June 2015 Email from Ken Robertson whose father was a Founding Chairman of McClelland Gallery and Guild of Artists in Frankston.Vic asking about and attaching a copy of a painting passed on by his late father.Ken retains his late fathers interest in painting and,as my memory serves me,I would have been encouraged to continue and attain a further 40 years of fulltime work in art.
I am guessing but the painting would have been a demonstration in rapid on site acrylic sketching in the mid to late 1970s.30 to 45 minutes with chatter at the Gallery.My early paintings were in quality American acrylic paints and at this time I was moving out of an abstract style into more landscapes which was being recognised at art shows.However, on consultation with the late George Brooke,he informed me that acrylics dried too fast for my intended trip north in 1980 and suggested oils and watercolours.I was lucky to have a distributor/sponsor and from that time on it was oils,watercolour and conteau.
I will be forever greatful for the encouragement shown by people and artists such as your late father and I probably would have given him the sketch.There are a lot of demos out there,Rotary and Lions shows and functions,schools,art societies and groups as far away as the Pilbara,a chance to give back and help charities.Thanks Ken.