Robyn Ross

Painter

Life Events

Robyn Ross is a well-known Australian artist who has resided in Hunters Hill for over 37years. She shares her artistic output between painting portraits, figurative works, still life and drawing visual narratives in charcoal and pencil. Constantly discovering and exploring with colours textures, in between commissioned work, and exhibitions.
Many times, finalist in local and national art prizes.

Art workshops
Charles Sturt University-
NSVA Northbridge School of Visual Arts-
Canberra and Orange Art Societies-
Walgett Outback NSW.
Lucca Italy.
Fontainebleau France
Sydney workshops and Weekly classes since 2000

Commissioned work:

Portraits- University of Sydney- One of only 3 Women commissioned by the university .
Judges, Academics, corporate leaders, family portraits and celebrities. Christine Forster, Joe Hockey, Andrew Voss.

Charity portraits include –Russell Crowe, Sir Tim Rice, Peter Brock, Suzy Quatro, Sarah Murdoch, Bette Midler, John Mangos, Brian Cadd, Gordon Ramsay, Joel Madden, Harry Connick jr, Adam Brand, The Kardashians
Other works include large murals for Darling Harbour Expos, sculpture & ceramics for the ANA hotel.

Highlight Exhibitions:
Invited  Artist Art Monaco The Grimaldi Forum Monaco
Invited artist for an International collaborative work to celebrate the anniversary of the Goethe Institute Germany
Guest  Artist 1^st International Biennale Izmir Turkey – 2011
Parliament House Sydney & Canberra 2009,2010,2011,2015
Invited Artist Biennale Contemporea Florence Italy International Jury
Australian Embassy in Washington
Finalist Korea exhibition Axis of Peace
Haegeumgang  Art Museum Korea
Over 80 group exhibitions, solo shows Australia and UK.

Robyn’s work is held in public and private collections UK, USA, NZ, Italy, Germany, UAE, Brazil, France & Australia.

Positions Held:
Current Vice President Portrait Artists Australia
Past Arts Ambassador – Sir David Martin Foundation.
Past President and Vice President of Portrait Artists Australia
Invited guest speaker and Judge –
Guest speaker for NAIDOC week exhibition by
Walangari Karntawarra Hunters Hill Art Show
Bulldust to Bitumen
Mortimore Prize
The Arthouse Hotel
Contempo Group, AGNSW
Art Society of Canberra
The Professional Women’s Association
Interviews
Art Monaco  The BBC
University Izmir
University of Sydney
ABC Radio
Newsprint – World News, Daily Mail UK , Daily Telegraph The weekly Times,
Wentworth Courier, Northern District Times,
Sydney Morning Herald
Charity work –
The Featured artist for ANZGOG cancer research fundraising art auction and sales.
Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI)
Jeans for Genes artist
The Marist Youth Art programme
Women Can Genealogical research
Sir David Martin Foundation

www.robynross.com.au

SOLO Exhibitions
2023  Art Gallery on Darling  “Impressions from my travels “

2023  April  Special invitation to exhibit for Heritage week by the National Trust
November “ Picasso, flowers and faces “ AGOD

2022 November AGOD ( Art Gallery on Darling )

2021 May AGOD  “ the Bridges Between”

2020 October  “ Eclectic”

2017 503 Gallery Lilyfield “ Eclectic Mix”

2016 “Spring in Bloom”  Hunters Hill Galleries

2014 Wentworth Galleries   Sydney

Group Exhibitions
2023
March Drummoyne Art Society

September “The Romantics” Hunters Hill

2022
Group exhibition Art Gallery on Darling 9th March – 20 th March
The Romantics Exhibition at Syconium Art Space Hunters Hill 19^th September
Lane Cove Art Prize 26^th August

Group exhibition 14^th – 25^th September
2021 Covid 19 again made exhibitions and galleries close down though at one time when restrictions eased, I had a large exhibition at the Gallery on Darling titled the Bridge between. I painted 16 portraits of different people who had sat for me. I wanted to make a statement about the bridge between the various people who have come to Australia to live and work. The fabulous contribution these people have made by sharing their skills, cultures, food and customs with us.  I feel very lucky to have many friends from different cultures who have enriched my life and I wanted to pay tribute to them and others. I could not paint everyone but wished I had been able to paint more!!

2019
Lane Cove Art Prize
Finalist in Hunters Hill art show
Exhibited Drummoyne Art Society

2018
Spent time in Vietnam with a Master teacher doing workshops in developing Chinese / Vietnamese calligraphy brush work.
Judged Lane Cove Art Prize
Exhibited Drummoyne Art Society
End of year exhibition of my student’s work exhibition.

2017
Spent 3 months in Europe. I spent time visiting the Lindley Library London named after my Great Great Uncle by invitation of the Curator. to research his art work and the work he did establishing the Chelsea Flower show and saving Kew Gardens. He is recognized as the “Father of Orchids” This inspired me to develop some representational work of various Australian native flowers in my artwork, outside portraiture it has been and continues to presently be my most successful body of work. I spent a long time developing these ideas 2017.

2016 Finalist Hunters Hill Art Prize
2015
Finalist Brisbane Art Prize
Finalist Hunters Hill Art Prize
2014
Art Monaco April
Commissioned work from exhibition
Interviewed by BBC
Promoted for portraiture Moscow

2013
Moocooboola  Festival  Hunters Hill August
Parliament House Sydney  July
Finalist Hunters Hill Art Prize   May
2012
Invited Australian artist 150th Anniversary of Goethe Institute Exhibition Germany 2012 – May 2013
Touring exhibition through Germany
Parliament House Canberra Nov
Finalist Hunters Hill Art Prize
Art house Hotel March
2011
VAS Galleries Melbourne Nov
1^st Biennale Izmir Turkey May   – Invited Guest Artist
Finalist Hunters Hill art Prize
Parliament House Canberra  March
2010
Artists Muse Art house Oct
Face off – MLC Gallery  March
Mortimer Art Prize National Finalist
Judge Hunters Hill Art Prize
Parliament House Canberra Sept
2009
Parliament House Sydney   April
Black Swan National Art Prize  Finalist  May
Guest speaker Hunters Hill Art Prize
Art House Hotel  Oct
2008
‘Contemporary Art’ Gallery  Florence
International Art Forum Bologna Italy presented by Professor Emanuela Cattalano Florence
2007
Invitation to exhibit by International Scientific Committee  Biennale Contemporary Florence Italy – December
Watch house Gallery Balmain  Get Sete and beyond June
Art house Hotel Sept
Sydney Parliament House April
2006
Art house Hotel Nov
Hunters Hill Art Prize finalist
Courtroom Faces Supreme Court  Sydney April
2005
Lexus Mortimer Art Prize
Hunters Hill Art Prize Finalist
Art house Hotel – Oct
Macquarie Bank International Portrait exhibition – Australian Embassy Washington May
Macquarie Bank International Portrait Exhibition Australian Preview – Art house Hotel Sydney Sept
Portraits by artists Art house Hotel May

Awards
Very Highly Commended , Drummoyne Art Society , Hunters Hill Art Prize , Lane Cove Art Prize

Highly Commended Drummoyne Art Prize, Art House Hotel , Hunters Hill Art Prize .

Making art is a way of life for Australian artist Robyn Ross.  She recalls forever being compelled to record images of people and various things she sees around her, describing painting as “an obsession” – always having a small sketch book and pencil with her to sketch out ideas, and images that appeal to her.

Growing up in Sydney, Robyn’s carefree childhood days were a rich mix of cultural influences

.” Colours, traditions and friendships impacted my life from a young age. My grandparents travelled extensively to exotic places, at a time when not many travelled. I loved the slide nights of their adventures which I believe were the start of my fascination with the wider world.”

Always expressing a particular interest in people, Robyn specialises in portraiture which of late includes canines. Her style and media are eclectic. Equally proficient with paint, charcoal and pencil, she draws from each medium to create a diverse output of work.

Fascinated by the personalities behind the faces Robyn’s zest for life and interaction with people informs her work with remarkable results. Celebrity portraits include Russell Crowe, Sir Tim Rice, Gordon Ramsey, Kim Kardashian to name a few.

A Past President of Portrait Artists Australia, currently Vice President , Robyn has completed several commissioned works for the University of Sydney and was Arts Ambassador for the Sir David Martin Foundation for many years. She has been a finalist in many national and International Art prizes awarded many commendations. Her works are held in public and private collections that stretch from Australia and NZ to UK, Italy, France, Germany, Brazil, South Korea and the UAE.

Considering herself largely self-taught, her formal art study many years ago includes periods at the Gallery School Meadowbank and Julian Ashton Art School. Her first career as a cartographer, her studies also included engineering drawing which is where she became so aware of the need for accuracy , which has served her well in interpreting what inspires her.

Robyn’s work is a unique mix of experience and training, one she attributes to her constant interest in different approaches to her art, and a lifelong love of learning. You could easily describe Robyn as the quintessential artist in search of things that appeal to her and the lives of others to interpret on her canvas.

22 years ago, Robyn established Hunters Hill art group, has run workshops for NSVA, Charles Sturt University and in Lucca Italy, as well as various art societies, and had enjoyed many rips to outback NSW running workshops. Robyn’s been an invited artist for over more than 80 exhibitions including The Australian Embassy in Washington, International Biennales of Izmir Turkey, Florence , ART Monaco and her work is part of the permanent collection of the Haegeumgang Theme Museum Korea, by invitation from International Committee judge Heidi Fosli.

Sought after as a guest speaker, teacher and judge, previous invitations include The Contempo group AGNSW, ABC Radio, Hunters Hill Art Show, Bulldust to Bitumen, Art House Hotel and The Professional Women’s Association.

Today, there is little doubt art has always been Robyn’s calling so it seems apt to leave the last works to her

“I think I will always be travelling and painting, inspired by people, places, memory and the need to communicate and share what I see.  Find myself on a constant search for artistic fulfilment which I think can only be found by continuing to create art.

Author Geoffrey Jaeger