Graham W Smith collection
Collection
The collection includes portfolios compiled by the artist, containing photographs of paintings, commercial art commissions, newspaper clippings, correspondence, exhibition catalogues and installation photographs as well as certificates and prizes. Ledger No. 75 documents over 2000 paintings completed by the artist with sizes, media and sales information. Also included is an unpublished autobiography 'Tuscany to Tahiti' compiled in 2017 and ephemera as well as artworks created in 2023. There are also 3 larger original watercolours, the first watercolour titled 'Wynnum Creek circa 1999' was painted for State Library of Queensland in 2021, the second watercolour is brown and white titled the 'SS Forceful on Moreton Bay, the third is titled 'Burnett Heads low tide sunset'.
Graham W. Smith was born in Canberra in 1944 and spent his childhood New South Wales before moving to Queensland in 1971. He began painting with watercolour in 1966 and at age 23 in 1968 he met Norman Lindsay who provided advice and criticism of a watercolour landscape painting of "Thirroul Beach". He qualified as a colour etcher and photo engraver in 1965 while employed at Cumberland Newspapers, Sydney. In 1987 Graham was awarded an Associate Diploma in Commercial Art from Queensland College of Art. Since 2000 he has been a full-time artist and tutor. The Pastel Society of Australia awarded Graham the status of Master Pastellist in 2004 & he became a Fellow of the Royal Queensland Art Society in 2015. Graham has been the recipient of 535 art awards and 172 first prizes totalling over $110,000 in prize money to date (10 Oct 2021).
In copyright.