Recognising he's best known as an actor and singer, Tim Draxl says he "only recently tried my hand at painting".
However, the former star of the Foxtel drama series A Place To Call Home said he's already enjoying some success in the art world.
"I had my first exhibition earlier last year at the Minnamurra Cafe and I sold all 13 pieces, which was very encouraging," he said.
He has a new art exhibition, Mood Indigo, on display at the Minnamurra Cafe.
Draxl, 38, said the recent bushfires on the South Coast have been "incredibly distressing".
Therefore, he said "to do my part I, together with the Minnamurra Cafe, will be donating 30 per cent of all the artwork sales to the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal".
"It's just horrendous, and the stories that are coming out now about the hardships people are facing in trying to rebuild their lives are heart-breaking," he said.
"Anything people can do to help, they should be doing."
Draxl, who lives in Sydney but spends plenty of time on the South Coast, said his latest collection of works was inspired by his recent first trip to Japan, and the vintage indigo fabric boutiques there.
"The illusive blue that appears sometimes almost black is a colour that has become synonymous with Japanese culture," he said.
He adopted a few traditional Japanese artistic techniques for these works, and traditional Japanese bamboo ink brushes have been used on most of the pieces.
Draxl has been in the entertainment industry for more than 20 years.
Draxl's career started as a singer and cabaret artist when he signed a record deal with Sony at 16, and ended up on the cabaret circuit in New York.
He's best known for his role in A Place To Call Home.
He described being on the show as a "pretty amazing gig" and a "dream job".
"Not that many Australian TV shows run for six seasons," he said.
He said the program had attracted loyal viewers.
"The fans were just so devoted to the show," he said.
"The last art show I did at the cafe last year, a lot of the fans ended up coming to the cafe and bought a few pieces.
"It's an ongoing relationship, which is pretty amazing."
Draxl said his grandmother had a property on the Minnamurra River since the early 1950's, where he spent most of his school holidays.
"The house has since been handed down to my Mum and become a holiday house for myself and my brothers as well as my Mum's primary residence, so I have a close connection and love for the area," he said.
Brendan Crabb
I'm a member of ACM's national property team, covering the Illawarra and South Coast. Based in Albion Park, NSW, I write about exciting, interesting or just downright quirky properties that have been listed for sale, major sales, market trends, auctions and more. One of my favourite aspects of being a journalist is I believe everyone has a story to tell. What's yours?
I'm a member of ACM's national property team, covering the Illawarra and South Coast. Based in Albion Park, NSW, I write about exciting, interesting or just downright quirky properties that have been listed for sale, major sales, market trends, auctions and more. One of my favourite aspects of being a journalist is I believe everyone has a story to tell. What's yours?
