"An exhibition is the result of your experiments, but the process is never-ending. So an exhibition is not a conclusion...The studio is a laboratory, not a factory." Chris Ofili
That said, it's very encouraging to see visitors enjoying one's work at an exhibition. Commendations, prizes and red dots are the icing on the cake!
Warringah Printmakers Studio
Members only
Creative Space Gallery, Curl Curl
15-26th November, 2023
Northern Beaches Gallery
Open entry
Northern Beaches Gallery, North Curl Curl
4-30th November, 2023
Work: Laps and Snaps #5
Hunters Hill Art Prize 2023
Open entry
Hunters Hill Council
12th - 22nd October, 2023
Work: Zebras Crossing
Little Things Art Prize 2023
Open entry
Saint Cloche Gallery
27th September -8th October, 2023
Work: Pad Thai
Ewart Prize 2023
Members of Willoughby Arts Centre
Willoughby Arts Centre
16th-30th September, 2023
Work: Deep in the Bush
Prize: Commendation in the Printmaking category
Parlons Gravures
What do you do when a French Facebook printmaking group numbering 26,000 members pinches your image for their banner? Answer: take it as a compliment!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ParlonsGravures
24th April, 2023 - ?
Work: Summer Fun
In The Buff
Twelve artists from the Willoughby Arts Centre Life Drawing group
Ewart Gallery, Willoughby Arts Centre
1st - 7th February, 2023
Work: 9 x monotypes
The Other Art Fair 2022
140 artists selected from all over Australia
The Cutaway, Barangaroo, Sydney
1st - 4th December, 2022
Work: wide range of monotypes, etchings and collagraphs
Weeks of hard work went into preparing for this exhibition - mounting, framing, bagging, pricing and more. I met scores of art lovers and spent a lot of time explaining what monotypes are and how I go about making them. Thank you to all my customers and to my family and friends who visited to show their support. Whilst I enjoyed the whole experience, learned a lot and sold enough to cover my costs, I won't be giving up my day job just yet!
Ewart Prize 2022
Members of Willoughby Arts Centre
Willoughby Arts Centre
21st May - 4th June, 2022
Work: Keeping an Ear Out
Prize: 1st in the Printmaking category
I was honoured to receive first prize in the Printmaking category of the Ewart Art Prize 2022. David Van Nunen, President of the Australian Watercolour Institute, presented the awards. An added bonus was that my work had a little red dot beside it!
Cornucopia Exhibition
Students of the Kur-ring-gai Art Centre
Kur-ring-gai Art Centre
11th February - 4th March, 2021
Work: Under Their Own Fig Tree
The intriguing question posed to entrants of this Exhibition was 'What symbolises plenty in your life?' I suspect that good company, a good book, a cool box and a comfy chair under a big shady tree by the beach on a beautiful, sunny afternoon wouldn't be too far off the mark for most. This brought to mind the idea for the title, Under Their Own Fig Tree - a biblical symbol of the security and abundance God promises his people when they trust and obey him. The concept obviously struck a chord because a fellow Christian student bought it immediately.
Green Dream Exhibition
Students of the Kur-ring-gai Art Centre
Kur-ring-gai Art Centre
7th-28th May, 2020
Work: Green Dream
This work was just a bit of fun in my early days of experimenting with hand printing a la Dan Tirels technique.
Light and Shade Exhibition
Students of the Kur-ring-gai Art Centre
Kur-ring-gai Art Centre
21st November - 12th December, 2019
Work: Light and Shade Playing on the Stairs
With my focus on light and shade, the Escher-like quality of this staircase in Salzburg only struck me after the event.
Art for All Exhibition
Members of the St Swithun's Art for All group
St Swithun's Church, Pymble
3rd-17th November, 2018
Works: Garlic, Square Dance
One of the favourite things I get to do in my job is to encourage people to use their creativity by joining our church's monthly art group. I don't get to actually do art but I always enjoy the chatting to the artists over a nice cuppa. It was a real joy to see quite a few absolute beginners discover talents they never knew they had and so thrilled to participate in an exhibition. Cajoled into submitting something myself, I eventually got my paints out at the last minute and submitted Garlic as the paint was still drying! I was so pleased with it, I turned down a good offer from someone to buy it and it hangs in our front room today.
Force of Nature Exhibition
Northside Printmakers from Hornsby TAFE
Palm House, Royal Botanical Gardens
10th-25th September, 2005
Work: Ambiguity
What a treat it was to exhibit in the Palm House of Sydney's historic Royal Botanical Gardens! There were no problems with lighting!
Arts North Acquisitive Exhibition
Northern Sydney Institute of TAFE Students
See Street Gallery, Sydney
11th March - 6th April, 2005
Work: Ambiguity
It's not every day you receive a letter saying you've been 'acquired' but it's certainly an encouragement for the many days you don't! I hadn't even heard of acquisitive exhibitions before but I was very pleased that the Arts North Exhibition selected Ambiguity for permanent display - and paid me top dollar into the bargain
The Prize: 2004
TAFE Arts and Design student finalists
Sydney then Gosford, Lismore, Cooma, Albury, Broken Hill, Armidale Regional Galleries
25th November 2004 - 9th October 2005
Work: Ambiguity
Prize: Commendation in the 2D Works Rendered By Hand category
I was very happy to receive an award for my entry in the ‘TAFE NSW Arts and Design: The Prize 2004’. My etching Ambiguity won a commendation in the 2D Works Rendered By Hand section. The judges were Marguerite Derricourt (sculptor), Liane Rossler (designer) and Mark Titmarsh (filmmaker) and the awards were presented by The Hon Dr Andrew Refshauge MP, Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Training for NSW.
After opening in the Downing Centre, Sydney (25 November 2004-29 January 2005), 'The Prize 2004' exhibition toured six regional galleries the length and breadth of New South Wales - a 4600km journey equivalent to a circuit of the British Isles: Regional Gallery and Arts Centre, Gosford (5 February-13 March, 2005); Regional Gallery, Lismore (29 March-7 May, 2005); Raglan Gallery and Cultural Centre, Cooma (12-29 May, 2005); Regional Art Gallery, Albury (3-26 June, 2005); Regional Art Gallery, Broken Hill (1 July-14 August, 2005); New England Regional Art Museum, Armidale (26 August-9 October, 2005)
Shades of Gray Exhibition
Nigel Gray
Chez moi, Hornsby Heights
12th-13th April 2004
Works: Multiple
Don't believe everything you read in the papers! My Irish accent must have been fairly unintelligible to the reporter who interviewed me about my upcoming home solo exhibition. She writes how the people in my artwork 'Ambiguity' are hard to find but I can unambiguously confirm that there are no people in the picture at all, no matter how long and hard you look!
A Night of Passion Exhibition
Nigel Gray
St Luke's Church, Hornsby Heights
26th November 2004
Works: Multiple
Our local church transformed its meeting area into a very funky, gallery-style space to host a special night of music, food and art. A brilliant live performance of jazz music was interspersed with tasty food, coffee, dessert and art. Our minister, Denis Oliver, rounded off a great evening explaining why passionate creativity is so close to God's heart.
Sydney Gallery School Printmaking Majors Exhibition
Third Year Students of Rew Hanks at Meadowbank TAFE
Hardware Fine Art, St Leonards
29th October - 13th November, 2004
Works: Ambiguity, Enigma
Having internationally-renowned Sydney-based printmaker, Rew Hanks, as my tutor for my time at the Sydney Gallery School was a tremendous privilege. I also learned a lot from rubbing shoulders with classmates like Sandi Rigby and Bev Filmer. Given the extremely high standard of the works in the end of year exhibition, I was super pleased that my works 'Ambiguity' and 'Enigma' were both selected.
2004 Willoughby City Art Prize & Exhibition
Open prize
Willoughby Civic Centre
4th-12th September, 2004
Work: Ambiguity
This was the first time I had submitted a work to an open exhibition and so I was particularly pleased that it was accepted.
Works on Paper
Nigel Gray and Maise Cameron
Chez nous, Hornsby Heights
13th-14th December, 2003
Works: Multiple
Hosting an exhibition in your own home is fun. The downside is that, on top of everything you've got to do to get your artworks ready, you've got to clean the house before and after! Joined by Maysie Cameron from my TAFE class, we had a very enjoyable weekend catching up with family and friends and explaining the intricacies of the etching process. I felt the exhibition was a great success given that I managed to sell 24 works. OK, they were all small and very keenly priced but that’s still 23 more than Van Gogh sold in his lifetime!
Exhibition 2003
Graduating Hornsby TAFE Fine Arts students
TAFE, Hornsby
3rd-12th December, 2003
Work: Rusty Old Steed
Miniatures Competition
Hornsby TAFE Fine Arts students
TAFE, Hornsby
16th-20th June, 2003
Works: Leafy Vortex, Bloody Bridge, George’s Shed, Collateral Damage
Infraspect Exhibition
Hornsby TAFE Fine Arts and Ceramics students
TAFE, Hornsby
27th November - 6th December, 2002
Work: Wintery Lane
Putting one of your artworks on public display is a bit daunting first time around. Submitting a work entitled 'Wintery Lane' to an exhibition in the middle of a blistering Aussie summer is one (unproven) way of trying to make one's work stand out from the crowd!