Greg Allen is an astonishing water colourist and has developed a considerable reputation as one of Australia’s finest artists, both through his consistent award-winning originality and the quality of his solo exhibitions. He has written several articles for International Artist and Australian Artist magazines, and is currently working on his first book. Greg studied Tertiary Graphic Design and Illustration at the C.I.T. Melbourne.
He began painting professionally in 1981, winning the prestigious Camberwell Rotary Travel Scholarship for the first time in 1982. This gave Greg the opportunity to study and travel in Europe for five months. Among his other numerous awards are the Alice Bale Watercolour Prize and in 2004 the Primelife Corporation Prize for best Watercolour Painting in the Camberwell Rotary Art Show, the most prestigious watercolour prize in Australia. He has now won this award four times. He is in keen demand to tutor watercolour classes both in Australia and Europe. Greg travels regularly overseas as a tutor for the Painting Workshops organised by the International Artist magazine.
Videos
APV Films, England
Brief Chronology
Born 1958 Melbourne, Australia
1978-80 Studied Tertiary Graphic Design and Illustration, C.I.T, Melbourne
1981 Commenced full time professional painting; First professional Solo Exhibition Commonwealth Bank, Dandenong.
1982 Awarded the prestigious Camberwell Rotary Travel Scholarship - Five months of study and travel in Europe.
1984 Foundation of The Gippsland Five with E. Trembath,L. Sullivan, B.Pelchen, J.Balmain
1985 First Group Exhibition; Awarded the prestigious Alice Bale Watercolour Prize.
1987 Awarded Artist of the Year, Victorian Artist’s Society, Melbourne
Painting Tour of Fiji
1990 Awarded the prestigious Camberwell Rotary Watercolour Prize USA Painting Tour
Studied pastel painting under Daniel Green, New York
1991 Awarded the prestigious Alice Bale Watercolour Prize
European painting tour with J. Zbukvic, J. White, H. Jackman, B.Nash, J.Seberry
1996 Established watercolour tuition classess in Camberwell, Melbourne
1998 Painting tour of Western Europe
Guest Lecturer, Melbourne University, Melbourne
1999 Committee Member, Watercolour Society of Victoria and elected member of the 20 Melbourne Painters Society
2000 Awarded the prestigious Camberwell Rotary Watercolour Prize
Painting Tour, America and Europe
Committee Member, Watercolour Society of Victoria
2004 Awarded the prestigious Camberwell Rotary Watercolour Prize (first prize)
2006 Video release A World of Watercolour by Greg Allen
2008 Awarded the prestigious Camberwell Rotary bronze medal
Solo Exhibitions
2010 ‘Greg Allen 2010' Jenny Pihan Fine Art
2008 ‘Greg Allen 08’ Jenny Pihan Fine Art
2006 Jenny Pihan Fine Art
2003 ‘Melbourne Revisited’, Kew Gallery Melbourne
1999 ‘Peopled Places’ Kew Gallery, Melbourne.
‘Brisbane and the River’ Red Hill Gallery, Brisbane.
1998 ‘Five Cities of Europe’ Kew Gallery, Melbourne.
‘The Nude in Watercolour’ Delshan Gallery, Melbourne.
1996 ‘Marvelous Melbourne’ Kew Gallery, Melbourne.
1994 Kew Gallery, Melbourne.
1992 Melbourne Fine Art, Melbourne.
1990 Melbourne Art Exchange, Melbourne.
1989 Melbourne Art Exchange, Melbourne.
1988 Melbourne Art Exchange, Melbourne.
1987 Victorian Artist’s Society, Melbourne.
1985 Melbourne Art Exchange, Melbourne.
Gallery 21, Melbourne.
1984 Gallery 21, Melbourne.
1981 Commonwealth Bank, Dandenong, Melbourne.
Group Exhibitions
2010 Hans Heysen Retrospective, Adelaide, South Australia
1999 – 2010 20 Melbourne Painters Society Annual Exhibition
1991 European Tour Exhibition with J. Zbukvic, J.White, B. Nash, H Jackman.
Guest Artist, Camberwell Rotary Art Show.
1991 European Tour Exhibition with J. Zbukvic, J.White, B. Nash, H Jackman.
Guest Artist, Camberwell Rotary Art Show.
1989 Important 19thC & 20th C Watercolourists, Melbourne Art Exchange.
1987 First Settlement Gallery, Sorrento.
1986 First Settlement Gallery, Sorrento.
Gallery 21, Melbourne, with R. Wade and J. Zbukvic,
1985 Ten Watercolourists Salute Victoria. State Bank Galleria, Melbourne and Freeland Gallery, London.
Awards
2008 Awarded the prestigious Camberwell Rotary Bronze Medal
2004 Camberwell Rotary Art Show. 1 st Prize Watercolour
2001 Dandenong Rotary Art Show. Best in Show all Mediums, Oil.
2000 Camberwell Rotary Art Show, 1st Prize Watercolour.
Mt. Waverley Art Show, 1st Prize Watercolour.
Bayswater Rotary Art Show, 1st Prize Watercolour.
1999 Mt. Waverley Art Show, 1st Prize Watercolour.
1998 Camberwell Rotary (Club Award). Best Painting All Mediums.
Toorak College Art Show, 1st Prize Watercolour.
1997 St. Kevin’s College Art Show. Best Watercolour.
1995 Bayswater Rotary Art Show. Best Painting All Mediums.
1994 Mornington Rotary Art Show, 1st Prize Watercolour.
1993 Camberwell Rotary Norwich Award.
1992 Alice Bale Art Awards, 1st Prize Watercolour.
1991 Mt. Waverley Art Show, 1st Prize Watercolour.
Alice Bale Art Awards, 1st Prize Watercolour.
1990 Camberwell Rotary Art Show, 1st Prize Watercolour.
Mt. Waverley Art Show,1st Prizes Watercolour.
St. Kevin’s College Art Show, 1st Prizes Watercolour.
Camberwell Rotary Art Show, Norwich Award.
1989 Camberwell Rotary Art Show, Norwich Award.
Mordialloc Rotary Art Show, 1st Prize Watercolour.
1987 Lord Mayor’s Award and Artist of the Year, Victorian Artist’s Society.
1986 Mt. Waverley Art Show, 1st Prize Watercolour.
1985 Mt. Waverley Art Show, 1st Prize Watercolour.
Alice Bale Art Awards Watercolour Prize.
1984 Camberwell Rotary Art Show - Special Prize.
Mt. Waverley Art Show, 1st Prize Watercolour.
1983 Mt. Waverley Art Show equal 1st Prize Watercolour.
1982 Camberwell Rotary Art Show - Travel Grant to Europe and Special Prize.
Publications
20 Melbourne Painters Society (2008)
90 years of the 20 Melbourne Painters Society
International Artist Publishing (2005)
Watercolour Landscape Techniques of 23 International artists
Theodora Philcox (2002)
Landscapes in Watercolour
Ava Publishing, Switzerland
International Artist Magazine ( March 2001)
Wake up Call
Humble Beginnings
Paint a Happy Picture (9/02/2000)
Sara Hudson
Australian Artist Magazine ( August 2000)
Painting for the Prize
Australian Artist Magazine ( June 2000)
Victorian Golf Association Magazine
( July 1999) Time shall not weary them
Mazda Life Magazine ( Summer 1993)
Mazda Australia Ltd
Tom Roberts and Geoff Gaylard (1990)
Australian Impressionist and Realist Artists
Graphic Management Services
Australian Artist Magazine ( August 1987)
The Melbourne Art Exchange (1987)
Artists
Touchstone Publishing
Collections
City of Melbourne.
City of Camberwell.
Westpac Banking Corporation.
Edward Gwee & Co.
City of Knox.
City of Dandenong.
J.B. Were & Son, London.
J.B. Were & Son, Melbourne.
B P DAL Melbourne.
CAMS Ltd, Melbourne
Spotless Services Australia.
Kaasen Corporation, Melbourne.
Numerous private collections throughout Australia and overseas.
Memberships
Watercolour Society of Victoria .
Victorian Artist’s Society.
Teaching
Australian and International Artist Magazines teaching tours – Italy (2001), Italy (2003), Belgium (2004), England (2005)), Sicily and Malta (2007), South Africa and Belgium (2008), Italy Cinque Terre (2009),France (2010), New Zealand (2011)
We are delighted to welcome Greg Allen back to the Corn Loft following the huge success of his workshops here last year. He has developed a considerable reputation as one of the world's finest watercolour painters. He is an outstanding teacher who aims to teach a "way of seeing the paintable world through the eyes of a watercolour impressionist." The daily format of his workshops will be a morning lecture and demonstration (often done in stages) followed by an opportunity for the students to do their versions. Another demo will follow in the afternoon with the students painting along.
Frank Francese: NWS, TWSA Master, WHS, WW, SDWS, WFWS, TWS, CWS
