An Early Love of Art

I was born in Bundaberg, and at a very young age, my parents drifted to Western Queensland looking for seasonal work in the shearing sheds. Dad was a wool presser and Mum was a shearer's cook. We sometimes travelled through the night to far flung shearing sheds, waking in the mornings in a tent, pitched on level ground on the bank of some river and memories of watching Dad throw a fishing line in and catching breakfast have stayed with me always. The kind of stuff we only dream about now. My love of the bush and the Australian gum trees was forged during this early part of my life.

Early school days and art always seem to mix well for me. A box of Greyhound pastels, an enthusiastic teacher artist, and pencil drawings had set the scene for an appreciation of art that has continued to be part of my life.

During my early experiences, when I was working in a bank in country Queensland instead of studying accountancy, I sent off for art lessons through the International Art Correspondence School. In the early 1970's, when I moved to Brisbane, I was fortunate to study at the Seven Hills College of Art. Teachings in traditional art work through to abstract and live art gave me a broad appreciation of this enjoyable craft.

Some time later, through an American Pastel Art magazine, I was attracted to the brilliant, vibrant colours of this very direct medium. I was extremely fortunate to contact Les McDonaugh, a founding member of the Australian Pastel Society, where he worked out of a little studio at Inala in the Western suburbs of Brisbane. His patience and love for his work and materials instilled in me a strong appreciation for the soft Schmincke pastels.

I was influenced by the teaching of Merv Moriarty when he conducted painting lessons from his Paddington, Brisbane Studio. His drawing skills and his abilities to extract a student's "personal colours" were simply amazing.

I have visited numerous art galleries in cities such as Paris, Florence, London and continue to seek out inspirational work from around the world. The old Masters, the Impressionists of the late 1800's, Tom Roberts, McCubbin and Hans Heysen and many others all convey such amazing qualities of perception and techniques. Hugh Sawrey and D'arcy Doyle were a couple of my favourite artists who gave me inspiration through their earthy Queensland landscapes.

My own gallery at 1 Anchorage Drive, Raby Bay in Cleveland, Brisbane was established in 2006. I am a member of the local Yurara Art Society in the Redland Shire and I conduct children's drawing classes as detailed here.