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About the Artist ...
About the Artist ...

             Pamela Gough is a Brisbane 's contemporary Australian narrative Artist whose paintings are narratives embedded with maps and celtic symbolism, colour and texture, inspired by the patterns in the landscape,  and character  houses,  especially the Queenslander, from her home town of Brisbane.  
       Historical maps are used to make connections to the past, as Pamela's 
paintings search for authenticity and scratch at the surface to reveal the stories beneath the image, and the spirit of a place.

And My Story ...

                   Born in Brisbane, Pamela has a Diploma in Visual Arts and studied a range of art forms in the 1980's including partial Associate Diploma in Creative Arts at NBCAE with Art Teacher and Artist William Robinson.  In the 1990's Pam built a successful art business "Final Touch - decorative art", painting commissions, "house portraits" and teaching art.  She returned to study Visual Arts and Computer Graphics in 2005 and in the process renewed her love of painting on canvas.

                Pamela wrote and illustrated her book "My Brisbane" in 2006, a project whilst studying for her Diploma.   When  researching and illustrating the book she discovered the joys of "being a tourist in her own town" triggering a desire to understand more.  From that turning point, her art blossomed with a series "My Brisbane" a Community project and series "Mitchie Turns 150" in 2007. That energy and creativity, combining history and landscape expanded through her "Qld 150" series in 2009  with Impact on Moreton Bay" unveiling Pam's work as a Tatteresalls Art Prize Finalist.  Pam continued to explore, the spirit of the places she visited.  The "My Town" 2011 series in the aftermath of the Brisbane Floods  celebrated community  and "Coast to Home" 2012 explored Queenslanders' love affair with the Beach.   Being a tourist in her own country was inspiring and endlessly rewarding and "Take me There" Solo Exhibition in 2013 was a result.  
                2014's "In my Backyard" explored the local terrain in light on the demolition of many beautiful character houses in her neighbourhood and she launched the reprint of her sold out "My Brisbane" Book.  She then visited Ireland and Europe exploring her family history and the celtic and medieval influences that were strongly connected and interwoven into her work.  "The Way Back Home" 2015 solo exhibition, found connections to her celtic ancestry in a year contrasted by many trying to the immigrate, by boat, to these Australian shores.   "Around the Place in 2018" gathered together artwork focused on places that were dear to her.  

                 During 2019-2020 Pamela concentrated on Commission Works, of which there were a few, and of course during the pandemic her 2020 Solo Exhibition "Road Trip" was cancelled and then Graydon Gallery closed.   

               2022 sees a new Gallery space and the Road Trips coming together in new works for  "Grounded" an exhibition about where we find our place and our heart no matter where we are.

                Pamela grew up in a creative family.  She found strong connections with  Australian colonial artists McCubbin, Roberts as well as the stylised and highly decorative illustrated work of  illuminated manuscripts,  architectural drawings and maps.  Such a broad spectrum on which to draw her passion for preserving character houses and being respectful of the history of a building and people of an area, this is important to her and is reflected in her paintings.  Pam feels that with the energy and dynamics of a relatively young city comes the risk of the loss of its humble heritage architecture and unwritten Aboriginal history.   Pam feels she is called to paint the stories about homes and places, which gently reveal their history and sense of place to her. Her love for maps comes from her orienteering and scouting background- always needing to know where you are and the Landmarks around you.

          Pamela also paints commissions which provides an opportunity to travel others' journeys and experience shared stories about their loved homes. Some of these can be experience in "Commission works".  
                                                           All images and text copyright (c)  Pamela Gough

Education and Experience

  • 2006 DIPLOMA - VISUAL ARTS & New Media / digital Illustration, Southbank Institute BRISBANE
  • 1990-2001 "Final Touch Studio" Decorative Art Business
  • Various short courses; historical traditional painting with visiting overseas Artists
  • 1984  Studies in Fashion Design, NBCAE
  • 1982  3 yrs Associate Diploma  Creative Arts Studies , NBCAE, Brisbane  (taught by Artist William Robinson)

Awards, Achievements, Highlights

  • 2016 FINALIST - STANTHORPE NATIONAL ART PRIZE  

  • TATTERSALLS LANDSCAPE ART EXHIBITION annual invitation
  • FINALIST   TATTERSALLS LANDSCAPE ART PRIZE 2009

  • FINALIST MORETON BAY REGIONAL ART PRIZE  2014, 2015, 2013, 2012, 2010 , 2008

  • 2012 & 2013 SPECIAL MENTION - AUSTRALIAN ARTIST MAGAZINE - ROTARY ARTS SPECTACULAR 

  • 2011   2ND PRIZE CONTEMPORARY PAINTING                        ...  Nundah Village Festival Art Competition

  • 2011   FEATURE ARTIST           "Love Ya Brisbane"               ...  HILLSDON Kindergarten Exhibition, Taringa Brisbane.

  • Invitation to exhibit in the TATTERSALL'S "COUNTRY TO COAST" Exhibition

  • 2010   EMERGING ARTIST AWARD                                         ...  Nundah Village Art Festival

  • 2010   FIRST SOLO EXHIBITION ...  "Along those Lines"  .....

  • 2010   PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD                                           ...  Sandgate Bluewater Festival,

  • 2009  Finalist - Royal Qld Art Society ART STATE AWARDS  

  • 2008  Finalist  BARI Festival selected Exhibiting Artist-         KILN Gallery, Paddington

  • 2007   "PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD"   ...                                    "Artscape" Exhibition Padua College, Kedron, Brisbane.

  • 2007   "MITCHIE TURNS 150",  Series   ...                                 Community Project with BCC

  • 2006   "My Brisbane"   Self-published  & Illustrated Book 

  • Highly Commended  ... GREEN DRAGON Art AWARD (St. George Bank) 2006

  • Character Design & Illustration   for    Puppet Production  "Up the Creek" 2006

Works held in the collections of :

  • St. George's Bank , Brisbane
  • Mater Hospital - Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane
  • St Thomas' Primary School, Camp Hill, Brisbane
  • Padua College, Kedron & Stuart Home College,
  •                                  Private Collectors throughout Australia, New Zealand, USA  and  the UK
  •                     The Moreton Bay Foundation adopted the image "Redlands on the Bay" as their Foundation image.