GRAEME BALCHIN
The dark, the beautiful and the bizarre. Three elements that make the modern woman so powerful a subject
to paint. Their endless desire to play dress ups has given me an endless expanse of subject matter to work with.
Embedding their cos-play into environments that seem to evolve from the end of my brush onto the canvas.
Like an extension of their fantasy, each painting containing a dialog built around the mood of the subject,
evolving into an imaginary playground where the viewer can fleetingly flirt with the model. I call them,
unreal realism, it could happen, but chances are, it never will.
These thoughts come to me in moments of delusional grandeur. Only to subside, back to expanses of self doubt and struggles with inner demons that tear through the creative mind during long periods of solitude in the studio.The fleeting thoughts of a flirtatious artist, captured for all to see.I hope you like my diary of dreams.
GraemeW Balchin
Education
Studied at Paddington Art School 1986, Pennant Hills Life Drawing 1987, Sydney Art Station 1988, Julian Ashtons Art School Sydney p/t(drawing, painting,etching), Studied Etching at Duck Print, Professional Trade -Signwriter.
Business Acumen
On completion of trade qualifications, I established and ran my own successful signwritingbusiness Vital Signs which operated until 2000.We produced work for Village Road Show, Hoyts, Greater Union, Home Pics Video,Top Video and many RSL, Leagues and Bowling Clubs.In 2000 we sold the business andmy invention of a Aluminum flexible signface. I later started p/t Teaching at Newcastle Tafe in 2003 and finishedin 2004 to pursue a career in Fine Art.
Exhibitions
2000 Three Way Exh2000 Three Way Exhibition Tap Gallery Sydney
2001 Tuggerah Lakes – Fab Fakes Winner
2002 Tuggerah Lakes – Fab Fakes People’s Choice Winner
2002Invited Exhibitions Flesh Exhibition - Gosford Regional Gallery
2003 Solo Exhibition Cross Section Exhibition - Grand GalleryCC
2003 Invited ExhibitionsOh My God - Grand Gallery CC, Rude Nude - Brokenback Gallery Hunter Valley, The Grand Under a Grand - Grand Gallery CC
2003 Open Exhibitions Banool Conservation Prize, Australian Watercolour Inst. Exhibition - Gosford Regional Gallery, Gosford Art Prize - Gosford Regional Gallery
2004 Invited Exhibitions Ferous Non-Ferous Exhibition - Grand Gallery CC, Rude Nude 2 - Grand Gallery, Suburbia Exhibition - Grand Gallery CC, Northern Exposure - Cpt Cook Gallery Paddington,Birth of Zooid - Grand Gallery CC, City Slickers Not Exhibition - Sydney Metro Gallery, Cross Section Exhibition - Erina Art Space - Gosford City Council, Open Christmas Exhibition - Cpt Cook Gallery Paddington
2004 Open Exhibitions Gosford Art Prize - Gosford Regional Gallery, Who's Who - (Archibald combined show) - Gosford Regional Gallery
Exhibitions cont.
2005 Invited Exhibitions Art Is Alive - Grand Gallery CC and Sydney Metro Gallery, Mardi Gras Exhibition - Cpt Cook Gallery Paddington, Rude Nude 3 - Grand Gallery CC, Zooid Exhibition - Sydney Metro Gallery and Cpt Cook Gallery Paddington, Very Bloody Expensive Exhibition - Grand Gallery CC, Open Christmas Exhibition - Paddington and Grand Gallery CC
2006 Invited Exhibitions Glamoroma Exhibition - Cpt Cook Gallery Paddington, Rude Nude 4 - Grand Gallery CC
2006 Solo ExhibitionThe Entree Series - Palm House Gallery Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney.
2004/05/06/07/08/09 Gosford Art Prize - Finalist
2007 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize - Finalist
2007 Hunters Hill Art Prize (Selected)
Graemekindly donated a painting in support of Nepal Art Aid Auction held on Sat 24th Feb 2007 @ the 460 Gallery,Green Point, Gosford. *Note Auction raised approx $30,000
2008 Solo Exhibition 'Aboreal' - Who Art Thou Gallery
2010 Invited Exhibition Grand opening of Beinart Gallery 696 Ink – Brunswick Vic.,
Collections Numerous Artworks in both Private Australian Collections & Private Collections in America and England.
Exhibition Judging 2005 8th Annual Fabulous Fakes - Tuggerah Lakes Art Society
2010 Rotary Umina Portrait prize
2012 Soho Galleries Exhibition The Immaculate Perception
.Finalist in the Shirley Hannan Art Prize 2012
.Teaching Drawing - Oil painting Gosford Regional Gallery 2009 '10 '11 '12
.Co-Coordinator Life Drawing and Life Painting Gosford Regional Gallery
2012 Gosford Art Prize 2012 - 2 Dimensional Category Highly Commended ( third in show )
Judged by Anthony Bond OAM, Director, Curatorial, Art Gallery NSW
2013Soho Galleries Sydney, Exhibition
2016Soho Galleries Sydney, Exhibition
Media and Publicity
2003 The Herald 19th June
2004 The Daily Telegraph 1st April
2005 The Daily Telegraph 2nd June
2005 The Daily Telegraph 13th April
2005 Star FM Radio Interview
2005 ABC Radio Interview
2005 Central Coast Express Advocate
2005 Sunrise Channel 7, Sydney - Archibald Coverage
2005 Financial Review -Archibald Coverage
2005 NBN TV Newcastle - Archibald Coverage
2005 ABC TV Document - Loaded Brush
2005 NBN TV Newcastle - Rude Nude Coverage for Ovarian Cancer Foundation
2005 Star FM Radio CC - InterviewWedding Promotion 25th Aug
2005 Star FM Radio CC - Interview Body Painting Promotion27th Aug
2005 Star FM Radio CC - Interview Body Painting Promotion 1st Sept
2006 ABC Radio - Smart Arts Live Interview
2006 ABC Radio - Smart Arts Live Interview for Entree Series 23rd June
2006 Express Advocate - Article Branching Out 23rd June
2006 Seniors Newspaper- Artist & Craftsman Editorial
2007Express Advocate- Art Culture 21st Feb
2007 Express Advocate Doug Moran Prize Finalist 23rd Feb
2007 ABC Smart Arts- Live Interview, Moran Finalist 23rd Feb
2007 ABC Smart Arts - Live Interviews, The Portrait Prize, April &May
2007 NBN News Coverage The Portrait Prize May
2007 Express Advocate The Portrait Prize 2nd May
2008 Express Advocate Nude Olympis
2008 Freerider The 50th IssueFMX Parents Graeme Balchin
2008 Runner Up- Rotary Umina Portrait Prize
2008 Fathers Day Exhibition Winner
2009 ABC Radio Live Interview 14th Aug.
2009 Winner – Rotary Umina Portrait Prize
2009 Express Advocate Interview - Rotary Umina Portrait Prize
2009 Winner – Gosford Art Prize – People’s choice
2013 Finalist in Gosford Art Prize 2013