ernest JOHN CANNING-Born Melbourne ,Victoria,Australia- 1936.Self employed professional ARTIST since 1976

elizabeth BETH CANNING-Born Melbourne,Victoria,Australia-1937.Self employed PICTURE FRAMER and PORCELAIN PAINTER-1977-2001About Us

1953-1976 First paintings were exhibited as a teenager with his amateur artist father,while attending Geelong High School.Home,Portarlington,then a small fishing village,providing John With fishing fleet subjects along with Bellarine Peninsula landscapes.

John joined the banking industry from school but undertook night classes in  portrature and life drawing at R.M.I.T. Melbourne.Rapid promotion and family commitments took over,for his 20 years banking involved lending analysis and management of two branches before resigning at 35 to take up his natural ability career as an artist .Beth Eastman was as a student  at MacRobertsons Girls High School Melbourne and her first employment was in banking then stockbrocking.Her family were business people from South Caulfield.

Beth and John met as bankers as 16/17 yo teenagers were married in 1958 and three artistic and clever and much loved siblings ensured.They are independant,creative and fun to be with as are the grandchildren.

1976-1984 Early successes and awards in rated Melbourne art shows and requests for exhibitions resulted in John turning professional at his Dingley.Melb studio in 1976.He was also accepted into Vic.Artiists Society and AGRA.Beth was conducting her own art and framing shop by this time.Teaching by noted watercolourist Lance Sullivan and the observations of Loxton's and Buckmaster's work helped to develope John's rapid outdoor style in oils,acrylics and watercolour/pen and wash.My brother Rodney and Sister in Law Joan arranged a small Yea,Vic, exhibition which helped us on our way.

For 12 months in 1980 we traversed the south and west coast of Australia completing 144 paintings culminating in a Perth.W.A.exhibition.Later the east coast was also travelled and then again with south to north Stuart Highway trip taking in Uluroo,Darwin and Kakadou.Rotary and art show demonstrations along with numerous commissions for private galleries ensued keepin both artist and framer very busy.

Brighton Galleries and Tudor Inn Gallery,Phillip Island kept us very busy innitialy and then a major exhibition at Myers Southland,Melb,of 70 paintings in 1982 sold out.Masters Gallery,Bourke St,Melb,Coolstores Gallery,MtEliza,Potaroo Gallery Southbank and Southland Canberra fostered our work.With to many demands on us,it was time to pack up and move to the country with the family now living their own lives.

Tocumwal on the Murray River in NSW was our first settling spot.Immediately teaching requests came,so much for escaping!Tocumwal Art Group and wonderful friiendships were foundered to last 20/30 years.This was 1984 and we found a 27acre property,12 Klms away back on the Victorian side of the river with large Murray River Gums and 3 paddocks.Cobram was 5 minutes away.

1986-2001.In 1987 John and Beth had another sellout exhibition of John's paintings at the State Bank,Cnr of Bourke and Elizabeth Sts,Melbourne.The exhibition entitled Öut of a Tin Shed' was just that.more commissions and gallery requests ensued.

During the 80's and 90's, Beth took up porcelain painting under Joy Edgar and exacting work and company complimented her style.Lady golfers were also benefiting from from her President and committee roles and close friendships still last today.

.Beth was in her element in building a workshop/studio.Power,water and accommodation followed.Beth framed and dispatched large commission works for corporate foyers,boardrooms including mining and insurance companies covering a variety of subjects.TV, articles in Aust.Post Magazine,Sands Calendar and cards followed association with Echuca Gallery and Hallworth Gallery in Yarrawonga.Echuca Paddlesteamers,Murray River and Lake Mulwala paintings were popular.Our Son Tony and daughter in law,Rhonda purchased Hallworth Gallery and created amazing tourist attraction,Canning Arts.Market Square Geelong and Arborgreen Gallery,Marysville also carried John and Beth's work.

We draughted,arranged power and drilled for water,dug foundations and built our own dwelling at Koonoomoo by ourselves,thus fulfilling another of our dreams.Time to slow down,play some golf and take short painting trips around.We were now semi-retired.Paintings were spread throughout Australia.We know of paintings in U.K.,U.S.A.,Canada,Indonesia,Japan,China,Phillipines and Germany however many others went OS from the galleries.One of our last works was a 9'x 21'mural in a private home for 3 months of 1996.

2001-      .We are now retired and live across the river in Barooga N.S.W. with occassional trips within Australia.Paintings can be viewed At Tony & Rhonda's,Canning Arts,Yarrawonga.The only formal group John belongs to is now Cobram Artists Society which he paints with each week at Barooga.Beth keeps fit at water aerobics and helps with the Canning Arts.Our special thanks goes to our great friend Joan Ball of Tocumwal who passed away in 2012 and to Margo & Carol exChelsea artists and Jack and Thelma Sutcliffe,ex Gallery proprietors.

 Families were of U.K. origin -----Cannings via Earl of Durham under sail in 1842------Eastman 

 Immediate family tree

 Bertram Canning b.1886                            Albert Lloyd Eastman b.1904

 m.Alice May Heywood b.1906                      m.Winifred Ora Holdaway b.1908

                  ///////                                                                       ///////

  Ernest John Canning b.1936  < m.1958>  m.Elizabeth Merle Eastman b1937

                                                       //////                          

Anthony John b1960           Joanne Louise b1962         Christopher Rodney b1965

m.Rhonda Murphy                m.Adam Griggs                    m.Patricia Fauvrelle    

     ///////                                      ///////                                  ///////

Tiffany Louise b1989            Mia Elizabeth b 2004           Georgia Lise b1993

Samantha Lee b1992          Ruben Lawrence b2004        Maisey Leah b1996

HISTORY OF PROJECT.

Project was mainly created for people who contact us either personally or through CANNING A.R.T.S.,Yarrawonga,Vic,Australia usually as collectors of our work or as  past friends and acquaintances.

FURTHER REFERENCES

A FAMILY WHO'S WHO VOLUME 3.MORE AUST.PIONEERS. BURCHETTS,CANNINGS AND OTHERS BY SIR RONALD EAST 1976.

AUSTRALIAN ARTISTS TODAY .THIRD EDITION 1984.

Familly historical and exploration in Australia will be touched on in due course.