From early childhood, Dwayne was always drawing with graphite pencils. His earliest work focused on freehand original pastiche cartoon images from the 1970s Disney characters. Drawing continued to develop with coloured pencils and paintings on fabric with Hobbytex paint (pigment suspended in a spirit-based medium applied from tubes). These works suggested landscapes, trees, and with cartoon figures.

From age 11, Dwayne was painting approximately 80 x 100 cm Australian landscapes that featured pastoral estates and scenes from Lightning Ridge. He also did a series of small landscapes on plywood board from 11 x 15 to 30 x 21 cm. From age 16, Dwayne painted commissioned landscapes on furniture including large hope chests (called glory boxes in Australia), large crosscut saws and rough-hewn slabs of pine.

After graduating Dwayne took private painting lessons for a year with a locally based landscape artist John Murray. Dwayne’s talents in design and calligraphy led to qualifications in Sign and Show Card Writing. During a Bachelor of Teaching Dwayne designed and illustrated a children’s book that was later published as Lypptus the Gum Tree Dragon. Then followed a Bachelor of Education, and qualifications in Fashion Design.

From 2000, this period in his paintings showcased Aboriginal Australian themes highlighting post-colonial critiques and envisioning healing and cross-cultural engagement. At the same time, Dwayne finished a Bachelor of Counselling and a Master of Education. Under a competitive scholarship, Dwayne embraced qualifications in Graphic Design. He was then awarded full scholarship for a PhD in Counselling and Art Therapy.

The Australian Counselling Association contracted the use of the image from Dwayne’s painting Butterfly Awakening, using the image as a prominent logo on the website of their international research journal. While working in specialist fields of therapy, this period included Dwayne’s paintings attracting commissions and private sales.

During 2010, Dwayne’s paintings were featured in an international exhibition hosted by Cape Breton University Art Gallery in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. The show was entitled Three Artists, Two Countries, One Heart. His mother, Grace Kennedy’s paintings were also featured prominently with the Mi’kmaq First Nation themed works of Dr Jorandi (Joseph Randolph) Bowers.

During 2019, Dwayne’s painting served as a book cover for Solitude Awakens: The Heart Forest Mountain Way. During 2020, his work illustrated two book covers for Stardust Awakens: From Social Isolation to Finding Your Purpose and Destiny; and Homophobia and Healing: Psychotherapy and the Psychology of Prejudice.

From 2024, Dwayne’s renewed visual arts focus completed several works and explored new landscapes and well as Indigenous, traditional, and graphic arts themes.