MY STORY

My name is Graeme Myrteza, proud family man, farmer and painter from the hills of Thorpdale, a small country town in Gippsland, Victoria.  I have lived and worked here nearly all of my life.

Growing up I guess you would say I was a typical country boy who I loved to fish, hunt and involve myself in all manner of childhood exploits and adventures and it was during these very early years that I began my lifelong artistic journey.  As a child I would draw and paint almost all the time, I loved it, but once I left school my creative adventures gave way to full time farm work and family, so in the years that followed I only occasionally found time for the odd doodle or sketch.

In 2005 my life and the lives of everyone in my family changed forever when we lost our son Brett after a long illness.  With the loss of Brett I started painting again, therapy I suppose and from then on I have had a brush in my hand pretty much every day. My painting skills are for the most part self taught, I’ve had no real academic training, although I have attended a few art classes at various points in time.  From frequent visits to Melbourne galleries I found my hero’s of Australian landscape painting to be Hans Heysen, Frederick McCubbin and Arthur Streeton.  I just love the way they captured the Aussie bush!  Brett never saw me paint, but I know he's with me when I am painting, he has a part in each work I do and that's why I put his initials in every painting.

I have found that over the years I have grown to love the smell of oil paint, turps and raw canvas almost as much as the constant challenge in trying to capture the majestic gums, creeks and brilliant landscapes of our beautiful country. I hope you enjoy my paintings; perhaps they will in some way re-kindle fond memories of your own past experiences in the Aussie bush.