RAY
Jan Rae
- Sitter: Ray Darwen
- Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
- Dimensions: 61cm x 51cm
- Representation: This artist represents themselves
About the artwork and sitter
Ray is one of Jan’s dance partners, a fellow artist and good friend. He has lived in West End for most of his life, and previously ran a panel beating business and a boarding house.
He now lives in an elegant West End Loft.
During a recent stay at his home, Jan went tango dancing with John and was inspired to create this piece.
‘I see him as ‘a renaissance man’ of West End. My painting attempts to portray this West End man as an artist who is rebuilding his house and missing his dog, Clancy.’
About the artist
Jan Rae has a Fine Art degree from Brisbane College of Art and a Masters of Art degree from UNSW Art & Design. In her spare time she enjoys tango music and dancing. She has exhibited in Byron Bay, Brisbane, Sydney and Buenos Aires.
Being a dancer herself, Jan often incorporates elements of her favourite pass time, the tango, in her work.
“We visit specific art exhibitions together, we experiment with performance drawing. We dance tango."
Behind the scenes
Ray Darwen and I often collaborate on arty things.
We talk about art and architecture. We visit specific art exhibitions together, We experiment with performance drawing. We dance tango.
During my early life in Brisbane I lived in Paddington, Highgate Hill and Red Hill. And at the Brisbane College of Art, I majored in ceramics (with Carl McConnell and Kevin Grealy) My first paintings were of the old Queenslanders of Red Hill.
After settling in Byron Bay, Brisbane has always been my closest city. I have been drawing, painting and exhibiting annually ever since.
In 2016 I completed a Masters of Art degree at UNSW Art & Design, major in Performance Drawing.
