Unwind With….

For Wayne, life’s rhythm comes from drumming, creating sculptures and casting a line. After a serious car accident, he began transforming odds and ends from his backyard into art – an outlet that helped to lift him out of his depression.

The beat that grounds me

I’ve always had a need to hit things and make noise. As a tiny kid, I played pots and pans on the kitchen floor with wooden spoons. It was just part of my being. I’ve never had lessons. I learned by watching, listening and playing along with records. I can’t read music, but I can feel it and play it.

My dad was a Jazz drummer, but all I wanted was to play Rock ’n’ Roll and beat the living daylights out of his kit. We clashed over music styles. When I was twelve, he asked me to fill in for a gig – he’d forgotten it was his wedding anniversary. That was my first professional show.

In my early 20s, I played four nights a week and was too tired for a day job. Part of playing was partying afterwards. It wasn’t until I had kids that I started driving trucks.

These days I mostly play at events with my mate Aidan, who lives nearby. I’m not into words and always forget song names. It’s all about beats and rhythm for me. When Aidan chooses the next song, he’ll play a bit of the melody and I’ll know it straight away. We play well-known songs people love and seeing people grinning and singing along is the best feeling.

Even after 60 years of performing, I still get nervous before going on stage. That hour before is unbearable. Once we hit the first few bars, there’s a massive rush and I think, thank God, we’re doing it. Then I get into the groove.

Sculpting my way back

In 2012, a serious car accident changed everything. I had severe injuries and couldn’t play drums or drive – the two things I loved most. I was bored, stuck at home and started to spiral into depression.

One day my wife, Laurel, said, ‘You’ve got all that junk in the backyard, why don’t you go and make something out of it?’ I’ve always been a bit of a bower bird and I collect things that would otherwise be discarded, so I had plenty to work with. The first thing I made was a dog called Dexter. It felt like I’d replaced the black dog following me with a quirky wooden one.

Then I began making model boats, turning old trumpets into lights, and transforming drums into coffee tables and planter boxes. I even made a fish out of parts of an old trampoline. Sometimes old mowers would just turn up on my nature strip. I’d have no idea who left them, but I’d pull them apart and use the engine pieces.

The owners of the Town and Country Gallery in Yarragon were happy to display my creations. To my surprise, they sold straight away. My saxophone lights were a killer, I couldn’t make enough to keep up with the demand.

Unlike a designer, I don’t plan and I can’t draw to save my life. I use the ‘put and look’ method: put things together, see if they look right, then keep going. I’ve entered some national sculpture competitions and even won prizes, which has surprised me.

My creativity comes from a desire to recycle. My wife and I have also restored several old houses, saving things like old windows and fittings. It’s satisfying to put work into restoring old things and giving them new life.

When I recovered, I combined my love of driving and art and started up my own business ‘Gippsland Art Couriers.’ I regularly transport artworks in my van to galleries and art fairs locally and interstate.

Casting for connection

When I want time out, I go fishing. I’m very unsuccessful and I don’t catch much, but that’s not the point. I bait the hook, throw it in, and switch off.

I’m about to head up to Venus Bay with eight other blokes for a few nights. We’ll do what men do, talk rubbish, and have a few drinks. It’s not really about catching fish, it’s about talking to mates. Sometimes I go fishing on my own, but there are always others around to have a yack with. It’s a common interest and a good excuse to slow down.

I don’t really have set routines, I’m pretty laid back. I’m just happy if I can play my drums, make things, and go fishing with my mates now and then.