The Book & the Journey When did you start on the main body of this work what was it called? It started about 10 years ago with Mandala Magic, a magazine type booklet that wound up being printed in an all-night print shop in USA by a friend, and only a dozen copies. I begin an image with a white piece of paper, a black pen, and faith that there will be a result. Sometimes the image and the text may come years apart, but they always seem to find each other. Relic was an opportunity to share the information I felt privileged to have been able to gather over this lifetime, and carry a message of love, not fear, from the “Old Ones” of antiquity – a message that, despite a whole lot of interference over the millennia, is as strong today as it was so long ago. I have kept ‘doodles’ from my desk blotters and telephone pads in the many ‘job s’ I had in the ‘real’ world. I used to be asked lots of questions, travelling to work on the crowded, peak hour Sydney rail about balance and stability, while creating a finely- worked, detailed mandala on my knee. A good mate of mine used to say “One day you’ll sell those bloody ‘doodles’ Wally!” Many years later, when everything was in place, it really took shape quickly. It went from a 60 page “2012 Handbook”, to 160 pages at that first meeting, and Relic emerged.

Where did you make the majority of this work, can you tell us something about that? For ten years I lived in my van and travelled from Cairns to Adelaide or Sydney about twice a year. I often sold my art for a tank of fuel to get from one destination to another. My van was well set up, and often during this period I had many occasions where I “house sat” for friends, so I produced a great deal of material. Over the years I have let go of so many things, yet my art managed to mostly travel with me. Mandalas are often done on planes, trains and automobiles, all over the globe, although the bigger the space the bigger I love to work. Who has been there to assist or help you get through the tougher days of being an artist, could you share some personal insight into that part of your life? I make friends very easily with locals where ever it is I live. By locals I mean the flora and fauna. Once you have tuned into Nature it is difficult to tune out. Every minute is a changing vista, every second the entire forest throbs. Eventually ‘they’ accept me as part of their routine, and they choose to include me in their lives. It is for this reason that I’m able to live alone in the bush for long periods. Every day I have interactions with birds, butterflies, bugs, insects, spiders and snakes. I’m fortunate enough to have made many good friends of the Human kind along the way, and I have many places where my hat will hang happily. Then there is family. There is nothing like family. My brothers are still living in fine style, always the inspiration to me, and my sons, who are my life, have their own vibrant families. I’m also blessed to have many strong loving women in my life.

Tell us about Jordan! From start to finish. People you met, invitations you received, breakthroughs you had, trips you made. My first trip was with Reshma, the mother of my grandchildren, and Ehlayna and Bronsun. We crossed Egypt in cars busses trains ships, planes, balloons, horses, donkeys and camels. Then we sailed into Jordan by ferry. We travelled to many ancient sites, and of course, Petra. Our guide Rabi, and I, quickly became friends and I suggested he might like to see my preparations for ‘the book’. He, in turn, showed it to a friend, and we agreed to, between us, make it happen when I returned. On the second trip to Amman, I lived as a local in a cottage close to the city. When I was not concerned with the book I was receiving first hand knowledge in pottery, mosaics and cultural art from the many artisans that William employed in the factory. I was treated to hospitality as I have never been before by a people who can really cook, and they know how to celebrate. .I never once, in Jordan, felt anything but safe and welcome.