Tom O’Callaghan Tom O’Callaghan creates realist oil paintings using of a variety of painting techniques, exploring subject matter ranging from local landscapes and fire, to images from his travels. He has a spacious shed in the back of his Victor Harbor home, which he works out of. ‘The studio is equipped with everything I need to make all the components of a finished piece of art,’ he says. There, Tom makes and stretches his own canvases. Working in oil, he has a large mobile pallette on wheels which he can move freely around from painting to painting. The space is orderly and clean, and the walls are reserved for finished work so it is like a studio inside of a gallery. He describes it as somewhere to ‘hang work while it is drying and for the times I have people over to view work’. How does living on the Fleurieu influence your work? Living on the Fleurieu influences my work on a daily basis. I observe and take note of my surrounding environment at all times. The varying
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moods of the landscape, light effects and atmospheric conditions find their way into my work in some form or another. This coastline on my doorstep informs my work as I submerge myself in the ocean regularly and gather information from new perspectives not viewed from the well worn trails. Do you feel supported in your current practise? Yes. It is brilliant living in a community that supports artists with local galleries and exhibition venues and art prizes, along with many local art lovers and collectors. What does the Fleurieu Art Prize represent to local artists? It is a prestigious art prize that attracts many high calibre artists nationwide. It represents an opportunity to showcase my interpretation of landscape to a wider audience.
