About the Artist |
John Cornwell is a fifth generation Australian, born (1930) and brought up in Sydney. He is a modern traditional painter in oil, of mostly rural subjects, and a sculptor.
His work has been reproduced as prints and decorative plates. Bradford Exchange have issued three series of extremely popular plates: Our Mighty Clydesdales, Journey Through the Country, and Waltzing Matilda. Two prints, Bringing in the Station Stores, and Crossing the Forest Ford were published by John Cornwell Studios.
When he finished school, John took up a scholarship at the National Art School, East Sydney, after which he set up a commercial design and screen printing business. In 1970, John sold the business and became a full time artist.
He has had 33 one-man exhibitions. John became particularly well known for his realist paintings of working horses in rural Australian landscape, and for character studies of country personalities. He researches material for these with extensive travel throughout Australia, including long rides, sometimes using packhorses.
He has recently become an exhibiting member of the Australian Society of Marine Artists.
He has made overseas study tours to Europe (6) and the USA (2). He was a guest of the Omani Society of Fine Arts for the Global Art Exhibition at the year 2000 Muscat Festival, where he was the sole representative of the Australian continent.
A noted Australian artist, John is also an accomplished sculptor. His work includes Flinders' cat Trim, in bronze for the New South Wales State Public Library (Sydney 1996); and bronze bas-reliefs of an Infantryman and Land Army girl, for the Memorial Arch in Kiama Rotary Park, for "Australia Remembers," 1996, placed near his bronze bas-relief, The Pioneers, done in 1988.
Special requests are welcomed. Let us know your requirements, and John can e-mail a sketch for your approval before doing the painting.
Popular subjects include Australiana, horsemen, Clydesdales, sheep, cattle, historical reconstructions and marine paintings
"The Brogan Boys on the Bridge "
A team of Clydesdales bringing goods back to the station
Size 900mm x 600 mm Oil on canvas
John's many one-man shows include Exhibitions at:
| Sebert Gallery, Sydney, 1973 |
| Wyoming Court Gallery, Orange 1975, 1976, 1978 |
| Roseville Galleries, Sydney 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981 |
| Marsden Gallery, Bathurst 1979, 1983, 1984 |
| Sylvania Galleries, Sydney 1992 |
| Jinchilla Gallery, Dubbo 1994 |
| Boyd Gallery, Narellan 1994, 1998, 2003, 2005, 2007 |
| The Sandstone Church, Kenthurst 1995 (2 man joint exhibition) |
| Represented Bronze bas-relief 1988, The Pioneers Kiama Rotary Park NSW |
| State Public Library bronze of Flinders cat, Trim, Sydney 1996 |
| 2 Bronze bas-reliefs for the Memorial Arch in Kiama Rotary Park, which was installed for "Australia Remembers" 1996. |
John's paintings are in corporate and private collections throughout Australia, UK, USA, Canada, Japan, NZ, PNG, Malaysia and South Africa.
Reproductions of paintings feature on the best selling series of eight plates, Our Mighty Clydesdales", and four plates "Journey Through the Country", and four "Waltzing Matilda" from Bradford Exchange. They are also reproduced as prints and on calendars.
For more information, see The Sculptor
Morpeth Mike
Oil on canvas 250mm x 200mm
Contact Information
Telephone: 61 (0)2 4232 2583
P O Box 252, Kiama, NSW 2533
E-mail : normawel@bigpond.net.au
Last modified January 10 2008