Dave is a self-taught artist who began painting through the veteran support group, Mates4Mates. After leaving the Royal Australian Navy, he faced ongoing struggles with his mental health and self-medicated with alcohol.

Passionate about reusing discarded materials, Dave often paints on small pieces of plywood destined for the tip and frames his work with timber offcuts. He believes that, just as the beer cans and timber he uses may no longer serve their original purpose, they still hold value - and can be transformed into something meaningful through art.

Follow Dave on Instagram.

I began painting beer cans during a time when I was drinking heavily and had plenty of them around to choose from. Now sober, I continue to paint cans not for their association with alcohol, but because I see them as vibrant, colourful objects with a value that extends far beyond their original purpose.