Wieneke Archive Book 4d : Artists - Australian & Other Presscuttings

Brushing up on elegance 4 in the bush (Nati Sawrty wants to paint Australia's old hush aristocracy beLre it disappears. Mr Sawrey, who made his name and fortune by painting another vanishing breed - the drover and the swag& - said yesterday: "The drovers and the mustering camps are things of the past now. Let my imitators have them. "I want to depict fly.: other' side of the bush, the people inside the country homes -- a special country charm, an old-wcald courtesy and elegant living. "I don't like the world squattocracy -- there's not much of it left anyway with prices the way they He said: "There is an elderly lady we visit who seem!, typical to me of elegant country living. "She has entertained many famous people and still serves afternoon tea with everything just so - the fine china and the damask table cloths - that's what I mean by old country elegance and courtesy." He paints his elegant country living from a rough bush studio on his 52 -hectare (130 -acre) cattle pr.tperty and quarterhorse stud at Boonah, 07 km (55 miles) west of Brisbane. His studio is a cobweb -festooned garage with hessian bags ov.tr the windows, possums in the ceiling and an assortment of saddlery, broken down furniture and $1000 paintings. Outside, a dusty Mercedes is sheltered by a tarpaulin slung from the studio roof. Inside the walls are covered with orders to be filled. The orders have had to be set aside while Mr Sawrey reluctantly prepares for his first exhibition in two years which will open at John Cooper's Eight Bells gallery cn the Gold Coast on November 22. "I don't need an exhibition. But. John asked me to put one on. He's a friend so I'm d_ting it," he said. He's confident it will be a sellout like the last one what 25 paintings were sold in an hour for more than $21,000. Early next year he will fly to America where Helen Groves, the only daughter of the KIt berg family, which established the giant King Haunt organisa- tion, has commissioned hint to paint whatever he likes around her Virgin ranch 1111 dstny as long us he can, Mr Sawrey said: "Apparently word gets around about my work even in America. I know artists are supposed to starve In garrets to be successful. But the way I look at it, you, can't do your best work I: you're hallow In the tummy." HUGH SAWREY ... painting old country cht inn insaprionsirmorni fre- a