I’ve been working on this series over 3 decades, using this lush, highly contrasted image of Marlene Dietrich as the saloon singer ‘Frenchy’ from the classic western 'Destry Rides Again' (1939) as the basis. FIrst as real life paintings/collages, then as digitally-produced physical works, now created specifically as a series for NFTs. This month I’ll be releasing the last 4 remaining works in this series, made in January-February 2021 but held back until now. Queen of Arts is mainly inspired by Australian author, poet and playwright Dulcie Deamer (1890-1972). Known in Sydney, particularly Kings Cross/Darlinghurst as ‘The Queen of Bohemia’, Deamer attended the great Artists’ Balls which were held annually often wearing a real leopard skin with a tooth necklace. She was notorious for doing the splits on tables in this get up and continued to do so well into her seventies.