A new series of paintings by renowned local artist Gary Miles will launch this Saturday at Bradley Hall in Drouin West.

Titled "To Paint a Flagpole", the series includes 27 paintings created by Gary. A testament to his time spent travelling around the country, the series showcases beautiful landscapes from different parts of Australia.
"Most of the paintings (depict) some part of Australia," Gary explained. "They're sort of an example of where I've travelled."
Gary said the name of the series was inspired by his children and the flagpole on his property. "When my two oldest children were very young, about six and seven, I thought, 'I need a flagpole for the property'," Gary said. "It was (the children's) project, to get all the bark off and paint it white."
A number of paintings in the series include a flagpole in the image, often hidden within the modern, abstract blend of rich colours.
The "To Paint a Flagpole" series marks a progression in Gary's artistic style.
"I've been a bit ill so I decided to change my style and see how far I could go," Gary said. "The latest works are all works on paper, whereas I normally do half and half with oils and bigger (canvases)."
In addition to his large artworks, Gary has created a number of smaller paintings affectionately named "card wreaths". His partner Maggie explained the card wreaths allowed Gary to continue creating work despite the challenges of having Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
"The specialist said to do a project, but it's very hard for Gary to concentrate on the big work for a length of time," Maggie said. "When we came up with this idea, he could do it comfortably without getting tired."
"I wanted to test my skills to see how far I could go with this illness," Gary said.
"It's a bit of a departure from what Gary normally does," Maggie said. "They're discs about the size of a CD, with Gary's very abstract (style) painted on them. They're all original, some are small and some are bigger. They're a way that people can have something of Gary's without spending a fortune on a painting."
The card wreaths will be available to purchase at Bradley Hall.
The "To Paint a Flagpole" series will launch at Bradley Hall in Drouin West on Saturday between noon and 5pm.
Gary said he was looking forward to seeing people at the launch.
"With my artwork, I've never got a big buzz out of doing it but what I get a big buzz out of is doing the shows," Gary said. "Going along and greeting everyone, Maggie dresses me up in my yellow tie and shirt."
The series also will be available to view by appointment. Contact 0407 343 606 for enquiries.