Bundoora artist Paul Compton draws on the dark and the mysterious to inspire his artwork, then adds a touch of whimsy.
He takes the image of Krampus, a terrifying European mythical character who accompanies Santa Claus on his rounds to punish bad children, and paints him as a horned beast-child in short pants.
“I’m inspired by obscure characters from history, folklore and pop culture,” he says. His latest exhibition, Bygones, is a collection of 40 drawings, prints and handmade books. He has a pop-up book on haunted houses “taking the dark subject and displaying it in a fun way”, and one on Victorian tea drinking etiquette.
The free exhibition is at Bundoora Homestead, 7-27 Snake Gully Drive, Bundoora, until Saturday, November 25.
