George Davis at TMAG
Essie Davis in Miss Fisher mode …
VISITORS to a new exhibition at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery will see a famous face among the delicately sketched portraits.
Hobart artist George Davis, 84, has spent most of his life painting and drawing subjects from nature — birds, animals, landscapes — and is also a highly regarded portrait artist.
And among his works on show at the TMAG are a couple of drawings of his daughter, Tasmanian actor Essie Davis, star of ABC series Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and the horror film The Babadook.
Essie was in Hobart yesterday to be with her dad for the launch of the exhibition, George Davis: Master Draughtsman, and both were emotional about seeing so much of his work on display.
“It’s amazing to see it like this, I haven’t seen a lot of these pictures in a long time, myself,” George said.
“I remember seeing (Dr Winnifred Curtis) at our house being painted and walking in to tell them lunch was ready,” Essie said.
The exhibition includes drawings of native wildlife, portraits and painted scenes, as well as displays of other items from George’s studio.
George’ best-known work is the mural on the former ABC Building at 5 Sandy Bay Rd, now the UTAS Conservatorium of Music.
Essie is still enjoying the news of her nomination for a best actress AACTA award for her horror film The Babadook, which recently opened in the US to rave reviews.
• George Davis: Master Draughtsman opens in the TMAG’s Argyle Gallery today and continues until March 1.
Mercury
