Graham Austin: Biography

Graham Austin OAM

Her Excellency Dr Marie Bashir, Governor of New South Wales, presenting the Order of Australia Medal

Australia Day, 26th January 2006, Graham Austin was awarded the Order of Australia Medal, OAM,

for service to the visual arts as a painter, particularly through the Australian Watercolour Institute.

 

 

 

Studied at National Art School, East Sydney Technical College 1958-63.

Foundation President/ Senior Vice President, Drummoyne Art Society 1964-67

Member of the Australian Watercolour Institute [AWI] since 1972.
AWI President 1989-2003 and AWI Life Member since 1997.
AWI Emeritus President and Vice President 2003
Foundation member of Peninsula Art Society [PAS] 1981
Representative for the Arts, Warringah Bicentennial Committee 1985/86/87

President, Peninsula art Society [PAS] 1986-89.
Senior Vice President [PAS] 1983/84/85/89/90/91
Junior Vice President [PAS] 1992/93/94

Committee Member, Manly Art Gallery and Museum, 1991-2001
Awarded Order of Australia Medal [OAM] 26th January 2006.
Invited to judge and open many art exhibitions/ competitions.

 

Teaching.
Taught 3 years part time Drummoyne Art Society 1965/66/67
Part time Meadowbank Tech College/ Art School 1967/68/69
Part time Ku-ring-gai art centre 1991 and 2001.
Has held many workshops/ classes/ constructive criticism sessions.


Selected Exhibitions
1974 participated in three person exhibition at Munster Arms Gallery, Melbourne
1977 represented in panel of Australian watercolours in the 108th Annual Exhibition of American Watercolour Society, USA
1977/78 represented in travelling exhibition of Australian Watercolours in New Zealand
1981 June, participated in 15 person watercolour exhibition, Hesley Gallery, Canberra.
1981 July, solo exhibition, Nature House Gallery, Cremorne.
1982 invited participant in watercolour exhibition, Hesley Gallery, Canberra.
Regularly exhibited at Delmar Gallery, Trinity Grammar, Ashfield.
1986 participated in two person exhibition at Imprint Gallery, Surry Hills.
1987 August, solo exhibition, Gallery One, Stanmore.
1988 April, solo exhibition, Menzies Hotel, Sydney.
1988 one of 25 artists invited to participate with an etching for the bicentennial book, Warringah 1988 -a celebration by its Artists and Writers.
1989 April, solo exhibition, North Sydney Contemporary Gallery.
1990 represented in panel of Australian watercolours at Museo de la Acuarela, Mexicana, Mexico
1991 March, participated in 13 person exhibition at Blackheath Gallery, London, UK
1991 April, represented in panel of Australian Paintings in Barcelona, Spain.
1991 November, represented in AWI exhibition at Newcastle Regional Gallery.
1992 represented in panel of Australian Watercolours at Federation of Canadian Artists, Vancouver. [Received Commendation]
1993 June, participated in 3 person exhibition at Glen Street Theatre, Belrose.
1994 May, solo exhibition at A.R.T. Gallery, Balgowlah.
1994 represented in panel of Australian watercolours, II International Watercolour Biennial, Mexico City, Mexico.
1995 invited and represented in International Watercolour Exhibition [Exposician International Agrupacion de Acuarelistas] Vascos, Bilbao, Spain.
1996 represented in AWI exhibition, Wagner Gallery, Hong Kong.
1998 as AWI President in conjunction with Beagle Press produced the Australian Watercolour Institute 75th Anniversary Book.
1998 represented in panel of Australian watercolours III International Watercolour Biennial, Mexico City, Mexico.
2000 represented in panel of Australian watercolours, IV International Watercolour Biennial, Mexico City, Mexico.
2002 February, represented in selected AWI exhibition, Wollongong City Gallery.
2002 October, represented in panel of Australian watercolours, Asia Watercolour Festival, Busan Bienniale, Korea.
2002 represented in panel of Australian watercolours, V International Watercolour Biennial, Mexico City, Mexico.
2004 August, represented in panel of Australian watercolours, 2nd Asia Watercolour Festival, Busan Bienniale, Korea.
2004 represented in panel of Australian watercolours, V1 International Watercolour Biennial, Mexico City, Mexico.
2005 participated in two man show at Rushcutters Bay Gallery, Sydney.
2005 One man exhibition at Tamburlaine Wines, Pokolbin, Hunter Valley
2006 represented in panel of Australian watercolours, V11 International Watercolour Biennale, Mexico City, Mexico.
2006 represented in panel of Australian watercolours, 3rd Asian Grand Watercolour Festival, Busan Biennale, Korea.
2007 June, represented in panel of Australian Watercolour Institute Watercolours at Port Macquarie Hastings Regional Gallery.


Collections
Represented in many collections including Manly Art Gallery, Lismore Art Trust; Drummoyne, Ryde, Waverley and Pittwater Councils, Montrose Wines, Tooheys, Tomago Aluminium, Trinity Grammar, Scotts College, Kincoppal College, The Prince of Wales Hospital Randwick, Elcom Credit Union, International Museo de la Acuarela Mexicana, Hornsby Bestowed Art Collection and many private collections in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia. Also UK, USA, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Netherlands and Japan.
Represented in private collections in Australia: NSW, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia.
Have participated in solo and/or mixed exhibitions in Australia, USA, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Spain, Malaysia, Korea, and Mexico.

Study Tours
1977 Fiji
1988/89/90 Kimberley region of Western Australia.
1990 Northern Territory, Bathurst and Melville Island, Bali, UK, France, Italy, Singapore.
2005 Fiji
2007 Northern Territory, Tennant Creek and Barkly area.


Awards
Won over 35 major art awards plus numerous commendations.
1962 Drummoyne Art Award; Local Watercolour.
1964 Mirror Waratah Festival Art Award; Watercolour.
1967 Ryde Art Award; Watercolour.
1967 Blue Mountains Art Award; Watercolour.
1969 Rockdale Art Award; Watercolour.
1969 Hunters Hill Art Award; Watercolour.
1970 Hunters Hill Art Award; Watercolour.
1977 Royal Easter Show; Watercolour.
1978 Manly Art Gallery Purchase Award; [Acrylic].
1978 Gunnedah Tooheys Acquisitive Art Award.
1978 Wellington Art Prize; Watercolour 2nd Prize.
1978 Drummoyne Art Award; Modern 2nd Prize.
1978 Lismore Art Trust Purchase Award; Watercolour.
1979 Quirindi Art Award; Open Contemporary 2nd Prize,
1979 Grenfell Art Award; Watercolour.
1979 Mudgee Montrose Purchase Award; [Acrylic].
1979 Mudgee Art Award; Watercolour Prize.
1980 Mudgee Art Award; Still Life Prize, [Acrylic].
1981 Warringah Art Award; Contemporary Prize, [Oil].
1982 Warringah Art Award; Watercolour.
1983 Royal Easter Show; Watercolour.
1984 Willoughby Art Prize; Traditional [Acrylic].
1987 Warringah Art Award; Local Prize, Watercolour.
1990 Royal Easter Show; Birds in Landscape, 2nd Prize.
1991 Goulbourn Art Award; Watercolour, Equal First.
1991 Raymond Terrace Tomago Acquisitive Art Award; [Oil].
1991 Berinba Art Prize; Watercolour 2nd Prize.
1993 Royal Easter Show; Rural Prize [Oil].
1993 Royal Easter Show; Watercolour 3rd Prize.
1993 Waverley Art Prize; Watercolour.
1998 Currabubula Winsome Busby Prize; [Acrylic].
1998 Australian Artist Magazine National Watercolour Prize.
2002 Central Coast Festival of Arts, Wyong, Elcom Open Award; [Acrylic].
2002 Central Coast Festival of Arts, Wyong, Traditional Prize; [Acrylic].
2005 Royal Easter Show, Watercolour, Third Prize.


Bibliography:
• Encyclopedia of Australian Art. Allan McCulloch, Hutchison 1964/67/84.
• Artists and Galleries of Australia and New Zealand. Max Germaine, Lansdowne 1972/79.
• Australian Watercolour Painters 1780-1980. Jean Campbell, Rigby 1983.
• Artists and Galleries of Australia Max Germaine, Craftsman House 1984, 1990
• Warringah 1988, A Celebration by its Artists and Writers. Warringah Shire Council.
• Australian Watercolour Painters. 1780 to the present day. Jean Campbell, Craftsman House 1989.
• Australian Watercolour Institute. 75th Anniversary 1923-1998. AWI, The Beagle Press,1998.
• Australian Watercolour Institute. A Gallery of Australia's Finest Watercolours. Text by Peter Pinson, Jean Campbell, & Peter Laverty. Phillip Mathews Book Publishers 2006

 

 

 Portrait of Graham Austin by Wendy Bookatz

www.wendybookatz.com

 

Other Website Links of interest

Australian Watercolour Institute www.awi.com.au

artsConnect: Australian Artists www.artsconnect.com.au

Taylor Galleries www.taylorgalleries.net.au

Galeria Aniela www.galeriaaniela.com.au

Rushcutters Bay Gallery www.bevin@rbgallery.com

Electronic Cottage Art & Craft Gallery www.electroniccottage.com

Juried Online Art Festival www.jolaf.com

Indigo Art www.indigoart.com.au

Brian Dunlop www.briandunlop.com

John Caldwell www.waragilstudios.com.au

Bernd Heinrich www.berndheinrich.com

Roger Murphy www.rogermurphy.com.au

Guy Troughton www.guytroughton.com

Robert Wade www.ozemail.com.au/~rawadw

Sculptr.com www.sculptr.com/

Wendy Bookatz www.wendybookatz.com 

Saatchi-gallery www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/

Aquarelle Gallery www.aquarellegallery.com.au

Artarmon Art Gallery  www.artarmongalleries.com.au

Christchurch Art Gallery  New Zealand www.christchurchartgallery.org.nz

Gosford Art Gallery www.gosfordregionalgallery.com

Greythorn Art Gallery www.greythorngalleries.com.au

HotFrog Australian Business Directory www.hotfrog.com.au

Mosman Art Gallery tst.mosman.nsw.gov.au/mosman/culture/art-gallery

MyArtHost www.myarthost.com

Port Macquarie Art Gallery www.portmacquarieregionalgallery.com.au

Taree Art Gallery www.gtcc.nsw.gov.au/webcomm/mrag/index.php

 Wagner Art Gallery www.wagnerartgallery.com.au

Wollongong Art Gallery www.wollongongcitygallery.com

Acrylics, Oils and Watercolour

   
 
 

 

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