Graham is a descendant of a pioneering family, on his father’s side at the Blinman and Yudnamutana copper mines, and has grown up with a special affinity for the whole Flinders Ranges area having toured and camped throughout the region for many years.”
In July, 2007 he retired from the Accounting profession at the lead smelter, in Port Pirie, after having achieved the status of Senior Associate and Life Member of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia and Fellow of The Institute of Public Accountants in Australia. He now has the time to further develop his artistic skills.
He has been painting in his spare time since 1986, with a strong passion for Flinders Ranges landscapes. He mainly paints using oils, sometimes using a palette knife to highlight the ruggedness of the rocks and mountains and even the roughness of the bark in the trunks of gum trees, so unique to the Flinders.
He continues to be fascinated by the colours which can be observed throughout the Flinders, which constantly change throughout the daylight hours. He loves the contrasts of the blues and purples of the Wilpena ranges with the reds and tans of the stark granites of the Arkaroola area in the Northern Flinders.
Demand for Graham’s work has been strong, including a significant number of commissions. His work is held in private collections in all of the eastern Australian states as well as in South Australia and in England.
Graham has been a regular participant in exhibitions throughout South Australia over many years. In 1994 he was awarded the Laura Art Prize with his painting entitled, “Poised Arachnid”. In 1996 he won the People’s Choice Award in the Port Pirie Inaugural Art Prize and a commendation in the SA Regional Artist section of the Port Pirie Art Prize in year 2000.