INSIGHT INSIGHT Lance Ross Pure Talent A self-described “all-rounder”, this artist has forged a successful career having dabbled in many creative avenues

ance Ross is an established artist with over 50 years of experience, Lspecialising in fine art, marine art and illustration. Having always dabbled in the creative arts, the bulk of Lance’s working life was spent as a freelance commercial artist, writer and one-man advertising agency, working largely within other agencies giving him Lance to solely organise ’s a continuous supply of work. Lance’s largest ever art show in ’s break into the advertising industry Royal Exhibition Buildings with over started at 17 years of age when he was a 1500 paintings on show and scores of messenger boy in an advertising agency. art and craft demonstrations underway. Without having been to art school, Lance To ensure high quality, all artists were was moved into the art department two personally invited. weeks later when his boss liked the Throughout his career, Lance was doodles he created between deliveries. commissioned to provide thousands This opportunity kick-started what would of illustrations. The gaps allowed him be a stellar career for Lance. “Luckily, I to create scores of sidelines, including was placed at a drawing board between designing artists’ materials, publishing two ex-students of Sir William Dargie top selling magazines, best-selling books who won the Archibald Portrait Prize and contributing illustrations and stories eight times. In a telephone interview he to other magazines. In recent times, told me, “Back in my time, paintings Lance’s ‘sideline time’ has been spent were judged by how natural they creating products to sell, which can be looked.” Both my workmates were keen viewed on his website. He encourages landscape artists on weekends, so I took any artists who have illustration and to fine art and sold my first watercolour writing experience to use those skills Echo Gum at the Herald Outdoor Art to earn an income, whilst improving Show for three guineas.” their fine art ability until it can support In the 60s, 70s and 80s, Lance sold them. “The saleability of fine art is very hundreds of paintings through the large different these days, due to computers, number of suburban Rotary Clubs that ran successful art shows. “Back then, traditional works were keenly sought Above: The Rip in The Rip after by buyers, the most popular Right: Serendipity Ahead being Australian landscapes in the Heidelberg School style.” This inspired Opposite: Greek Fisherman

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and very cheap splodges and smudges/ portraits, figures, buildings, boats or a gentleman said to him, “But you did waves and rocks. I saw many photos so-called art coming in from Indonesia whatever, with traditional techniques. it from a photograph?” Lance said, of longboats, AKA whaleboats, and and China, being rented out and hung Last week I painted a ballet dancer, “Yes,” neglecting to point out that worked from a photograph of a model in houses put up for sale and appearing the week before a horse and girl in almost every piece by the other artists boat. So I had to draw and paint the in the advertisements for the houses, landscape, and before that an Ormiston had also been done from photographs. crew entirely out of my head. Having a thus resulting in un-art-educated Gorge landscape.” This year, being “I can only guess that mine looked lifetime of boating experience and life people assuming that style must be the anniversary of renowned sculptor more realistic than theirs. I refrained drawing helped with that exercise.” trendy and the in-thing. Bother.” Auguste Rodin, he painted a scene of from saying, “I was unable to have All his life, Lance has taken part in Most of Lance’s work has been sold Auguste working in his studio, with them pose for me.” The main sponsor many forms of boating and specialises through art shows, commissions and maquettes of some of his sculptures bought it for $2000.” in marine art. “Many commissions a few online. He states he has never such as The Thinker. “He is chipping His recent paintings titled Bombora have been completed for yacht had a solo exhibition. “I’ve worked away at The Kiss (being only part way came about because he was determined owners, people who just love boats, as an all-rounder, painting landscapes, through the sculpting, I entitled it The to paint something this year that could and girlfriends of men who own Kis…) and working from a pair of live definitely not have been painting yachts, given as birthday presents.” nude models kissing. I still practice “from a photograph”. In order to Lance was accepted by the Royal Top left: Royal Botanic Gardens life drawing regularly.” complete a realistic painting, Lance Society of Marine Artists in London Top right: Kathleen Gillett sails the At a previous marine art show, says that one can rarely work entirely and was a Foundation Member of the Whitsundays Lance’s entered painting subject was from memory or imagination. “Most Australian Society of Marine Artists Middle left: Ormiston Gorge a large sailing yacht spearing through artists openly state that they refer to based in Sydney. His work hangs in Bottom left: The Kis... rough water. During the opening night photographs. I used many shots of an Admiral’s office in , the

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interesting exercise was teaching watercolours to Aborigines in the outback near Alice Springs. Writing and illustrating monthly how-to-draw articles for a children’s magazine, illustrating cookbooks and many children’s books have added to Lance’s colourful resume. Lance finishes on an interesting note. He refers to a quote by Matthew Collings, “It has become fashionable for people not to understand art.” Lance explains that Collings is referring to the public, but it applies to artists too. “I use as an example Mark Rothco’s work. His roughly brushed rectangular panels of colours have soared into the stratosphere of high prices. At a 2012 Australian Gallery of Sport and the charcoal, crayon, coloured inks, multiple awards for swimming pool auction of his White Centre (Yellow, Olympic Museum. He also publishes paper sculpture, clay sculpture, design and town planning. “My Pink and Lavender on Rose), the selling yachting greeting cards, limited edition model-making and scraperboard are illustrations, writing and photography price including buyers’ premium was prints, and markets a range of nautical all used from time to time.” have been published in all manner US$89.5 million!” “The National graphic products. As for design, Lance has designed of media including commercial Gallery of has a similar Rothko Although Lance’s niche is marine logos for scores of large and small advertising publications, children’s entitled Untitled (Red). I stood and art, he is equally at home working companies and won awards for some. books and various types of magazines looked at it for a while, a couple of on figure and fashion illustration, His design experience extends to in Australia, New Zealand, America, weeks ago. No one else even slowed up mechanical and architectural many forms and materials including Great Britain, Asia and South Africa.” as they walked past it. Then I noticed it illustration, cartoon and caricature; television storyboards, funny cards, Lance studied life drawing at was hung upside down! Up in the top all in many techniques and in any calligraphy, exhibition design, labels, the National Gallery of Victoria right hand corner, there are dribbles medium. “Pencil, pen and ink, clothing design, industrial design. Art School and won prizes for running upwards. Oh, maybe ‘they’ pastel, watercolour, oils, acrylics, Interestingly, Lance has also won life drawing. He says that one may say, “The artist said to hang it that way,” but I wonder how he came to work that out after he had finished painting it?” There is no doubt that Lance’s successful career comes down to raw talent. This is true, however Lance states that he “cannot change myself from wanting to paint realistically and cannot understand much of the art world.”

Contact Details Lance Ross Ph: 03 9822 4933 Email: [email protected] Web: www.lanceross.com.au ■

Top Right: Lorne Surf Right: Up Rode the Squatter

Opposite: Top left: Drover Top right: Exhilaration Bottom: Home Soon

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