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Freda Surgenor aras

     Freda was born in Harrow England and studied art and later graphic design and illustration at Bourneville School of Art, Birmingham, United Kingdom.

She worked in London as a graphic designer in publishing as well as illustrating two children’s books and teaching art for several years.

     Since coming to Australia in 1982 Freda has established herself through solo exhibitions and group shows as a highly respected watercolour painter. In 1990 her painting “Backyard” was selected for exhibition in the Herald Heritage Award and in 1991 two paintings “Backyard” and “Backyard Pool” toured Australia in the prestigious National Exhibition - Portrait of Australia. In 1994 “Dockscape” was selected and hung in the Salon de Refuses at the S H Ervin Gallery.

     Freda's painting "Sweet Indulgence" was included as a finalist in Australian Artist's new magazine Water Colour Annual '97. Subsequently, Freda was featured as a master painter in both the Water Colour Annual ’98 and the January and October 1999 issues of the International Artist Magazine, and in March 2000, and January and February 2003, further articles on her work appeared in Australian Artist magazine

     In October 2003, Freda was accepted as an exhibiting member of the Royal Art Society of NSW and has showed her work in all their exhibitions since then.

     A multi award winning artist, including the Mosman Art Prize and awards at the Royal Easter Show, including a first prize in the Marine Section in 2000, she was approached by the print distributors Art Throughout Australia with a view to reproducing her work. There are now three of her reproductions in circulation.

     Freda has been doing Life Drawing for many years and is now convenor of the West Oatley life drawing sketch group, for The Oatley 101 Society of Artists, Sydney. She has taught life drawing workshops for both the St George Art Society and for Art in Action - an art learning experience run by the Combined Art Societies of Sydney at the Meroo Conference Centre, Kurrajong in May every year.

     Freda, who has always been interested in people, both at work and play, demonstrates a high level of excellence using vibrant colours to depict a great variety of subjects from landscapes through waterscapes, cityscapes, still-life, floral, portraiture, life painting and miniatures.

     Freda is totally dedicated to her work - when she’s not painting she is thinking about it. She feels that good draughtsmanship is a basis for successful painting and never stops drawing. She works in fine detail using strong colour to create pieces, which glow with life and light. This results in highly successful warm paintings, which demonstrate her ability to capture and recreate the images realistically. This is reflected by the number of her works, which are highly sought after by collectors both in Australia and overseas

     In 2004, she was accepted as an exhibiting member of the Australian Society of Miniature Arto

     In 2005, Freda was elevated to “Associate” at the Royal Art Society of New South Wales and became a finalist at the Jaques Cadry Art Exhibition, “For the Children”.

Personal History  
1957     
1960     
1963     
1965     
1982      
2003      
2004     
2005  
   

Bourneville School of Art, Birmingham, U.K
Graphic designer - London
Art teacher
Self employed artist
Moved to Australia
Joined Royal Art Society of NSW
Joined Australian Society of Miniature Art
Elevated to Associate Member of Royal Art Society of NSW

 
Exhibitions    

1965
1970
1973
1984
1985
1989
1990
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1996
1998
1998
1999
1999
2001
2002
2002
2003

2005 
2006
2007

Curwin Gallery, London
Heals Fine Art Gallery, London
Edition Graphique, London
Glen Gallery, Cronulla
Primrose Gallery, Cronulla
Sylvania Gallery (feature artist)
Primrose Lane Gallery
Herald Heritage Award
National Exhibition - Portrait of Australia
Von Dorff Gallery, Ramsgate
Von Dorff Gallery, Ramsgate
Old Bakery Gallery, Lane Cove
Dave Wood Gallery, Batemans Bay
Charles Hewitt Gallery, Woollahra
Ramsgate Gallery, Ramsgate
Charles Hewitt Gallery, Woollahra.
July Feature Artist, Brighton Gallery, Brighton le Sands.
Dave Wood Gallery, Batemans Bay
Charles Hewitt Gallery, Woollahra
The Private Gallery, Surry Hills
Feature Artist, West Oatley Public School
Feature Artist, St. John Bosco Primary School, Engadine
Feature Artist, Box Hill Art Awards Melbourne
Feature Artist, Oatley Uniting Art Show
Finalist at the Jaques Cadry Art Exhibition ‘For the Children”
Feature Artist at the Bruce Macfie Gallery of fine Arts
Group show at Aquarelle Gallery Crows Nest

 
Publications    
1998
1999

2000
2003

2007
Featured in Australian Artist Water Colour Annual
Featured in International Artist Magazine as one of the Master Painters of Australia.
Featured in March issue, Australian Artist Magazine
Featured in January and February Australian Artist Magazines
Featured in March Australian Artist Magazine
 
If you require further information, or to place an order/commission, please email:

freda.surgenor@1066artgallery.co.uk
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