DAVE Groom readily admits that his passion for art is all consuming.
Rarely a day goes past when he’s not either drawing, painting, or just taking inspiration for a new work by observing the landscape.
Dave says he is blessed to have the perfect environment to embrace his love of art living in Beechmont and working from a studio at the bottom of his yard that overlooks the rainforests.
His life hasn’t always been as a devoted artist and during his younger years he was always taking off on trips around the world.
In those days he worked for 25 years as a tour guide with his parents’ travel company, International ParkTours.
As a guide he walked amongst stunning landscapes from the volcanoes of Japan’s Hokkaido, through boutique villages across Spain and the tropical gardens of the Cook Islands.
His role was to lead small group walking holidays showcasing the areas and providing insights about the places they were experiencing.
Dave eventually put away his backpack to immerse himself in his passion for art and it is now reaping great rewards.
Just a few months ago he collected the prestigious Lethbridge Landscape Art Award for his oil painting, Central Flow.
Along with the honour of it being named the best from 800 entries came a $30,000 acquisition payment from the Lethbridge Gallery which is located in Paddington, Brisbane.
Dave said the inspiration for his winning painting came from the mountains and valleys that surround his Beechmont home.
He boasts long established roots with the local area dating back to when his grandfather, Arthur Groom, established Binna Burra Lodge on the edge of Lamington National Park.
The first Binna Burra camp was held over the Christmas holidays in 1933 when Arthur and 70 hardy adventurers set up a collection of tents.
There is no doubt this love of nature exemplified by his grandfather had a heavy influence on young Dave.
As for his passion for art, Dave said he always had an interest in drawing and studied art through school before completing a degree in graphic design.
“Unfortunately the degree was of little use as I soon realised I had no interest in pursuing that as a career, so after some time of soul searching and travelling through Europe I came home to discover a new awareness of our unique landscape,” he said.
“Its timeless beauty inspired me to start drawing again and in 1997 I began building my studio, which took three years to complete.”
Dave said he takes inspiration from Australian landscape artists including Fred Williams, Arthur Boyd and William Robinson.
“When I’m working towards an exhibition, I’ll often begin with a number of graphite or charcoal drawings that help me come up with a theme and style of work,” he said.
“Developing that theme is the best way to produce work that has strength and a timeless quality to it.
“I love the sense of discovery that you experience as an artist as you find new ways of creating, achieved through a daily ritual of immersing yourself in the natural environment.”
Dave has now staged more than 25 solo exhibitions throughout Australia.
While his work is sold in major commercial galleries he sells most of his art through his website and via his studio gallery.
He also does several landscape commissions each year, focussing on favourite viewpoints of clients, of the views around Lamington National Park and other vistas of the Scenic Rim.
He has work in private collections throughout Australia, Europe, Asia and North America and he also has work in several public and corporate collections including Beechmont State School, Griffith University Hospital, Mater Private Hospital, St Bernards Hotel, Jimboomba Public Library and the Gold Coast Art Gallery.
“I believe the best way to capture the essence of the landscape is to live in it as it enables me to observe the constantly changing forms, colours, textures and light at different times of day and to watch the processes of nature,” he said.
“My work is a personal journey of observing our natural landscape.”
