Live Drawing Demonstration by Trevor Dickinson

Trevor Dickinson worked as a print designer for the fashion industry when he relocated from London to Australia 20 years ago. For a while after the move he still felt a sense of disconnect with his new home; this motivated him to spend his spare time exploring the streets of Newcastle with a sketchpad and pen. His aim was to record aspects of the city that felt most foreign to him. Pretty soon Trevor became obsessed with making these drawings and wanted to take them further. So, he collected the artwork into handmade zines, prints, tea towels, and cards, which were sold locally under the brand Newcastle Productions.

Based on this project, Trevor was selected as artist in residence at Megalo print studio, Canberra in 2012. Using his Newcastle approach as a blueprint, he spent six weeks making a body of Canberra drawings and screen-prints. Viewing the city as an outsider, his work celebrated the ordinary, highlighting urban subjects that are so familiar that residents no longer notice them. The drawings resonated with the local community and allowed Trevor to turn a hobby into a career. Since then, he has taken this approach to other locations in Australia.

Trevor’s work and large-scale murals can be seen in Canberra, Newcastle, and the wider Hunter region. He has had several exhibitions, in public galleries and has published five books of his artworks.