Artist Statement

Ever since I was ten years old I have held either a pencil or paint brush in my hand knowing that I wanted to be an artist. Ignoring both my mother’s pleas not to rely on being an artist and those teachers and fellow students who followed a different path to representational art, I took the advice of artist friend William (Bill) T Cooper (1934-2015), the brilliant Australian bird-painter.

Bill sent me to John Brackenreg (1905-1986) OBE FRSA, artist and gallery director of Artarmon Galleries to show him my work. On seeing the small oil painting titled ‘Winter Morning.(Mrs Roberts)’ John bought it and told me to go back home and paint for an exhibitionin 1982. The exhibition was a sell-out which set the stage for twenty more solo exhibition at Artarmon Galleries up to 2018.

In between these exhibitions I was excited to go to Galerie Elyette Peyre in Paris for an exhibition arranged by John’s daughter, Julie. This was made possible by the kind introduction of ex-patriot Australian artist Fred Jessup (1920-2007) living in France since 1949. The 1994 exhibition with Elyette was a very successful exhibition in her left bank gallery opposite the Louvre and I was astonished to sell the ‘Nimmitabel Pub’ painting to a Parisian local.This experience led me to finding a Gallery in London and since 2002 I have exhibited at both prestigious London galleries: Collins & Hastie and Panter & Hall, St James.

My paintings and drawings have always been my response to what I am looking at.Not necessarily true that a painting comes to me at the time but I keep that initial vision inmy memory and it is like an encyclopaedia of images in time and place. The actual subject or memory of an event dictates the way I paint and recently I have found I am applying paint in a looser manner than when I started exhibiting in 1978. It is always an emotional response and whether a work is fast and furious or quiet and reflective it is a pleasure to me whenI lay down my ‘brush’.

Confirmed as accurate by Artist, Glen Preece

Available Works

Eucalypts Huon River

Oil on Board 34.2 x 37.8 cm Framed

$2000

Artwork on consignment

The Shearers 2018 77 x 92 cm Oil on Canvas $ 10,000

Girl by the River 2022 36 x 46 cm Oil on Board $ 3,000

Churchyard 2022 40.5 x 30.5 cm Oil on Birch Panel $ 3,000

The Truants 2021 46 x 60 cm Oil on Board $ 4,800

Evening (Bathers) 2022 46 x 61 cm Oil on Birch Panel $ 5,000

The red Boat (Nubeena) 2022 30.5 x 40.5 cm Oil on Birch Panel $ 2,800

Girl (Island) 2018 40 x 30 cm Oil on Board $ 2,800

Figures in the Shade 2022 55 x 60 cm Oil on Board $ 5,500

Sleeping Beauty 2022 27 x 27 cm Oil on Board $ 2,000

Curriculum Vitae

Born Sydney 1957;  now lives in Grove Tasmania;  attended Seaforth Technical College Sydney during 1974 to 1977 and The Julian Ashton Art School at The Rocks Sydney during 1977 to 1978

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2023 Art Space on The Concourse, Chatswood 12 – 23 July 2023

2022 Panter and Hall Gallery, St James, London (30 November to 6 December)

2021 Song for the River, Colville Gallery, Hobart

2020 The Valley, Colville Gallery, Hobart

2018 "Panter and Hall Gallery, St James, London
Artarmon Galleries, Sydney"

2017 Milk Factory Gallery, Bowral, NSW

2016 Artarmon Galleries, Sydney

2015 "Milk Factory Gallery, Bowral, NSW

Panter and Hall Gallery, St James, London"

2014 Artarmon Galleries, Sydney

2013 "Milk Factory Gallery, Bowral, NSW
Panter and Hall Gallery, St James, London"

2012 Artarmon Galleries, Sydney

2011 "Milk Factory Gallery, Bowral, NSW
Panter and Hall Gallery, St James, London"

2010 Artarmon Galleries, Sydney

2008 Panter and Hall Gallery, St James, London

2007 "Artarmon Galleries, Sydney
Milk Factory Gallery, Bowral, NSW"

2006 Collins and Hastie Gallery, Chelsea, London

2005 Artarmon Galleries, Sydney

2004 Collins and Hastie Gallery, Chelsea, London

2003 Artarmon Galleries, Sydney

2002 Collins and Hastie Gallery, Chelsea, London

2001 Melbourne Fine Art Gallery, Victoria

2000 Artarmon Galleries, Sydney

1999 Artarmon Galleries, Sydney

1998 "Artarmon Galleries, Sydney Exhibition, Canberra"

1997 Melbourne Fine Art Gallery, Victoria

1996 Artarmon Galleries, Sydney

1995 Artarmon Galleries, Sydney

1994 Galerie Elyette Peyre, Paris, France

1994 Von Bertouch Galleries, Newcastle, NSW

1982 - 1993 Seven solo exhibitions Artarmon Galleries

1979-1983 Three solo exhibitions Seaview Gallery, Newcastle, NSW

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

Numerous group exhibitions nationally and internationally.

AWARDS

2019

Finalist Gallipoli Art Prize

Finalist Calleen Art Prize

2018

Finalist Black Swan Art Prize


Finalist Outback Art Prize

Finalist Kilgour Prize for figurative art


Finalist Gallipoli Art Prize

2017

Moran Portrait Prize semi finalist


Finalist Gallipoli Art Prize


Finalist Manning Art Prize

2016

Archibald Prize Salon des Refuses


Finalist Gallipoli Art Prize


Finalist Calleen Art Prize

2015

Finalist Manning Art Prize


Finalist Calleen Art Prize


Finalist Gallipoli Art Prize

2014

Gallipoli Art Prize – Highly Commended

COMMISSIONS

Portrait commissions including the late Dame Joan Sutherland

Drawing of Government House commissioned by the Governor of NSW, 1983

COLLECTIONS

Private collections both here in Australia and overseas including Olivetti and Westpac