Featured Projects
Gavin Ireland - Illustrator of the Rodney Rainbowfish series
Gavin Ireland is the illustrator behind the much-loved Rodney Rainbowfish children’s book series. A lifelong fish enthusiast and passionate artist, Gavin brings Australia’s native fish to life through warm, detailed, and educational illustrations.
A Life Surrounded by Fish
Gavin describes himself as “a fish tragic.” Since receiving a tiny metal-framed aquarium with swordtails at age five, fish have been part of every stage of his life. That childhood hobby has grown into more than one hundred aquariums and ponds, many filled with native Australian fish he has spent a lifetime observing, collecting, and conserving.
Alongside fishkeeping, Gavin has always drawn and painted. Today, he combines these passions through artworks featuring Australian native fish, especially rainbowfish and blue-eyes. His process involves photographing real underwater habitats and then painting those same fish within their natural scenes — turning scientific interest into beautiful, accurate art.
Early Passion for Native Species
Gavin’s love of native fish began in childhood. He caught his first wild rainbowfish at age seven using a milk bucket on the way to the dairy. Those fish lived in the dairy trough for years, and Gavin spent much of his youth exploring creeks, catching fish, and discovering new species and colour variants.As an adult, that curiosity continues. He still explores waterways in every new region he lives in — and even discovered a brightly coloured, isolated variant of Pseudomugil signifier, now kept by hobbyists in Australia and Europe.
Meeting Steve – and the Birth of Rodney Rainbowfish
Gavin met Steve Baines, the author of the Rodney Rainbowfish stories, through their shared love of native fish and friendly competition at aquarium events such as the Royal Queensland Show (Ekka). When Steve revealed he had written several stories about a rainbowfish named Rodney and needed an illustrator, Gavin joked, “I can do that.” That joke became a long-running creative partnership.
Gavin produced a test illustration, Steve loved it, and the first Rodney Rainbowfish book began.
Illustration Style & Process
Gavin’s goal was to create illustrations that were:
- Realistic, to honour the fish and their environments
- Simple enough that children could reproduce them
- Versatile, allowing future colouring books, toys, or animations.
He initially worked entirely in coloured pencil, then later added pastel for a smoother finish while keeping the artwork child-friendly.
Each illustration spans a two-page panoramic spread, giving the books their immersive underwater feel.
How Gavin Creates Each Fish Illustration
- Tracks down the real fish in its natural habitat
- Photographs of the fish and environment are used as references
- Draws the fish exactly as observed in pencil
- The fish picture is arranged over a background to find the perfect composition
- Uses a light box to transfer the final layout to the illustration paper
- The pencil drawings are overdrawn in black pen around the outline
- Colours the artwork using pencil and pastel.
This meticulous process ensures every image is both beautiful and biologically accurate.
The Growing Success of the Series
The Rodney Rainbowfish books continue to grow in popularity, with more stories on the way. Gavin is proud to support Steve’s vision — not just to share engaging children’s stories, but also to raise awareness about the environmental challenges facing Australia’s unique freshwater species.
Purchase the Rodney Rainbowfish Books
Gavin’s illustrated books are available here:
Visit the Rodney Rainbowfish Shop https://www.rodneyrainbow.com.au/shop
Gavin Ireland – Voices of Service – The battle of Fire Support Base Coral in their own words
To mark the 60th anniversary of Australia’s involvement at Battle of Fire Support Base Coral in the Vietnam War, Gavin Ireland is developing a powerful national art project that honours the lives and service to recognise Australian veterans. Combining portraiture, storytelling, and recorded voice, this project seeks to preserve personal histories that are often unspoken but deeply significant to our national identity.
A Tribute to Veterans, Told in Their Own Words
At the heart of the project are hand-drawn and painted portraits of Vietnam veterans—each one created through direct conversations with the veteran themselves. These portraits are paired with:
- A written narrative, sharing the veteran’s experiences, challenges, and reflections
- An audio recording, allowing visitors to hear the veteran’s own voice telling their story
This immersive combination of visual art and personal testimony creates a deeply human experience, allowing the public to connect not only with the face of each veteran, but with their lived reality.
Capturing an Important Chapter of Australian History
The Vietnam War remains one of the most emotionally complex chapters in Australian history. Many veterans carried their experiences quietly for decades. Through these portraits and personal accounts, Gavin aims to respectfully preserve these stories for future generations—ensuring they are not forgotten, overlooked, or lost.
This project acknowledges courage, resilience, trauma, and healing. It recognises the lasting impact of service on individuals, families, and communities, and offers a meaningful space for remembrance.
A National Exhibition Vision
The goal is to present the completed collection in a series of major exhibitions across Australia, including:
- State galleries
- Regional art centres
- Returned service organisations and
- Educational and cultural institutions.
Visitors will be able to view each portrait while listening to the accompanying audio on their device, creating an intimate and emotional experience that honours the dignity of each veteran.
For those unable to attend the exhibitions in person, the project will also be made accessible online. Audiences will be able to explore each portrait through a dedicated web experience, complete with the written stories and the veterans’ recorded voices. This digital component ensures that people across Australia — and beyond — can connect with the artworks, hear the veterans tell their own stories, and engage with this important chapter of our history no matter where they live.
Seeking Funding and Support
To bring this important project to life, Gavin is currently seeking financial support, sponsorship and partnership opportunities. Funding will help cover:
- Travel to meet and interview veterans
- Professional audio recording
- Materials and production costs
- Exhibition logistics and installation
- Digital and print publication
Supporters will play a vital role in helping preserve a rapidly disappearing part of Australian history, ensuring these first-hand stories are shared with the public and passed on to future generations.
Why It Matters
This project is not simply an art collection — it is a national act of remembrance.
By documenting the faces and voices of those who served, Gavin hopes to create a lasting cultural archive that deepens public understanding and honours the sacrifices made.