DonGarratt.com

Don GARRATT
Elegant Web Solutions and Fine Art Colorist

Personal Details:
Australian, christened Gordon Wayne Garratt, born 1953. Married (to Shelagh ‘She’ – together since Dec 1987) With six adult children between us, She’s 4 girls and my 2 boys.

I was educated at Geraldton Primary School, then Guildford Grammar School (GGS), receiving Citizenship Award (1970).

2008 Deferred studying a B.A. (Fine Arts) at Curtin University.

I enjoy researching art, philosophy, photography and IT (Information Technology), together with drawing, painting, classical music,
dance and ballet.

Career Outline:

1962 – 1965  At 9yrs old on the farm, experimented with cameras, box camera photography from kites, finally setting up my own darkroom at 14.

1966 – 1970  Boarder in Henn’s House, Guildford Grammar School (GGS). At 16 setup school print shop, printing first colour school paper. Stage managed several plays, did photography, choir and swimming.

1970 – 1971 Commenced  silk screen printing, researching and building my own silkscreen, hand printing fashion posters and billings, using up to 23 colours.

1971 – 1980 Over 9 years experience in the banking/finance, esp. money market trading, initiating early integration of computer data for 11am/24hr funds, using punched cards on a IBM mainframe.

1977 – 1980 Flow charted bank’s private ledger of over 600 accounts in my spare time then was seconded to implement, test and launch the new system on IBM mainframes.

1978 – 1980 Built (in my spare time) new high-res silk screen machine, developing new processes for printing multi-colour high definition maps, sold process to a print shop.

1980 – 1983 Three years joint management and running of family farms – wheat, oats, barley, sheep and cattle – returned to Perth due to irreconcilable family differences.

1980 – 1983 Researched infrared and satellite Landsat pictures (from my camera/box kite idea) using early computers, for identification and location of crop/pasture pests & diseases.

1983 – 1985 Moved to Perth, then two years managing a substantial money market & financial portfolio, taking it from AU$18M to AU$43M and developing AI spreadsheets on early IBM Clones,  to assist in decision making.

1983 – 1985  First major trader in Perth in Government Treasury Bonds – formed Government Securities Fund, successfully won 9 of 10 tenders, averaging 128% profit.

1985 – 1988 Opened own business. Three years of research, design & development of a rural  database globally,  with unique search facilities using artificial intelligence (AI).

1988 – 1993 Five years partnership with Shelagh, managing a business consultancy on cycles and propitious timing – very successful with over 6000 clients.

1988 – 1990 Developed an 8 line bulletin board with information, research and knowledge acquisition. Especially in the areas of the new CDRom technology and info retrieval.

1990 – 1994 Established software business with early internet research, graphics using fractal compression and large information databases. Govt, corporate and education clients.

1994 – 1997 Four years of research/design/development of a modular global travel database, with unique coding/search facilities and logic. Consulting with IBM & SITA [Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques] in USA.

1997 – 2000 Three years research/design/development of a global search engine, with modular coding, simplified layout, allowing for uninhibited expansion and logic.

1997 – 2000 Contract for payment systems on wireless devices and mobile phones, including research/design/set up of web site promotions, especially search engine listings.

1998 – 2000 Set up & managed Alexanders Art Gallery on internet, including  sorting, cataloguing and scanning some 4,000 items. Sadly, Alex passed away in early 2000.

2000 – 2002 Contract in USA with wireless and smart card payments systems, designed and implemented coding system for smart cards. Company fails after Sep 11th.

2002 – 2004 In Dec 2002 return to Australia, developed several web sites, commenced artistic pursuits and further development of hybrid internet search/directory engine.

2004 – 2005 Feb 2004 suffered a stroke to RHS – hospitalised for one (1) week – over several months made a full recovery – tried over 30 various combinations of drugs unsuccessfully – opted for natural solutions.

2006 – Late Oct decide to follow my passion for Art and commenced a part-time degree at Curtin University – B.A. (Fine Arts)

2006
76%  SP4 VIS18 Introduction to Visual Culture
70%  SP4 VIS26 Art in the Age of Revolution
60%  SP4 VSW11 Printmaking: Material and Conceptual Investigation

2007
62%  SP1 VAR11 Visual Arts Research – Introduction to Drawing
83%  SP1 VIS19 Issues in Contemporary Art
76%  SP2 VAR12 Visual Arts Research – Drawing and Ideas
71%  SP2 VIS24 Australian Art History
88%  SP3 VIS29 Art and Fashion in the 20th Century
54%? SP3 VSW12 Textiles – Material and Conceptual Investigation
83%  SP4 VIS320 Nature and Terra: Landscape Art, Gardens and
Environment in Cultures Over the Centuries
85%  SP4 VSW13 Sculpture – Material and Conceptual Investigation

2008
81%  SP1 VSW14 Painting – Material and Conceptual Investigation
80%  SP1 VSW21 Painting – Observation and Perception
WD*  SP2 VSW22 Painting – Subject and Methodology
WD*  SP2 VSW23 Painting – Themes: Interpretation

*WD = WithDrawn

2008 – Aug 15th have 2nd stroke – this one is major – hospitalised RPH – transferred to Ward 2 – Stroke Ward, Shenton Park – enjoyed some fantastic nursing and care, after a few months starting to walk with assistance, wheelchair otherwise. She visits every day, with family inter-dispersed…

2009 – Jan 30th home with She, wheelchair included, She is my everything including physio…

2009 – Dec 5th, while walking solo, fall on hindquarters, bit sore – right leg affected – just thought it was muscular, rested on couch…

2009 – Dec 14th, went to Bethesda Hospital for X-Ray on hip, broken NOF – broken hip in laymans language – on my RHS – my stroke affected side :-p Sent by ambulance to Royal Perth Hospital…

2009 – Dec  19th, after several days of false starts and fasting, finally had my operation, a Hemiarthroplasty, replacing the broken part of the bone with a metal implant – partial hip replacement, the head of the femur is replaced.

2009 – Dec 28th, transferred to Shenton Park, Ward 7 – Osteo Ward.

2010 – Jan 6th – Epiphany and home coming – Yay! – had weekly visits by the Physio for about 9 weeks – my main daily physio is still She

2010 – Mar 14th, first decent walk with She, since my hip fracture…

2010 – May 19th walk with She with just one hand, room to room…

2010 on… computing from the wheelchair – I have an idea… :-p

Thank you for reading