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Artist in Profile
Each month Bonnefin Gallery showcase one of our artists..
ARTIST IN PROFILE - SEPTEMBER
JOHN CAREY DOWNTON
F.B.A.S. F.R.A.S. F.A.S.M.A.
John was born in Sydney Australia 1939. He attended art classes at the Royal Art Society of NSW. John’s teachers included Kenneth Green, Allan Hanson and Arthur Murch. He also had private lessons with George Duncan who, after watching John paint for some time said, ‘you know, you are a romantic painter’. ‘Goodness’ was John’s worried reply ‘is that good or bad?’ George was quick to assure him John, much to John’s relief, that it was good. John also spent many years Plein Air painting with master artist Leonard Long OAM. Mr Long has been a tremendous source of encouragement, hard work, fun and companionship. “I can remember the first time he asked me to go on a painting trip with him. How nervous I was that such a great man would even consider it. Those days in the bush, painting and sketching over the years, have contributed greatly to my development as an artist. With Michael McCarthy, the third member of the team, we roamed the hills working hard during the day and enjoying the pleasure of sitting around the camp fire at night. Not enough could be said in this small space to do justice to such a man as Leonard Long, to whom I owe so much.”
John’s painting career started 1973. He was awarded second prize in the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Art Competition 1974; he won first prize three times in the Caltex Art Award, 1976, 1977, 1988. He was awarded the Bega Art Society Fellowship in 1982. He also won the Kiama Council Commercial Garden Art Design Award in 1986 and Australian Navy 75 Years Anniversary National Seascape Art Competition 1987 – Purchase. John was the first artist ever invited to hold an exhibition at the Mitchell Library Sydney, Australia 1988, Bicentennial Celebration Year. A booklet of John Downton’s Bicentennial Art Exhibition was published in 1988. Japanese Cultural Award and Citation, 25th Taiyo Art Award 1989. 35th Annual Pacific Cultural Exhibition Special Citation for outstanding artists and 1st Prize trophy for outstanding paint: Japan – 1999.
‘’Australian Artist’’ magazine special topic section about John’s work, was published in 1989, 199, Nov, Dec 2002, Aug 2003, June 2004. One of John Downton’s works was reproduced as an international Christmas card by Westpac Bank 1990, and NSW Parliament House Card 2000.
John was invited to hold a one man exhibition in Dublin, Ireland, at the Bank of Ireland’s Exhibition Centre as part of Dublin’s official celebrations as Dublin was chosen as the Cultural City of Europe 1991. Each year John Downton has various exhibitions in Sydney, Eden, Canberra, etc. Companies use John’s work on calendars and have many paintings in their corporate collections around the world. John is a Listed Artist of Australia and New Zealand and reproduced – Max Germaine and other publications. John is a member of the Australia Society of Marine Artists, Navy Artist East Timor 2000, Hon Member Fleet Air Arm Association of Australia, 2000. Awarded Fellowship of the Royal Art Society 2000, Awarded the Australia Society of Marine Artists President’s Medal 2004 and the Fellowship of ASMA, 2004.
ART EDUCATION
· Royal Art Society of NSW Sydney, Australia – Teachers: Kenneth Green, Allan Hansen and Arthur Murch for over two and a half years.
· Private Teacher – George Duncan, Sydney for two years
· Plein-Air Painting with Master Artist Leonard Long OAM for fifteen years.
· Study Tours – Ireland (two months), short tours to USA, Taiwan, Singapore, France, New Zealand, Philippines, Thailand and China.
MEDIUM AND STYLE
· Oil painting, watercolour, gouache, ink and wash, charcoal, pencil etc.
· Flexible style – any subjects – landscape, marine painting, still life, life painting and drawing, portrait.
· Representational to modern.
ONE MAN EXHIBITIONS (FORTY-FIVE-PLUS PAINTINGS)
· Wardop Galleries, Sydney, NSW – 1973
· Downton Studios, Eden NSW – 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007.
· Eden Killer Whale Museum, NSW – 2993
· George Style Gallery, Sydney, NSW – 1974, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 (two exhibitions), 1994 +++.
· Styles international exhibitions – Bank of Ireland Exhibition Centre, Dublin, Ireland - 1991; Queensland Irish Association, Brisbane, Qld – 1993; Canberra Irish Club, Canberra ACT – 1994
· Mentone Galleries, Melbourne, VIC – 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985.
· Hilltop Galleries, Gerringong, NSW – 1984
· Elder Fine Art Galleries, SA – 1990
· Riverina Galleries, Wagga Wagga, NSW – 1996, 1997, 1998
· The Taiwan Friendship Association of Queensland Inc., Brisbane, Qld – 1994
· Westpac Bank, Nowra, NSW – 1993, 1995
· Gallery at the Wentworth, Sydney NSW – Celebration of the 2000 Olympics
· East Timor Exhibition, Bega Regional Gallery – 2000
· Gallery at the Wentworth, Sydney NSW – 2000, 2002
· McGrath’s Art Gallery, North Sydney, NSW – 2004, 2005, 2006
TWO MAN EXHIBITIONS
· Mary MacKillop Foundation – John Downton and Leonard Long OAM – Melbourne, Vic – 1999
· East Timor Exhibition – John Downton and Ian Hansen – Gallery at the Wentworth, Sydney, NSW – 2000
· East Timor Exhibition – John Downton and Ian Hansen – Parliament House, Sydney NSW – 2001
· John Downton and Leonard Long OAM – Nowra Regional Gallery, NSW – 2005
· John Downton and Leonard Long OAM – McGrath’s Art Gallery, North Sydney, NSW – 2007
· John Downton and Terry Webber – Pymble Gallery, Pymble, NSW – 2010
THREE MAN EXHIBITONS
· ‘’Celebrations’’ – John Downton, Leonard Long OAM, Chris Kandis – McGrath’s Art Gallery, North Sydney NSW – 2001
· Whale Festival Eden – John Downton, Leonard Long OAM, Terry Webber – 2006, 2007
MIXED EXHIBITIONS
· Monash University – 1986
· USA, UK, Japan, Australia (NSW, VIC, SA, QLD) each year
· ASMA Regional Galleries Travelling Exhibition, NSW and QLD -2000
· ASMA Exhibition Maritime Museum, Tasmania – 2001
· ASMA Exhibition Maritime Museum, Brisbane, Qld – 2002, 2003
· Campfires Against Cancer, Albury – 2003
· ASMA Exhibition Port Adelaide – 2004
· Laughing jack Promotions, Canberra, 2004
· ASMA Exhibition, Monash Art Gallery – 2005, 2006
PAINTINGS IN PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS AND CORPORATIONS COLLECTIONS
· Art Bank, Melbourne, BIV
· Bega Regional Gallery, NSW
· Royal Australian Navy, Sydney, NSW
· Eden Killer Whale Museum NSW
· Naval College, Jervis Bay, NSW
· Miyoshi School, Japan
· Taiwan Ministry of Education, Taipei, Taiwan
· Irish Electricity Board Collection
· Westpac Collection
· Coles Myer Collection
· Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club Collection
· Fairfax Collection
· Kaman Aerospace International Corporation
· FAA Chapel ‘Albatross’ Naval Station
· Eight Peoples Republic of China Government Provincial Areas
· And many, many more…..
PUBLISHED WORKS
· Exhibition in Bicentennial Year – Published 1988, Mitchell Library, Sydney, NSW
· Cards, Calendars and Prints
· ‘The dirty Big Red Book – Downton – An Artist on the Move’’ published 2009
LISTED
· Max Germaine – Artists an& Galleries of Australia
· Articles about John Downton’s work in the Australia Artist publication: 1989, Vol.6 No 3, September pages 38-40; 1998 No 171 September pages 30-35; 2002, No 221 November pages 12-19; 2002, no 222 December pages 28-33; 2003, no 230 August pages 12-19; 2003, No 240 June pages 32-37.
· Australian Artists Today – 2004
· Artist’s Palette Magazine – 2007, No 54 pages 18-24 and cover.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
· Bega Art Society: Fellowship – 1982
· Royal Art Society of NSW: Fellow – 2000
· Japanese Cultural Award and Citation, 25th Taiyo Art Award – 1989
· 35th Annual Pacific Cultural Exhibition Special Citation for Outstanding Artist and 1st Prize trophy for outstanding painting: Japan – 1999
· Fleet Air Arm Association of Australia: Hon. Member – 2000
· Kiama Art Awards Major Award: 1st Prize – 2001
· Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Art Competition: 2nd Prize – 1974
· Caltex Art Awards: 1st Prize – 1976, 1977, 1978
· Kiama Council Commercial Garden Art Design Award – 1986
· Awarded the Australian Society of Marine Artists President’s Medal – 2004
· Fellowship of the Australian Society of Marine Artists – 2004
· Royal Motor Yacht Club Maritime Exhibition: 1st Prize – 2005
· And Many More…..
· Navy Artist East Timor – 2000
JUDGING
John Downton has judged many art shows – some several times –
· Bega Art Awards
· Kiama Art Awards
· Tumut Art Awards
· Shoalhaven Art Awards
· Annual Mattara Indoor Art Exhibition Newcastle
· Royal Easter Show
· And Many More…….
PUBLIC WORKS
Designer of over twenty historical to modern large coloured cement nautical depictions for Eden’s cycle/walkway.
EXHIBITS
John Downton exhibits exclusively in Sydney at Bonnefin Gallery – www.bonnefingallery.com