After visiting Sir Patrick Kilvington, I next visited John Cooper of Eight Bells Gallery in Surfers Paradise. John was a mentor to Hugh Sawrey who painted in John’s studio. John was extremely excited as he viewed my paintings; however, because he was in severely declining health, he directed me to the prestigious Brisbane city gallery director, Verlie Just.
Top city galleries seldom take on unknown artists due to their limited following, lower prices and restricted wall space. Verlie was delighted to see quality outback art as she said none of her artists would countenance the genre and no one could incorporate the ethereal elements of dust and smoke etc with the fine touch she saw in my paintings.
Without hesitation, she commented, “I can make you! I have contact with all the top galleries in Sydney and Melbourne.” I was prepared to sell all but one of my paintings in her prestigious gallery, until as I left, pointing to Brumbies Run, she insisted, “… and don’t come back unless you bring THAT painting.”
I wasn’t exactly stuck for galleries at the time as Schubert Gallery at Broadbeach had my paintings, Kurt Barry in Orchid Ave Surfers Paradise was buying my work and soon after, David Galloway in the Valley (Brisbane) offered me a solo exhibition, just to get my work.
In the background at this stage I had a lot going on as a solo dad with 3 children and a demanding ministry to men that would have had to be jettisoned. The first four letters of the word ‘paint’ had to be addressed before I felt I could be fully free to paint on demand.
