When people ask me about the inspiration behind Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, I usually tell them to head straight down to Hastings Street after sunset. This piece isn't just a painting to me; it’s a distillation of that specific, electric "Noosa vibe"—that transition point where the salt-crusted skin of the afternoon meets the high-gloss glamour of the evening.

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The name itself comes from a cocktail that’s become a bit of a legend in the bars around the Sunshine Coast. I remember sitting with friends in a dimly lit corner of a local haunt, watching the sunlight fade over the Laguna Bay, and seeing this drink served. It was beautiful but dangerous—vibrant, sweet, but with a sudden, sharp kick that stayed with you. That’s exactly what I wanted to pin to the canvas.

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The Contrast

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I approached the composition as a game of two halves, much like the drink.

On one hand, I wanted to capture the "Kiss." For this, I used those fluid, sweeping strokes of bougainvillea pink and soft hibiscus. It represents the lushness of our sub-tropical home—the cooling breeze and the initial, sweet sip of a cocktail. It’s the seductive part of Noosa that draws everyone in.

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But then, there’s the "Bang." I brought in the sharp, aggressive lines and those heavy splatters of dark charcoal and metallic gold. That’s the spice. That’s the adrenaline of the nightlife and the sharp clink of ice against glass. I wanted to show that even in paradise, there’s an edge, a bit of "Coastal Noir" that makes the night feel alive.

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The Process

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I worked with a lot of layered glazes here to get that depth—the kind of transparency you see in a well-made drink. I wanted the colors to vibrate against each other. When you look at the jagged gold leaf cutting through the deep blues, I want you to feel that same "zing" you get from a splash of chili or a stiff pour of gin.

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For me, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang is a celebration of the sophisticated energy we have here in Queensland. It’s not a quiet landscape; it’s a loud, proud, and slightly hedonistic tribute to the nights we never want to end. It’s about that moment when the atmosphere is just right, the company is perfect, and the night is full of possibility.