Jimmi Buscombe is a professional artist based in Warrnambool, on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. He specialises in highly detailed wildlife art, public art, anamorphic art, chalk art & public/mural art, creating stunning representations of his subjects. The creative aim within his work is to offer a sense of joy and deeper
connection through reflections of the natural world and the people, flora and fauna that inhabit it.
Jimmi has been commissioned by councils, clients and organisations both locally and internationally to create portraits, street art and public art of native wildlife as well as numerous private commissions. Every piece of artwork is treated with much care and consideration. Jimmi is passionate about the visual arts and the important role they play within a healthy, well-functioning community.
Jimmi is highly experienced in the field of public art, developing, managing and installing over 30 major permanent public art works across the state of Victoria since 2018. He is fully insured for public works through NAVA (the National Association for the Visual Arts) and has an EWP HRW License (Elevated Work Platform High Risk Work License) for operating knuckle booms/boom lifts, scissor lifts and working at elevated, high risk sites. Jimmi also has extensive experience working with councils and organisations in developing detailed work plans and SWMSs (Safe Work Method Statements) that are often a requirement for councils and government organisations such as WorkSafe Victoria and SafeWork NSW.
From 2018 to 2022 Jimmi was an artist in residence at Lyndoch Living, an aged care facility in Warrnambool, Victoria where he was commissioned to create realistic murals of native Australian plants and animals, essentially bringing nature inside to the residents of Lyndoch. The works hold much more meaning and value than the end product of a beautiful mural. Seats and couches were set up around where Jimmi was painting, the residents encouraged to sit and talk with Jimmi as he created his works of art. The interaction with the residents was where the real gold of this project occurred, with many residents spending hours a day offering conversation and gentle words of advice.
Jimmi’s most widely known mural became part of a now viral video by ABC Southwest Victoria, titled the Accidental Wombat Mural in Warrnambool (see link below). Originally created as a practice piece for a future work (commissioned by Warrnambool City Council) the mural depicts a wombat breaking through the concrete wall of a rail overpass in Otway Rd, Warrnambool. The video has currently had in excess of 64 million views worldwide and has become a local Warrnambool icon.
Jimmi’s has been a finalist in the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize (NSW), the Kennedy Art Prize (SA) the Holmes Bird Art Prize (QLD) and has won the Judges Prize and People’s Choice prize on a number of occasions at the Warrnibald Portrait Prize (Warrnambool). One of his paintings 'DANDROGYNY' was acquired by the Warrnambool Art Gallery in 2019 as part of their collection of permanent works. His work has also been shortlisted as a finalist in the Holmes Prize for Realistic Bird Art in Queensland.