Multi-award winning Australian artist Owen Thompson is best known for his sublime landscapes of the Blue Mountains, which capture the austere beauty and light of this unique region where Owen resides, and continues to source his inspiration. Owen majored in painting and printmaking at the UNSW College of Art then completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Adelaide Art School, has held more than 15 solo exhibitions, is a member of the Australian Watercolour Institute and also the Royal Art Society.
Artist Statement
Owen Thompson was born in Melbourne in 1958 and grew up near Heidelburg, the area made famous by Streeton, Roberts, McCubbin and others of the Heidelburg school. At eight years old his family moved to Sydney and Owen now resides in the Blue Mountains.
He majored in painting and printmaking at the UNSW College of Fine Art and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Adelaide Art School. Owen specializes in drawing and watercolour which he now teaches at the Julian Ashton Art School in Sydney. Previously he was a commercial screen printer and secondary school art teacher.
Owen has held fifteen solo exhibitions all of which have reflected his passionate interest in the natural world and his ability to tackle complex subjects in watercolour. He has been an exhibiting member of the Australian Watercolour Institute since 1996 and of the Royal Art Society since 2000.
He has participated in several group exhibitions including the “Land out of Time” exhibition in 2004 which featured works by Blue Mountains artists that were contemporary re-interpretations of landscape works depicting the mountains painted in the early 1900’s. His work is represented in the collections of the University of NSW, Adelaide College of Arts, Lane Cove Council, Nepean Hospital and Artbank.
Best known for his sublime landscapes of the Blue Mountains, which capture the austere beauty and light of this unique region, multi-awarded Owen Thompson is represented by Katoomba Fine Art Gallery, Katoomba NSW, and JahRoc Galleries, Margaret River WA.
Curriculum Vitae
Qualifications
1980 Bachelor of Fine Arts Adelaide Art School
1979 Diploma of Art UNSW College of Fine Art
Solo Exhibitions
2016 “Peaceful Places” Main foyer, Nepean Hospital, Penrith NSW
2015 “Elevation” Everglades Garden Gallery, Leura, NSW
2013 “Wild Blue Yonder” Everglades Garden Gallery, Leura, NS
2011 ” The Bush, the Beach and Berry” Historic house, Prince Alfred St, Berry NSW
2010 “Watercolours” Katoomba Fine Art, Katoomba NSW
2008 “Liquid Landscape” Katoomba Fine Art, Katoomba NSW
2007 “Drawn to Nature” Katoomba Fine Art, Katoomba NSW
2004 “Landmarks and Backwaters” Gallery Lane, Leura NSW
2002 “Waterways” Gallery Lane, Leura NSW
2002 “Watersheds” Hardware Fine Art, Naremburn, Sydney.
2001 “Closer to the Clouds” Nepean Hospital, Penrith NSW
2000 “A Feast of Forms” The Centre Gallery, Glenbrook NSW
1998 “Drawing the Divide” Oz Artspace, Katoomba NSW
1996 “Native Nectar” Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney
1994 “About the Bush” Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney
1993 “Branches of the Blue Divide” Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney
1991 “New Views” Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney
1989 “Fruits of Paradise – Seeds of Survival” The North Sydney Contemporary Gallery
1988 “The Delight of Earthly Gardens” The North Sydney Contemporary Gallery
1986 “Pastels and Watercolours” The University of NSW
1985 “Coloured Waters” Hamilton Design Glass Gallery, Sydney
Group Exhibitions
2014 “Journeys West” Orange Regional Gallery, Orange NSW
2011 “High Horizons” Warragil Studio Gallery, Blackheath NSW
2004 “Land out of Time” Penrith, Griffith and Stanthorp Regional Galleries
2001 “The Megalong Show” Gallery Lane, Leura
2000 “Six Watercolourists” The Royal Art Society of NSW
2000 “Modern Masters” North Sydney Fine Art Galley.
1997 “15 Artists” Soho Galley, Sydney
1995 “Bush memories” The Brown Paper Gallery, Lawson NSW
1993 “Out of the Blue” The Brown Paper Gallery, Lawson NSW
1990 “Principal’s Choice” Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney
Selected Exhibitions
2012 Finalist Hawkesbury Art Prize exhibition.2005 – 2010 Blue Mountains Artist Company exhibits, Carrington Hotel & Edge Cinema, Katoomba
2000 – 2009 Royal Art Society Exhibitions. (Elected member 2000)
1992 – 2010 Australian Watercolour Institute exhibitions. (Elected member 1996)
1998 Sister Cities Exhibition, Sanda , Japan.
1991 KAC Teaching Artist’s exhibition, Barcelona, Spain
1988 – 2002 RAS Easter Show exhibitions (Drawing C 88 & Second Prize 89, Watercolour C 89)
1988 – 1990 Drummoyne Art Prize (Drawings HC 88, VHC 89, C90)
Collections
UNSW College of Fine Art, Adelaide Art School, Lane Cove Council, Artbank Ltd, Nepean Hospital
Publications
The Australian Watercolour Institute, Phillip Mathews book publishers, 1996
The Australian Watercolour Institute – 1923 – 1988 Beagle Press, 1988
Land Out of Time Oz Arts Publications 2004
The Artist’s Palette Magazine Annual, 1999
The Australian Artist Magazine December 1987 & June 1999
Artist’s and Galleries of Australia, Max Germaine, Macquarie Library 1996