Influences

My interest in contemporary maritime history has led to some inspirational sea voyages as artist in residence including a passage from Cairns to Bundaberg aboard the Royal Australian Navy Hydrographic Survey Ship, HMAS LEEUWIN, recording the AMSA lighthouse tender CAPE GRAFTON and the CSIRO Oceanographic Research Vessel FRANKLIN. Other projects include the visual record of CAPITAINE
WALLIS, one of the last cargo liners which served the Pacific Islands and a series of
paintings showing the sister city ports of Brisbane and Kobe. Recently I completed a
collection of paintings of ships bearing the name Brisbane from 1822-2007. My work
has featured in journals such as Australian Sea Heritage, Australian Artist, Australasian Ships and Ports, Queensland National Trust, The Log and in the books ‘Painters of New Caledonia in the 20 th Century’, ‘Ballina Boy’ and ‘History of the Port of Brisbane’. I have contributed several articles on themes and techniques for the ‘Australian Artist’ journal.

Awards

Exhibitions

My first major solo exhibition was at the British Council in Kano, Nigeria in 1966, and
since then have had solo exhibitions in several countries including Noumea, New
Caledonia, Granville, France and Kobe, Japan, as well as Australia in Brisbane, Sydney, Hobart, Newcastle, Wollongong. My drawing ability led to book illustration for
educational texts, videos and international journal covers. I have collected over 50
prizes and awards. My work is in many private, corporate and public collections
including Queensland Parliament House, Federal Supreme Court Melbourne and
Sydney, Adsteam Marine, CSIRO, AMSA, Musee Maritime Noumea, Royal Australian
Navy, American President Line, Wallenius-Wilhelmsen Lines, Gallipoli Memorial
Club, TT Lines, Gulf Shipping and many others mostly by commission.

Website

http://www.donbraben.com/