Thirroul-based artist Graham Sinclair has been studying and exhibiting visual arts since the early 1990s. He has been a finalist and prizewinner in a number of art shows and has received commissions and exhibited in galleries around Australia.
Graham won first prize at the 2022 Thirroul Seaside Festival Art Show, second prize at the 2022 Sydney Royal Easter Show’s Small Abstract sculpture prize and was named a finalist in the prestigious North Sydney Art Prize.
Graham has a passion for reconstructing the landscape and still life through painting or sculpture. He seeks inspiration from the typical, such as the sea and the bush, as well as the nuances of the natural and built environments not always apparent but always around us.
He is an active member of the local arts community, including the Barracks Arts Studio Thirroul and Illawarra Association for Visual Arts (IAVA). He enjoys exhibiting locally and supporting local art in the Illawarra and Southern Highlands.
Instagram: @graham_sinclair_art
Graham shared some of his thoughts on his art-making process with us in the lead-up to the Scarborough Art Show in October 2023.
What are you working on at the moment?
I’m quite busy at the moment working on multiple paintings for upcoming art shows, including the Scarborough Art Show on October 7th and 8th, and the Northern Illawarra Arts Trail in November. At the moment I’m painting landscapes in oils and acrylics... I’m also working on finishing off my daughter’s kitchen update!
Why do you choose this medium?
I choose these mediums for their different effects. Oil and acrylic painting are the main mediums I create in. I enjoy painting in oils because of their richness of colour and the ability to create flows and textures that only they can create. Acrylics dry quickly so they give me the ability to do underpainting and layer colours to create depth in my paintings.
What motivates you to create?
Nothing better to do, beside walking the dogs and dreaming of riding my surfboard again… But as I am outdoors a lot, I am often looking at the ocean, the escarpment, urbanscapes, and what’s happening around me. The things going on around me and the scenes I observe motivate me to capture them in paintings. I am also planning on doing some more plein air painting towards the end of this year.
What makes you curious?
A little voice in my head that tells me that a sunrise, a landscape or a particular scene in front of me would make a good painting. Sometimes it works… sometimes it really doesn’t work!
What do you enjoy about the Scarborough Art Show?
I appreciate the opportunity to exhibit my art and gain exposure in front of art enthusiasts, both local and visiting. I also really respect that the Scarborough Art Show is a great supporter of local artists in the Illawarra. They have supported my art for a few years now. It’s also great to be able to give back to the local community by contributing to the fundraising for Scarborough Primary School.
The Scarborough ArtShow is back on the weekend of October 6-8 at Scarborough Public School, 371-381 Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Scarborough, NSW 2515. Find out more at www.scarboroughartshow.com and book opening night tickets here