David Cross is an award-winning Visual Artist with a Master’s Degree in Art from the USA. He retired as a visual art educator and Head of Department, Visual Art after 40 yrs. David focuses on his passions of drawing and/or oil painting and has had success winning numerous art awards and awarded entries into juried exhibitions in the Brisbane area art scene over the past few years. David’s inspiration is the environment, using light as a catalyst and how it imparts on the subject matter. “When light hits an object, whether it be glass, metal, water, the human form or the everyday environment, it reflects, refracts, casts shadows and is even absorbed in the object. What I focus on is how I interpret this light as it reveals colour and form.” David’s work is in private collections in Australia, Europe and USA.
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Educational Qualifications
Master of Arts in Painting, Fort Hays Kansas University, USA,1974
Bachelor of Art, Major in painting; Minor in Drawing; Fort Hays Kansas State University, USA,1972
Achievements:
2021 First Place, Painting, Expressions Art Show, Shorncliffe, Dianne Hodge, Judge
2021 Best of Show, First Prize, Matthew Flinders Art Awards, Bribie Island
2021 Finalist Lethbridge Landscape Art Prize, Lethbridge Gallery, Paddington QLD, Rick Everingham, Marian Drew & Paula Quintela, Judges
2021 Best of Show, Easter Art Show, SASart, Wyn Vogel & Michael Cawdry, Judges
2019 Finalist, Milburn Art Prize, BIA Windsor QLD, Daniel Templeman, Judge
2018 Grand Prize Winner, NOW Nundah Village Art Awards, Margaret Campbell-Ryder, Red Hill Gallery, Judge
2017 Clayton Utz Art Awards Finalist, Allison Kubler, Judge
2017 Third Place, Matthew Flinders Art Awards, Bribie Island
2017 Nundah Village Art Awards, Highly Commended
2013 Highly Commended, Landscape 15th Annual Matthew Flinders Art Exhibition, Bribie Island, Guest Judge, John A Robinson
2012 1st Place 2D, Bluewater Art Exhibition, Guest Judge; Peter Martin
2012 1st Place- Land/Sea/City Scapes, Matthew Flinders Art Competition, Bribie Island, Guest Judge, Karen Tyler, Moreton Bay Regional Galleries Curator
2011 Highly Commended-Oil/Acrylic, Arts Alliance of Pine Rivers, Guest Judges, Eric Whisson, Sue Ford & Yutaka Tadakoro
Exhibitions:
2021 Finalist Lethbridge Landscape Art Prize, Lethbridge Gallery, Paddington QLD, Rick Everingham, Marian Drew & Paula Quintela, Judges
2021 Best of Show, Easter Art Show, SASart, Wyn Vogel & Michael Cawdry, Judges
2019 Finalist, Milburn Art Prize, BIA Windsor QLD, Daniel Templeman, Judge
2018 Grand Prize Winner, NOW Nundah Village Art Awards, Margaret Campbell-Ryder, Red Hill Gallery, Judge
2018 ‘Quilt Challenge’, Hervey Regional Gallery, invited exhibition, curator S Lewis
2017 Clayton Utz Art Awards Finalist, , Allison Kubler, Judge
2017 Third Place, Matthew Flinders Art Awards, Bribie Island
2017 Nundah Village Art Awards, Highly Commended
2016 “Journeys”, Toogoolawah Regional Gallery, The Condensery
2016 “Perception”, Hervey Bay Regional Gallery
2016 Moreton Regional Art Awards, finalist 2D, Pine Rivers Regional Gallery Juried Exhibition
2015 “Let There Be Light”, Cathedral of St Stephen Art Group Winter Art Exhibition
2014 “PIER” Naracoopa B&B Art Gallery
2014 16th Annual Matthew Flinders Art Exhibition, Bribie Island
2013 “Scapes & Scopes”, 6 artists 6 directions, Graydon Gallery, New Farm
2013 15th Annual Matthew Flinders Art Exhibition, Bribie Island, Highly Commended, Landscape
2013 Rotary Art Spectacular, Riverside Centre Brisbane, Juried Exhibition
2012 14th Annual Matthew Flinders Art Exhibition, Bribie Island,1st place 2D
Professional Teaching Appointments:
1982 to 2008 Grace Lutheran College, Rothwell, QLD. Head of Department, Visual Art.
1987 Lecturer: Pratt Community College, Kansas USA.
1978 to 1981 Wavell State High School. Brisbane QLD. Teacher of Art.
1975 to 1978 Nambour State High School, Nambour. Teacher of Art
Selected Press
Sandgate Guide, 2020, Art and Soul
Artist’s Palette, 2016, Issue 149, pg 52-59, An Artist’s Journey and My Biggest Fan Revisited
The Artist Palette Yearbook Magazine, 2015, pg 4
Judges Comments
EXPRESSIONS SHORNCLIFFE Art Exhibition 22.10.21
Judge: Dianne Hodge (Dip Teach Vis Arts, B. Ed. Assoc. Dip Visual Arts)
Artist: David Cross
Title: Nundle Terrain
Media: Oil on Canvas
This is a powerfully appealing artwork which makes the most of the canvas surface. The asymmetric, cropped subject selection is very skilfully executed and makes for a very strong and dynamic composition. I like the use of repetition throughout the reflective panels, which dissect the almost organic elements of reflected landscape and hints of the viewer.
The inclusion of the human element leaves enough ambiguity that anyone viewing the artwork may identify with being reflected in the chrome work grill panels – they become a part of the image, inviting them in. The limited colour palette works very well, and the colour choices harmoniously blend together to create a wonderful replication of the colours of the Australian landscape – of clear bright blue skies and sunburnt earth.
The inclusion of so many elements can often be dangerous and overwhelm the viewer, however the artist has exhibited a high level of skill in choosing what to include to tell the story – all parts go together well, complementing each other and filling the surface to almost bursting point. The angle of the vehicle makes one feel it is about to drive right out of the painting, hinting at the engine power behind those grills. One can appreciate the beauty of this classic model whilst being invited to immerse oneself in the layers of the subject. Overall this is a very compelling, creative and skilfully executed artwork. Congratulations!
