Living with Koalas artist - Rosemary Anne Berrell

100 Artworks for a Koala entry by Rosemary Anne Berrell.    Title: ‘Where are our Homes?’ –  acrylic

Rosemary Anne BERRELL

Multi award-winning artist based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

100 Artworks for a Koala entry: Title: ’Where are our homes?’

Size: W 55cm x H 36cm | Medium: acrylic on 300gsm Saunders watercolour paper  

“After the devastation caused by the bushfires last year [2019], I saw a photo of a yellow sun, black sky, red earth (taken from Victor Harbor, S.A), just like the Aboriginal flag. And it was that photo that inspired and prompted me to do this painting where there was nothing on the horizon, just a flat line. It wasn’t only because koalas that had lost their homes but, I wanted to show there were a great number of other animals, and people too, who had also lost their homes.” Rosemary Anne Berrell

Born in Melbourne, Rosemary Berrell has been interested in art for as long as she can remember. Her love of  watercolours began in her late teens when she started lessons in watercolour painting from C. Dudley Wood (1905 – 1980), acclaimed Australian Landscape artist. A superb draughtsman, he suggested Rosemary learn to draw before she could paint, so she spent one term just on drawing then three more years improving her drawing and developing her painting skills.

Though she paints a variety of subjects ranging from landscapes, seascapes to buildings, Rosemary’s greatest passion are animals, particularly horses. Over the years, she has done commissions for businesses and private concerns, and with the latter, numerous paintings of pets: dogs, cats and horses. She has painted Melbourne Cup winners from 1999 to 2006, from photos she took at the Cup. ‘Rogan Josh’ was sold to the owner Wendy Green in 2000 and her three paintings of ‘Makybe Diva’ purchased by one man in 2006. In the last few years, Rosemary has done numerous paintings of ‘Working Draught’ horses (she is a member of the Victorian Working Draught Horse Association) and paintings of horses in Australian History. 

She has entered paintings in competitions throughout Melbourne, regional centres and Interstate. Not only are there artworks of Rosemary’s in Australia but there are also paintings of hers in U.K, Norway, Japan, Poland, U.S.A.

  • 2013 Third solo exhibition at Malvern Artists’ Society (article ‘Stonnington Leader’)
  • 2005 Second solo exhibition at Malvern Artists’ Society (article in October ‘Progress Leader’)
  • 2002 First solo exhibition at Malvern Artists’ Society
  • 1998 Combined exhibition with six other artists at ‘Metro’ Craft Centre, State Gallery, North  Melbourne 
  • Other notable milestones
  • 2013 ‘Brushes with Life -Definition of Success’ book launch and exhibition
  • 2013 Exhibited ‘Lentil As Anything’ with other artists
  • 2012  Article in Burwood Bulletin
  • 2012 ‘Brushes with Life – A Celebration of Inspiration’ book launch and exhibition
  • 2010 – 2003  Displayed (and sold) paintings at ‘Kyneton’s Gallery on Piper ‘ Kyneton 
  • 2007  Guest speaker at the opening of CROPart Exhibition (Community Recreation Outreach Program), Boroondara Council.
  • 2006  Invitation to exhibit at RSPCA Vic. Birthday Celebration and History Book Launch.
  • 2004 & 2005: Demonstrated at Malvern Artists’ Society, ‘Artists at Work’, Malvern Town Hall. 
  • 2003  Display of racehorse paintings in Kyneton District Racing Club’s marquee on Kyneton Cup day.
  • 2003  Display of racehorse paintings in shop windows, Ashburton, Melbourne for ‘Spring Racing Carnival Promotion’.
  • 2003 Guest artist at the Kyneton Arts Society Exhibition, ‘Kyneton Daffodil and Arts Festival’. 
  • 2018 Winner ‘Art on Paper’ with ‘He sent the Flintstones Flying…’ – Man from Snowy River Festival
  • 2016  Highly Commended MAS Autumn Exhibition Pastel/Drawing (‘The Laughing Jackass’)
  • 2015  Highly Commended Australian Guild of Realist Artists Kenneth Jack Drawing Prize in Pen and Watercolour Section (‘The Australian Light Horse – The Sands of Sinai’)
  • 2014  Third in Malvern Artists’ Australian Exhibition: (‘Purple Reflections’)
  • 2013  Best Watercolour Malvern Artists’ Autumn Exhibition (‘Irish Eyes are Smiling’)
  • 2012  Best Watercolour Malvern Artists’ Autumn Exhibition (‘The Road to Alice’)
  • 2010 Best Exhibit Depicting Australian History, Royal Melbourne Show (‘Grinings Team, Strahan’)
  • 2010  Best Watercolour Woodend Lions Club Exhibition (‘Prehistoric Creations’)
  • 2009 Best Exhibit Depicting Australian History, Royal Melbourne Show (‘Crossing the Barron River’)
  • 2009  Best Watercolour Malvern Artists’ Society Autumn Exhibition (‘Moonee Ponds Creek’)
  • 2008  Best Exhibit Depicting Australian History, Royal Melbourne Show and 1st Prize: Watercolour (‘Real Horsepower!’)
  • 2008  Highly Commended Strathdon Community Art Show, Forest Hills (‘Toiling in the Dust’)
  • 2007  Highly Commended Whittlesea Agriculture Show (‘Afternoon Glow, Woodstock’)
  • 2007  Highly Commended Royal Melbourne Show (‘Dust, Dust and More Dust’)
  • 2007  Commended Autumn Exhibition Australian Guild Realist Artists
  • 2004  Highly Commended Yea Rotary (‘Abandoned, Omeo’)
  • 2003  Highly Commended Contemporary Waverley Arts Society (‘Petrified Forest’ article in May ‘Waverley Leader’)
  • 2002  Highly Commended Watercolour Amaroo Art Show (‘Take Me for a Ride in My Wheelbarrow’)
  • 2001  Best Watercolour Roberts McCubbin Primary School (‘Coco Cobana has Taken the Lead!’ photo in November ‘Progress Leader’)
  • 2000  Best Watercolour Malvern Artists’ Society Selected Autumn Exhibition (‘And the Winner is..!’ article in May ‘Progress Leader’)
  • 1998  Very Highly Commended Sherbrooke Art Society (ink drawing)
  • 1992  Best Painting John Pierce Early Invention Centre for Hearing Impaired, Elsternwick (ink drawing)

https://www.facebook.com/Rosemary.Berrell

Living with Koalas 100 artworks