Fave artists: Sally Hastings

Sally Hastings has quickly become one of my fave artists. I’ve always had a big thing for art that blends a classic style or technique with a more playful theme, and that’s a concept Sal has really nailed.

I’ve known Sal a long damn time.

Not as a besty, mind, but rather as the partner of a fella I used to chat and party with, and so I partied with Sal too. She’s good people and a great hang!

Of course, as with all things, our lives diverged and until recently, it had been years since I’d last spoken with either her or her guy – until my friend Kev asked me in chat, “have you seen what Sally’s up to these days?”

He linked me to her Insta page, where I learned she’d left the advertising industry to become a full-time artist. Now that’s living the dream, I said! She talks about it more on her About page.

Obviously I was immediately obsessed.

Sally’s work has a clear theme that she has yet to exhaust, slipping iconic Aussie lollies and ice creams into familiar scenes – whether that’s a rainbow snake gummy keeping an eye on an excited Steve Irwin, Bubble O’Bill holding up a steam train, Indiana Jones analysing a golden gummy bear, a giant gummy T-Rex standing over Donald Genarro on the shitter, a gummy shark in the classic JAWS poster, or…

Well, honestly the list of perfect scenes goes on for days. Check them out here on Sally’s website. Most are already sold, but they’re worth a look nonetheless.

Sally’s latest collection, which she’s previewing on her Insta page, brings the classic Ring Pop candy into The Lord of the Rings – because of course!

She’s pulled together a few in that set now, but so far, this classic moment with Frodo is probably my favourite.

Now, go be a fan. And if her work isn’t your style, have a think about which of your friends might dig it – this is how good artists become better known!