Biography

Graeme Stevenson began painting and studying animals at five years old, and even at that young age had a tremendous fascination with the world around him. He received a painting set and book on faces at figures when he was 9 years old which further cemented his plan to become a full time artist. Graeme's first painting sold for $20 and felt he was well on his way! Graeme's first art lesson was when he was 11 years old with well known Australian artist, Nancy Rogers. At the tender age of 13, Graeme started martial arts and went on to achieve a 3rd degree black belt.

He began breeding Australian Parrots, and in when Graeme turned 15 he would ride 20 miles on weekends to learn the ancient sport of falconry from a renowned German taxidermist. As his interest in art began to grow, he used the birds that surrounded him-his pets- as subjects for his paintings.

After leaving school, he did carpentry, and then joined the ambulance service. Art began calling him back and elected to attend the Sydney Art College, but found he was teaching the teachers!

After obtaining his pilots license, he began to explore the vast areas of Australia, photographing, sketching, and eventually painting the exotic animals of this land. Graeme also tracked down well known artists who he thought could best teach him more about art. He visited many of the worlds' great art museums and took every chance he could to study with master artists. His reputation as an artist quickly began to grow and his one-man and two-man exhibitions were greatly successful.

Graeme then began traveling to other parts of the world to study his subjects and to display his work. Africa, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Europe, U.K., U.S.A., Mexico, Canada, Alaska and the Middle East were some of the places to which he ventured, receiving offers from publishers who produced his works in limited edition.

In 1988 he was commissioned to produce all of the paintings for the book The Atlas of Parrots, one of the largest editions of its size in the world. Graeme eventually decided to turn his imagination and his art ability in a new direction.

Now dividing his time between the United States and Australia, he is able to explore different ideas and to present work that also has the ability to tell a story of the subjects that he paints. He also paints fantasy and romantic scenes of mother and child.
Graeme's work hangs in galleries and many private collections throughout the world. His work has appeared in various publications and he has also lectured to many groups on art and wildlife. and has been bought by a number of celebrities and well known people through out the world.

In 2003, Graeme completed two shows in the U.S, both of them designed to help other people in our society, one in New York, where the the Vice President, Dick Chaney, phoned to congratulate the artists and also Senator Hillary Clinton phoned for the same reason. The show was called the Ripple Effect Project and Graeme and two other artists worked for almost two years to produce a series of paintings that were sold to generate funds for various charities. Money was raised for Aids research, Ms research, children's cancer research and this year the rest of the work will be sold to once again help children in Australia. The Highlight of the show was the acquisition of three paintings by President Bill Clinton.

Graeme has over the years donated much of his work to assist wildlife and charities. In 2005 Graeme began the process of beginning a business in the Islands of Vanuatu that had nothing to do with Art, but everything to do with his ongoing adventures in life.

After traveling extensively through out the world, Graeme felt that the Islands of the Pacific were beckoning. The business was based around diving for sea cucumbers on the tropical islands. Graeme spent a year and a half on his company boat diving the reef systems of many of these islands. He was able to make friends with many of the island people and left Vanuatu in 2007 to continue his Art career once again.

On arriving back in Australia Graeme received an email from Los Angeles. The Celebrity shopping network, a program run by the group, Guthy Renker had contacted him about working with the Fine Art showcase program Graeme had all of the credentials needed to be apart of this great show. Over 25 years in his chosen field, Had lived in the U.S for more than ten years, had been written up in major Art magazines as a master artist and had also a published book on some of his Art work in the market place. A DVD of Graeme on the show is available, a must watch, as he can also be very entertaining. Graemes work has been received amazingly well through the show and 60 pieces of art work have been sold since his signing with the Celebrity Shopping Network Graeme is currently working towards another TV appearance at some stage towards the end of 2008.

Graeme is also committed to assisting other artists in expanding their business and also their art abilities.