Top Camp’s Damian McAleer is taking part in the first ever Toowoomba Studio Art Trail, a celebration of local artists that will take place over the four weekends of September.

In just five years, Damian has transformed from someone who hadn’t picked up a paint brush since his youth to someone running out of space in his house for all his paintings.

Damian, a resident of Top Camp for 15 years, has turned his house into an art studio.

A truck mechanic by trade, he began painting in his spare time after entering a piece in an auction for his child’s primary school.

To Damian’s surprise, the painting sold and since then, and especially over the past two years, he has hardly put down the paint brush.

Five years and over a hundred paintings later, one who steps into Damian’s house would think he has been painting his whole life.

Damian uses acrylic, oil and pencil and dabbles in a bit of sculpture as well.

He said his inspiration for what to paint comes from lots of things. “I’m interested in decay, ruin,” he said.

“Industrial marks man makes on the environment. An old car under trees, burnt houses in the scrub. That sort of thing.”

Damian said he is also interested in conveying dimensions in two dimensions.

He said his creative process involves taking photos in nature and having a notepad nearby to jot down ideas.

“I’ll go into my space and flick through ideas,” he said.

“When something comes together I’ll pick that up and run with it.”

Damian has had his art featured at galleries and exhibitions including the Toowoomba Grammar Art Show, at Fairholme College and Doyles Art Award Exhibition on the Gold Coast.

A telling sign of his success was his first solo exhibition this year at Bag End Studio in Moorooka, Brisbane.

To help fund his hobby, Damian does sell some of his artwork with the aim of his art being wholly self-funded.

“I’ve occasionally sold one for an amount that surprised me,”he said.

Damian’s studio is open on the weekends of the 2nd and 3rd, and the 16th and 17th of September from 10am to 3pm.

During those two weekends, members of the public are welcome to have a look at Damian’s house and Studio at 61 Tranter Street, Top Camp.

Damian said visitors will be able to see him in the process of creating art, as well as the finished art decorating the walls of several rooms of his house.

There are ten other artists on the Toowoomba Studio Art Trail, including painters, sculptors and a printmaker.

They are all based in Toowoomba suburbs and open for at least one weekend, up to all four weekends, during September. For more information about the Toowoomba Studio Art Trail, visit toowoombaarttrail.com.au

You can also check out Damian’s art on his Instagram damian_mcaleer_art.

This article appeared in On Our Selection News, 24 August 2023.