A commission I received last year that I managed to get around to recently. This is a church in Hvar, Split, Croatia, in a neighbourhood where my client grew up. Not something I usually do but I am always up for something new and challenging and it proved to be a fun process!
Charcoal on Lana paper
1m x 1.2m

After sitting in the window of Parnell Gallery for a week my Gorilla drawing has now sold off to a great home. Now to get some money to The Dianne Fossey Fund!!

This drawing was a commission for my clients house. The reference photo was a 6" x 4" physical photo. It was quite difficult to use, me being a hyper-detailed artist, to recover detail from the photo and to enlarge it to the size needed but nonetheless I am happy with the result and the client was super happy too!

My second aerosol piece is Frida Kahlo. A famous Mexican painter from mid 20th century. She is an iconic person and I thought she would work well to spray paint! Bit tricky doing some of the smaller details but I picked up heaps of new techniques and learnt heaps! Im looking forward to my next piece!! 

​“Umurinzi”
The Gorilla are divided into 2 species, the western and eastern gorilla. These two species have their own subspecies of which all are critically endangered. One of these subspecies are known to have only a few hundred of them left which creates a task for conservationists to protect them and keep them alive. Many people have dedicated their lives to protecting the poached and imposed Gorilla. Love for protecting this human-like primate has brought people all over the world to visit them and work alongside locals to enlarge their population status. Protection funds and conservation teams survive on donations and tourist visits which is why I am planning to do both. With hoping to visit Africa next year, I will be donating $1000 of the money received from the buyer of this piece to The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. This conservation team work in Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo doing scientific research, education and physical movements in the efforts to help species of Gorilla to survive.
This piece is for sale so contact me if interested.
Charcoal on Lana paper

So Tim and I decided to make use of the wall in his garage to use some spray cans. I had never used aerosols for artwork before but had been inspired by Owen Dippie, a well-know mural artist from NZ. I wanted to paint something quite contrasty and after a couple days I came up with this. Now I am just starting to think of many more images Id like to spray. 

After reaching 10k followers on Instagram I decided to give back and so I created a giveaway of this Jimi Hendrix drawing. The winner of this piece Taylor Hough has been a supporter of my art for a while which is great for me when a giveaway finds a home like this.
​Drawn with Charcoal on Fabriano

Commission by Emily in Australia, she requested a nude portrait. A portrait that represents resilience and strong-will in a woman. A task I was happy to undertake and very proud of the final product. I got my girlfriend to photograph Freddie nude in my studio as I orchestrated how I would like her to pose. I didn't have a cigarette so I rolled a bit of paper up for her to hold so I could improvise a cigarette and smoke in the drawing. I went with a negative effect for the smoke which gives a more 'sketchy' look to it. 

'Koru'
Charcoal on Fabriano 75 x 55cm
A piece I drew for my girlfriends birthday present as she wanted a New Zealand themed artwork so I chose the Koru as it symbolizes new beginnings, strength and growth which has been 3 massive motives in her life recently. I get to see it everyday in our room too which is not common for a piece of mine!

Thank you to Pouroto for allowing me to photograph him and draw him! I got my own page in the Whakatane paper today which is wicked. Awesome write up by Kathy from the Whakatane Beacon. 

The Kings College Art Sale was a successful night. I sold both my piece to two awesome couples who I met on the night. Again, there were loads of great art there and the student band was an entertaining break from artwork. Overall an enjoyable night and I look forward to seeing my pieces on the walls of their new homes.

This is my second piece of which I submitted into the Kings College Art Show. A more detailed portrait focusing on the Tā moko lines themselves. 
Charcoal on Fabriano paper
1m x .8m
SOLD

Charcoal on Fabriano paper
1m x 1.5m

​Behind this piece sits a Maori man by the Name of Pouroto Ngaropo who wears the lifetime commitment of his Tā Moko. The Tā Moko is a form of artwork that tells a story of his ancestry, tribe and beliefs shown through a facial tattoo. Hence the name of my artwork ‘A Crowded Table’ which is referring to the figurative meaning of him carrying his ancestors with him, which is converted to a literal meaning of the table being crowded as he represents his family. 

Seen by some (as said by himself) the Tā Moko can come across as intimidating or ‘Gang-Like’ as the stereotype goes. So in the early 90’s he decided to commit to the Tā Moko for the right reasons, for the reasons the Tā Moko was originally intended, in the effort to eradicate the stigma behind modern day reactions. Which here, this artwork, is trying to portray...a man with a old tradition, normalized in todays society and wearing his Tā Moko proudly.

​By Matthew Griffin

Tonight was the Mt Eden Normal Primary annual auction. I wasnt sure what to expect on the night but it ended up being a good night with my piece selling to the couple sitting in front of us. Seems like the spot in their house where it is going, is in the front foyer so i look forward to seeing it in the house! Im happy with the price and I also sold a commission piece which I look forward to producing for another couple too!

The 25 year anniversary exhibition for Flagstaff Gallery was held Last Thursday and my piece sold!! Was a good night meeting a few new artists and exhibiting alongside them. Congrats the couple who bought my piece! 

A piece I am working on that will be going into the Flagstaff gallery opening from next Thursday! 
Charcoal on Fabriano paper
​Apologies for the poor lighting in this photo.

So I have just recently completed this unique woman in Charcoal on Fabriano paper. Using thick 640gsm paper I can nicely float it in a white frame. A photo of her amongst a crowded street in Rwanda captured me at first glance and I knew I had to recreate her! With realism and abstarction, here is Jaded!

I felt the title of this piece described the lion well. Estimated 1.2 million lions existed in 1880, now down to less than 20,000. Human interference is the main cause of the massive reduction of this incredible species and for what reason? 
Lion trophy hunting has been a tradition for hundreds of years and still goes on today. Proponents claim hunting lions (usually male lions like this one I drew) brings in money for the local communities and villages. It is also claimed only 3% of this money actually goes towards that. 
Now catergorized as Vulnerable.
Charcoal on Fabriano
90 x 60cms
​Estimated 100,000 pencil strokes for this drawing.

'Frea.'
A charcoal piece going into the MAGS art show next month, At this rate with 1080, lead poisoning and car caused accidents these guys wont be around for much longer so I thought id idolize them while we have them. 
​

So I have just completed a drawing I have been working on for weeks, she is about 97% done but the most of her is there. The drawing is of a Maori girl who I am friends with. The drawing stands at 1m x 1.5m high and done with charcoal on paper. This drawing is going to be entered into the Parkin Drawing prize and I am crossing my fingers. This was a VERY challenging drawing but also very enjoyable! I put myself in the photo to get an idea of size and also I will be posting a picture of just her very soon.

Another commission for an old friend I studied with. He commissioned me to draw his new girlfriend. Loved peeling the tape off this one! But besides from that a nice little drawing for me to do, always loved drawing horses too, such incredible creatures! 
This is also a little bigger than A4, drawn with Charcoal on Fabriano

This was a commission I have just completed which consists of colour that I have not used before since high school. The drawing is of Jonah Lomu, one of the greatest rugby players ever who died at a young age from kidney cancer (drawn here playing against the Irish in 2001). The flag in the background is the Red Peak Flag, which was one of the flag change options when John Key was in Parliament. Probably the most tedious commission I have done but was enjoyable at the same time. 
92 x 56 cm charcoal and colour pencil on Fabriano.