John Rigby - bush paintings commissioned Artwork canvas prints bush scape kombi scape nostalgic john rigby limited

1997 International Art Gallery - Perth WA (Images & Icons)

1998 The Coolroom Gallery Bunbury

2000 Mangoplah Gallery Wagga

2002 Veronicas Holbrook - "On The Farai"

2003-2004 "Billy Cans" National Touring Exhibition
(an exhibition of leading bush artists)

Born in London, England 1955, he migrated to Australia aged 16 and graduated high school in 1972. A qualified signcraftsman, John's skills don't stop at putting watercolour to paper or oil to canvas, but on call he will render artworks in all mediums "mural size" to wall or building, with a personal best of 14 stories high. John has worked professionally as an artist/illustrator, is fluent with graphics, corporate sign design and all facets of sign manufacture. John has held positions in the advertising and illustration fields, owned and operated sign and screen-printing business in Townsville, Sydney, Gosford, Canberra and the South Coast of NSW. John now resides, painting full time at Mangoplah, 30km from Wagga Wagga, NSW in the heart of Australia' Riverina District. John now operates a small studio and Gallery.

Now with over 20 years experience as a working artist, John is painting in both oils and watercolours, preferring to render elements and artefacts of the Australian landscapes that are fast disappearing. Farm machinery, old sheds; outbuilding and particularly the old cars found in various states of abandonment on farms provide John with his inspiration. John calls these beloved treasures "tired tin".

More often than not John couples such rusty relics with Australian birds, the great Australian Gum tree or with Australian advertising icons and images. John holds dear his hard won traditional skills of guilding and gold leaf works, glue chip glass technique, signwriting, woodcarving and arts of faux finish. John takes particular delight in the reproduction of old Australian advertisements including the Aussie " Pub Pictorial". John'" artistic skills not only render him a competent "Brushman", but also allow him to achieve fine results as a sculptor in wood, fibreglass and soft substrate mediums.

Gold - Best Mural
Silver - Vehicle Graphics
Silver - Illuminated signage

John paints in a realistic style but is keen to draw out the essence of what makes a particular subject unique. You can take a photo if you want an exact image. In my renderings of a subject I like to use rationally more vibrant larger than life colours combined with selected detail. You don't achieve these elements in taking a photograph. I like to make a subject real and above all accurate but don't strive for photo-realism, if I did that I would lose the essence of my painting and what makes my painting art.

With a successful first exhibition of works at a combined showing in Sydney's Commonwealth Bank Building in 1981, John has continued to paint and exhibit through galleries of the South Coast of NSW. John has sold to private collectors and art lovers in both the U.S.A. and Britain and throughout most states of Australia.

John compliments his artwork with a love of music. He recalls, I suppose, I hit things skinned and unskinned since age 5. John's strengths are as a lyricist, having been a finalist at the 2003 Tamworth Country Music Festival, in the song lyrics section. John recently released his debut album "Bull Rush'. John wrote 11 of the 12 tracks on the album. As a vocalist on the album John has strived to achieve his best and is looking forward to producing stronger results in the future. Musically the songs on the album have been co-written and produced by Mr Rob Parkes of Spurred On Audio, Wollongong. Rob translated John's Ideas and concepts and added his own stamp to the tracks with his understanding and abilities in country music. John confesses that his own musical ability is confined to writing lyrics and drumming, with just enough guitar skills to enable him to string songs together, he is very thankful for the contributions of all the fine musicians whose work appears on the CD.

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