The Artists Impression

MAX MANNIX

Nyah West is a small country town just near Swan Hill in Victoria, that’s where I was born in 1939. I always loved drawing and sketching with pencil and paper and I got good marks for Art at Castlemaine High School, I wasn’t too bad at cricket and football either. When I was 16 I left home and went droving in South West Queensland around Quilpie. Back in those days our only mode of travel was on horseback and usually leading a Pack horse. There were three of us and the cook, (who had to look after the corned beef and damper as well as the plant horses.) and the three of us were responsible for the herd, about six hundred to a thousand beasts. Through the night we did shifts of two hours and forty minutes each. I had what we called the “pee and poo” watch around midnight. It wasn’t too bad because once the cattle bedded down for the night they didn’t move, which meant that I could doze on the back of my horse, and I think the horse slept as well. I worked in mustering

John Dynon

The day has just begun; the sun's rays stream over the barrier ranges and throw a colourful earthy light onto the old brick and stone walls of John Dynon's 100 year old gallery. A house built over a century ago, holding pride of place on top of the rise overlooking the Ghost town called Silverton. John Dynon can be found bathed in this morning glow, canvas on easel, paints by his side, a cup of tea in one hand and a brush in the other. John is ready to capture the colour and majesty of this quaint outback town and the vast, seemingly desolate but magnificent scenery that surrounds it. John was born in Broken Hill in 1954. He left school at the age of 14 and, after working on several sheep Stations throughout the North Western districts of NSW and Southern Queensland, became an underground miner in Broken Hill. It was this incredible lifestyle that kindled John?s passion for the changing moods of the outback and his interest and dedication to his art was born. In 1985, he became a full

Helen Cottle

Helen Cottle was born in bay side Williamstown, Victoria, she is a self-taught/self-educated artist who paints in all mediums in a realist/impressionist style. Influenced strongly by many of the early Australian Artists and has a particular passion for landscape however she enjoys many varied subjects. Helen is currently working as a professional Artist/Art educator in the Macedon Ranges north/west of Melbourne which has been her home for the past 30 years. She is a popular and sought after tutor/teacher currently conducting classes and workshops in various regions throughout Australia. She tutors adults students in drawing, watercolour and acrylic painting. She believes that having a fascination with the effects of light on a subject and observing life’s intriguing details everyday scenes can be transformed into dynamic and interesting works of art. Helen’s career began as an Artist and Art educator, with no formal training, just an eagerness to continue to learn and then pass on he

Otto Kuster

Otto Kuster was born in Karlsbad, Bohemia (1941) and commenced studying art at the age of 14 years at the Kempten Studio of Josef Mayer of the Munich Academy. He also studied under Joseph Konrad, the noted Bavarian sculptor, whilst attending the Kempten Technical College, obtaining his Arts Diploma in 1958. A vision of Australia was born in Otto's boyhood and in 1960 the call of adventure brought him to our shores. His travels seen him working as a farm labourer, cane cutter, lightning ridge opal miner amongst other menial jobs before settling in Sydney and pursuing his life long passion. This diverse and interesting time spent away from the cities created an enormous love of the bush and its people. It also created incredible inspiration for Otto, his passion for depicting the scenes he has lived in, into works of art, is stronger than ever. It has given him the ability to capture the atmosphere, the mood, the colour and the everyday life that is Australia. Otto loves the movement o

Ian Hanson

Otto Kuster was born in Karlsbad, Bohemia (1941) aBorn in Bordertown South Australia in 1948, Ian’s childhood years were spent on the foreshore of Hervey Bay. It was here that his deep love of ships and the sea developed. By the age of eight he was actively painting with water colours moving to oils when he was eleven. His first oil survived and hangs in his studio. Marine artist Ian Hansen has a deep love of the sea and ships. He joined the Royal Australian Navy at fifteen and served for twelve years, including service on HMAS Sydney in 1967-68 during the Vietnam War. When he joined the Royal Australian Navy he commenced as an apprentice shipwright, reaching the rank of Chief Petty Officer. Ian saw active service in Vietnam 1967-68. Ian painted continually in off duty hours, recording the ships and scenes he observed during his travels. Proud’s Art Gallery offered him his first one man exhibition in 1974 while he was still in the Navy, the success of this show convinced him to try

Ian Hanson

Paul was born in August 1945. As a child he loved to draw but had no formal training or direction. After school he started window dressing at Myer Melbourne. He was called up for two years in 1966 as a conscript and served one year overseas in the army. Married in Australia in 1974, he began painting murals for children's nurseries. In 1978 he became engrossed in wildlife art. After much research into ornithology and through self-taught efforts and experiments he started to get the hang of it. A few years later he became a member of "The Wildlife Art Society of Australasia" and the very next year won first prize for the best painting. Since that eventful exhibition, many things began to formulate - Paul was included in a book launch in 1990 featuring 70 of the best living traditional artists in Australia. He also had a book published on his own paintings. Australia Post commissioned him in 1991 to do a water bird series of stamps and he was subsequently commissioned by the United Natio