Lost Bear Gallery director Geoff White adjusts the lighting on a Warwick Fuller artwork
By Ellen Hill for Lost Bear Gallery Photos: David Hill
Experience the recent Australian tour of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall through the eyes of official tour artist Warwick Fuller in Katoomba next month.
Plein air artist Warwick Fuller at work
A dozen works painted by the Blue Mountains artist during the November tour will be exhibited at Lost Bear Gallery from February 1 to 15. The non-commercial exhibition will be an opportunity for art lovers to view Fuller’s paintings before they leave Australia.
The works depict scenes captured by the respected plein air painter when the Royal couple visited Tanunda near Adelaide, the national War Memorial in Canberra for the Remembrance Day ceremony and Sydney, where Fuller painted the world-famous Sydney Harbour featuring the Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House as seen from Admiralty House.
An accomplished watercolourist himself, The Prince often chooses an artist to join him on tours as a way of supporting the arts and in appreciation of the unique perspective that an artist can provide.
The Prince’s 15th trip to Australia was Fuller’s second as the official tour artist for the Royal couple. His first invitation was in November 2012.
Fuller was not fazed by the unrelenting pace of the tour and, true to his usual practice, worked at a furious pace to complete each piece onsite.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re painting a cloud, a wave or the wind in the trees, there’s always something happening fast,’’ he said.But what pushes me to paint quickly is the changing light. More importantly, I’m trying to paint while I’m still in the zone of the initial inspiration.’’
However, Fuller was free to paint the subjects and in the style he wanted.
“That’s the beautiful part about it, there was no expectation. His Royal Highness asked me to go on tour with him because he liked my work and knew what I painted, and that’s the last thing he asked.’’
Respected Australian landscape painter Warwick Fuller
While he only had two opportunities to talk with the Prince, the second occasion at Admiralty House in Sydney was a lengthy 15 minutes, during which Prince Charles talked about artist Edward Seago, who he met as a child and who toured with his father the Duke of Edinburgh to Antarctica on the Britannia.
The pair were then joined by the Duchess and chatted for a further 10 minutes about Fuller’s artworks he had produced during the tour.
While the Prince will formally exercise his right to first option to the paintings, the Royal couple has already expressed interest in several.
“He was very enthusiastic about the work,’’ Fuller said.
Paintings acquired by the Prince will become part of the Royal Collection when he ascends the throne. Fuller will also gift Prince Charles a work.
Warwick Fuller and his dog Digger
Artworks produced during the Royal tour will form a special exhibition at Lost Bear Gallery, along with several larger works developed from smaller studies painted on tour.
A Fellow of the Royal Arts Society, Warwick Fuller has painted the majestic Australian landscape for more than 35 years, during which time he has built a solid reputation through more than 60 solo exhibitions and numerous awards and accolades.
His techniques are unmistakable in portraying the vibrancy and energy of nature, of tapping into his own subconsciousness and releasing his life experience onto canvass with the confidence of a mature artist who has earned his success.
Warwick Fuller’s Royal tour collection will be displayed at Lost Bear Gallery, 98 Lurline St, Katoomba, from 10am to 5pm daily from February 1 to 15. Fuller will talk about his tour experiences at 3pm on Saturday, February 6. Details: (02) 4782 1220 or lostbeargallery.com.au.
Lost Bear Gallery and Warwick Fuller are commercial clients of Deep Hill Media and Headline Publicity
One of the artworks painted during the Royal tour