Nagambie artist Bob Eaton is becoming well known locally for his creative artworks.
He won first place in Seymour Agricultural and Pastoral Society’s art exhibition at the annual show in 2022.
In 2023, he entered three oil paintings in the art exhibition: two abstracts and a landscape.
He won first prize again and was thrilled to receive the blue ribbon for his landscape oil painting Sunny Morning at the Graytown National Park.
Bob said around 800 to 900 visitors saw the art exhibition at the show over the two days.
He has held three exhibitions in the Charles August room of the Seymour and District Art Gallery, but COVID-19 delayed his most recent one until August 2021.
Bob enjoys painting various scenes and subjects, ranging from nature subjects, including sunsets, lakes, land and seascapes, to abstract ones.
Around 1975, Bob and other novice artists learnt to draw, sketch and paint in oil and watercolour from his father-in-law, David Mercy, first in his studio in Carlton, then at Murrumbeena.
Bob enjoyed the feeling painting gave him and said he liked to paint his first impressions as he saw them.
His studio is at the rear of his home in Goulburn St, and he enjoys dabbling out there when the mood or creative spirit takes him.
Bob was a member of the Nagambie Artists group that started meeting at the Scout hall in 2011.
They then moved to the old community house as part of the Nagambie Lakes Community House’s art group.
Their home is now the art room at the Nagambie Primary School.
Bob is also a member of the Seymour and District Art Society.
It has the advantage of being next to the Visitor Information Centre, providing access to the art in the gallery and security seven days a week due to the service of valued volunteers.
The Seymour floods badly damaged the art society building in October 2022, so it is holding its 2023 annual ‘Beyond the Divide’ art show at Wine X Sam at 59-71 Anzac Ave.
Bob will be entering some of his work in that exhibition.
The annual art show will begin with an awards evening on Friday, November 24, at 7pm at Wine X Sam.
The general exhibition and sales will be open on Saturday, November 25 from 10am to 4pm and Sunday, November 26 from 10am to 3pm.
A major raffle of a painting by acclaimed Melbourne artist Julian Bruere worth $2000 will be drawn to assist the flood recovery fundraising efforts of the art society.
Local artists are invited to display their works; entries must be with the art society before October 24.