Tom Godfrey

Profile

City: Sydney
Country: Australia

Joined: Feb 2007

Overview: Tom Godfrey
My artwork ranges from the traditional, to the slightly offbeat. I have fun trying out new approaches and techniques using different media. With the wildlife, acrylic and pastel paintings, I have tried a more photo-realistic approach, with light, colour, emotion and a sense of space, being key components.
Cartooning allows me to give expression to a wacky sense of humour, with themes and styles varying according to client needs. I always have great fun conceptualizing and producing them.
Of all the artistic pursuits, though “Digital Paintings” really provide me with an opportunity to create worlds and characters that exist only in my imagination. I love the speed of working with this media – the undo is soooo much faster than with paint :) and layers allow the detail of different focus areas, to be kept separate.

History
I majored in art at The Teacher’s Training College in Bulawayo, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and once I started teaching, I was soon designing and drawing cartoon covers and posters for various school activities.
Once the opportunity arose, I took over and ran the Art department at Highbury School, KZN, South Africa, for 15 years. During this time I designed and produced, amongst other art, T shirts for FUN RUN events, full sized and miniature watercolours, and giant back-drop murals for annual school productions.
While at Highbury, I was commissioned by the, Natal Parks Board, in South Africa, to produce a set of images for the 100 years centenary of the Hluhluwe, St Lucia and Umfolozi Game Reserve Resorts.
Two of my oil paintings, currently hang in the school’s reception area and prints of them were reproduced in the Highbury School Centenary Book.
I briefly exhibited and sold work at the “Henry Taylor” Gallery in Johannesburg, South Africa just prior to emigrating to Australia
In 2004 I was commissioned by corporate, outcomes-based adult education training provider, Dionysus ( South Africa) to design and produce over 30 theme-related cartoons for their training material.
In addition to my traditional works, I have been creating and selling digital paintings and cartoons since 2004.
My digitally drawn, self-portrait was featured in the, Dec 2009 edition of the “Australian Artist” Magazine as part of a wider interview about the enormously successful Australian site, “RedBubble”
Big Brag :) I won the “Best on Show” for my pastel of a female gorilla, “Mouila” in the Oatley 101, 10th annual Members Exhibition in 2009

My Redbubble Gallery
My Zazzle Gallery