Things invites participants to reflect on transformative moments in their lives and think deeply about all the ‘little things’ which played a role. The artworks implore you to take a moment right now to ask yourself some big questions drawn from this insignificant moment in time. To look beyond the façade and contemplate what else might be. I created these works to soften a perpetual overwhelm, to extract lightness from the dark and find harmony in chaos.

As I learn to accept and celebrate the process of ageing, I have come to realise - it is the little things we do that mean everything.

- Luke O’Donnell