I personally am not someone who loves the great outdoors – sue me.

I have never had any fantasy about camping under the stars or swimming with dolphins in the ocean aka God’s pool. Instead I’ve always had an obsession with shopping centre air conditioning. You can’t tell me I can eat a foot long meatball sub at a controlled 23 degrees celsius in nature. But if I were to step outside I would probably see some alright stuff, or at the very least something half as cool as Thomas Jackson’s work.

Thomas Jackson is a Sydney based artist who specialises in entomological artworks, which is the art of specimens. If anyone is the David Attenborough of the art world, it would be this guy. Thomas Jackson breathes his subjects to life with stunning realism. Whether it be small meticulously detailed goache and ink work, or luscious soaring murals populating the concrete jungle, there is always an attention and care to organic visuals in everything he does.

Also, we ate oily beetroot burgers at da godfather home of singlet wearing grease mongers, Newtown’s own Dean’s Diner. The highlight of the whole meal was when Thomas Jackson ate a potato scallop chasing a previous course of starchy chips cause he’s hella extra. BAO!