Often best known as a TV personality, Rolf Harris CBE is one of the best loved and iconic personalities within the art world.
Born and raised in Western Australia, Rolf Harris took a keen interest in art from a very early age. He fondly remembers drawing and sketching from as early as his primary school days with one of his first teachers predicting that he would one day be a fine artist.
His first solo exhibition was held at the tender age of 16 in Perth where all Rolf Harris' paintings sold. Rolf Harris continued his education at University but struggled, eventually leaving after two years to take up a placement at teacher training college, culminating in a teaching role teaching children to swim.
During this period, a mystery viral infection left Rolf Harris totally paralysed and fearing that he had Polio. During the following months lay recovering, Harris made a life changing decision, he would become a painter. Just before his 22nd birthday, he left on a boat to London to study art.
In London, Rolf Harris met felllow Australian artist Hayward Veal. After attending a two week course under Veal's tutolage, he was taken under the artists wing and he became Rolf Harris' art mentor.
In the years that followed, Rolf Harris found great success not only in the artistic field, but also in the world of entertainment, producing various TV shows with the BBC along with his memorable musical contributions.
It was through his TV work that Rolf Harris was eventually brought back to his first love of painting via his 2001-2007 series Rolf on Art. The call to paint a portrait of the Queen was perhaps a pinnacle of Rolf's career, certainly a point in time that cemented his place in history as a serious artist rather than a TV entertainer turned artist.
At the age of 80, the Life in Art collection celebrated 60 years in art with a fabulous collection of limited edition prints and a new book taking the same name. Popular editions from this collection included Fire Escape, Trust, Fisherman by Moonlight, Self Portrait A Life in Art & Mending the Nets to name but a few. Please contact the gallery for up to date availability of Rolf Harris prints from this collection.
