Shane Moad has been exhibiting at JahRoc Galleries for over 16 years now, and is well and truly one of our stable of artists. Known for his abstracted landscapes and seascapes, of the inland and coastal areas of WA, sculptural rock forms, sparse vegetation, birdlife and the overall feeling of an expansive 3 dimensional scape.

Enjoy Getting to know….Shane Moad

When did you first feel the desire to be artistic and realise you had talent?

I drew even as a young child but never really attempted painting until a motor cycle accident back in 1989. During that time I bought some acrylics and started painting and progressed from there.

Where did you learn your art?

I am a self taught artist and although I would have liked to have the interaction with other artists at art school I feel the isolation led me to find my own style. It has also been said that the lack of qualifications from not going to art school hinders a persons career, but I have found the opposite, my work sells all over the world as it is recognisable as mine, I feel quite fortunate because of this.

What inspires you most?

The landscape is my greatest inspiration as far as art goes. I am a believer in God so it is hard not to be inspired when I stand out in His creation. Other than that my greatest inspirations are my wife and children, yeah I know its sounds soppy but hey, its a fact!

What message are you sending to the viewer of your art?

I hope the viewer will be drawn to build their own story when they see my work. I try to strip the landscape of clutter and leave it in a minimalistic rendering. To me my work is semi abstract in nature, yet form still plays a big part as does colour.

Describe your studio…

My studio is an eclectic mix of who I am. I have an area to sit and relax and read or listen to music and as you look around the studio some of my work hangs from the wall, as does a mix of cattle skulls and other pieces of paraphernalia. There is a large Texas flag at one end of the studio that belonged to my cousins son Tim back in Texas, when he passed away not long back she gave it to me, this of course holds a special place in my heart. All this is contained in a small barn that was turned into my studio about five or six years back. We looked at building a purpose built studio but this one has heaps of character already built in!

Describe your typical day of creating art…

I get in the studio around 8.30 to 9.00 am and work until noon or a bit after, sometimes I go back in in the late afternoon or evening. Because of my motor cycle accident the pain kicks in and puts a stop to long days in the studio. As soon as I get in there I crank up the music and get to work mixing some paint. I listen to anything from classical to the Stones, the music puts me in the mood to get lost in what I am doing. The main focus for me is to be consistent and dedicated to my work, I want each painting to be inspiring to the viewer. I do not produce vast numbers of paintings a year, each piece I do has to mean something to me, if I did it any other way I think I would lack the mojo to make it a relevant work.

What mediums do you use and why?

I predominately use oils now although when I first started painting back in 1993 I used acrylics. I still used acrylics when I turned professional in 1997 and moved to oils in about 2004 I think. I find the oils have this lovely quality about them, the quality of colour also impresses me. Having said that there are many artists out there who do wonderful work with acrylics, Tim Storrier being one.

What are you working on now?

Where we live there are many rock outcrops and breakaways that give wonderful painting opportunities . Lone boulders emerging out of the landscape as you drive through the countryside looking like sculptures, wonderful! So at present I am doing a number of paintings that deal with this subject. A bit over a year back my wife and I were in America visiting family in Texas, while there we went through many States such as Arizona, Utah and so on. To not get inspired in this sort of landscape would be impossible! So in the near future I will also be doing a series of works from this experience.

What do you love most about what you do?

Creating something beautiful is the goal of course, which I love, past that, the ability to be able to make people happy when they view my work is the outcome hopefully! I always get a kick out of my work selling, the money is great of course, but the biggest thing for me is that someone enjoyed it that much that they parted with there hard earned cash to have it hanging in their home! Love it, blows me away every time.

Where can you see yourself in 10 years time?

Well ten years ago I never thought I would be where I am today with my art, so I will continue to be thankful for the gift I’ve been given and hopefully keep growing as an artist. I am looking at doing some more things in the States if things go to plan, we shall see!

Shane Moad – Artist Biography

Western Australian Artist Shane Moad is widely recognized for his unique style and has been presented many awards by people the caliber of, Alan R. Dodge – past Director of the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Robert Juniper – well known Australia artist, Robert Cook – Associate Curator of Contemporary Art at the Art Gallery of Western Australia and an art critic for The West Australian, plus many other note worthy people within the art world.

He has also won the nations largest regional art award twice in the landscape category, “Cossack Art Award”, this award attracts artists the calibre of Ken Done, Sally Morgan, John Borak and the late Elizabeth Durack to name a few. Shane lives in the Avon Valley township of Beverley with his wife Valerie, and their two children, Ethan and Rebekah.

Shane Moad was born in Manly N.S.W in 1959. Shane came to live in Western Australia in 1979. He has always been moved by the Australian landscape. Shane’s family on his mothers side (Blackman) are a prominent pioneering family from N.S.W having first settled their in 1801. Shane, like his family before him, has been mainly involved in the pastoral industry on stations and farms throughout the state.

In 1994 he found he had a talent in painting that was unknown to him until that time. Shane has had no formal instruction and continues to grow as an artist through observation and practice. His desire in his work is to strip it to its essence as he feels, for him, there is nothing less real than realism, the more detail there is the more confusing the painting becomes to the viewer and in the end the meaning of the work becomes lost. He has a strong colour content in his paintings with a semi-abstract view of the landscape, which is his main subject matter. He interprets the landscape giving them almost human form with a sensual feeling to them, always hoping to bring to the viewer another way to experience the landscape.

Others have noticed Shane’s talent, his artwork is in private and corporate collections throughout Australia and America, and his style has been recognized by leading authorities in the art world as highly unique. He has also won the Australia’s largest regional art award, “Cossack Art Award”, twice in the landscape category, this award attracts artists the calibre of Ken Done, Sally Morgan , John Borak and the late Elizabeth Durack to name a few.

Shane Moad lives in the Avon Valley township of Beverley with his wife Valerie, and their children, Ethan and Rebekah. Shane enters very few competitions, when he does, his placing’s have been;

2nd 1994 York Agricultural Show
Highly Commended 1995 York Earthcare Art Awards.
1st 1996 York Earthcare Art Awards.
Highly Commended 1996 Northam Art Prize. JUDGE: Painter Arthur Russell.
Highly Commended 1998 Earthcare Art Awards.
Best Avon Valley Resident Artist 1998 York Society Art Award. JUDGES: David Walker, Adjunct Professor of Art, Curtin University and Robert Cook, midweek art critic for “The West Australian” newspaper.
Best Local Artist, Beverley Art Gallery 31st Purchase Exhibition 1999. JUDGES: Rosemary Hunter BA and Painter Arthur Russell.
Best oil or acrylic Landscape, 1999 Cossack Acquisitive Art Awards. JUDGE: Alan R Dodge, Director, Art Gallery of Western Australia.
Highly Commended, 1999 Cossack Acquisitive Art Awards. JUDGE: Alan Dodge , Director, Art Gallery of Western Australia.
Highly Commended, Beverley Art Gallery 32nd Purchase Exhibition 2000. JUDGE: Painter Arthur Russell.
Best oil or Acrylic Landscape, 2000 Cossack Acquisitive Art Awards. JUDGE: Painter Robert Juniper.
Highly Commended, 2000 York Society Art AwardHis work is collected throughout the world and is in private and corporate collections in Australia, England, America and Asia.