Down by the River Side

Down by the Riverside
Down by the Riverside began as a challenge to create a painting using only two complementary colours: orange and blue. I chose an Australian bush setting at dusk, when the last warm light of the day transforms the landscape and even familiar colours seem richer and more dramatic.
A kangaroo pauses beside the riverbank, alert and watchful, its bright eyes catching the fading light. The title playfully recalls the well-known 1950s song, while also reflecting the peaceful riverside setting and the quiet presence of this unmistakably Australian visitor.
The painting is created with premium Australian-made Matisse acrylic paints on a heavy, thick-edged canvas. Much of the work has been applied with a palette knife, building expressive texture through the trees, reflections, grasses and the kangaroo’s form, with selected brushwork used for finer details.
Its vibrant orange and blue palette would bring warmth, energy and a strong contemporary Australian character to a living room, entrance, office or holiday home.

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Andrew is a local Canberra and NSW South Coast who enjoys painting in acrylic and oil. His paintings are mostly of places, flora and fauna that he observes during his explorations around Australia.

Andrew began painting in 2007 when he commenced art lessons under the tutelage of Margaret Hadfield, a renowned Canberra artist (https://www.artistshed.com.au).  Andrew particularly likes capturing the colour and light in a landscape. His most recent paintings blend the science of colour and light with varying degrees of impasto texture to create Kosciuszko Mountain landscapes, Seascapes and a range of Canberra Autumn scenes.

Andrew continues to develop and perfect his painting style and occasionally seeks expert guidance from Margaret Hadfield.

Another artist who has influenced Andrew’s art work is Brisbane based artist De Gillett Cox (degillett.com.au). De developed a process of inking on a surface that had been heavily sculpted in thick impasto paint. De’s impasto painting technique appealed to Andrew’s already developing impasto style. De’s inking process added a new and very loose dimension to Andrew’s work. Andrew has continued to develop De’s technique and now uses gum tree leaves and seaweed as additional tools in the sculpting process.

As a keen bushwalker, Andrew has immersed himself in the landscape and captured that special moment when nature is at its best. “The science of capturing colour and light inspires me and when colour, light and emotion come together, you know you have a good painting”.

Andrew is often challenged by the destruction of natural habitat that he sees on his walks and the impact on our native flora and fauna. This has inspired underlying environmental themes in some of his works.

Andrew’s art style is continually evolving and varies from contemporary realism to abstract.

Exhibitions
Andrew exhibits his art at various local exhibitions and galleries, on his website artbyandrew.net and Facebook page @andrewsartstudio and in his home gallery by appointment.

Awards and Prizes

2023 and 2024 People's Choice at the 39th and 40th Radford Art Show, Canberra

2021 • Finalist in the Inaugural National Capital Art Prize

2020 • First Place in Abstract Exhibition at Queanbeyan Art Society

2019 • Finalist in the Basil Sellers Art Prize with his painting “Kosciuszko National Park, Lake Albina” exhibited at the opening of the new Basil Sellers Exhibition Centre in Moruya
• People’s Choice Award at the 35th Radford Art Show, Canberra

2018 • Best in Show Queanbeyan Arts Society (QAS) “View from Kosciuszko”
• First Prize in Acrylic Section at Queanbeyan Arts Society (QAS) for “White Cockatoo in Flight”
• First Prize in Acrylic Section at QAS Heritage Exhibition for “Perception of Place”
• First Prize at QAS for “Kosciuszko National Park, Lake Albina”
• People’s Choice Award at the 34th Radford Art Show, Canberra

2016 • Second Prize in Acrylic Section at QAS for “Sentries 2 – Cooma Plains”
• Third Prize in Oil Section at QAS for “Endangered, Red Tail Black Cockatoo

2015 • People’s Choice Award at the Royal Canberra Show for “See you Later Bill”
• Best in Show award in the Queanbeyan Art Society’s Lest We Forget Exhibition for the painting “...though poppies grow ….”
• Best in Show (Second) at QAS Abstract and Abstraction Exhibition for “Life”