Artist's Biography

Felicity Grant was born in 1960 and is one of six children. She was raised on a sheep-and-cattle grazing property near Talwood in South Western Queensland and her love of rural life led her to draw familiar bush subjects from an early age. Felicity’s close affinity with property life, its animals and the landscape were her artistic inspiration and remain a strong influence in her work today.

Felicity Grant was home-schooled in her early primary years by her mother before attending boarding school, where in her final year, she was awarded the school’s art prize. For the next three years she attended Art College and graduated with a Diploma of Visual Art in 1980, majoring in Print Making.  Because of her drawing skills she was approached by the college to join the Graphic Department and then trained and worked as a Graphic Artist. Following on from this, Felicity worked with storyboard and background graphics for television during a time when all artwork was done by freehand as was pre-computer technology.

Felicity comes from a family of artists. Her great-aunt, Eirene Mort (1879-1977) was a friend and contemporary of the well-respected artist Thea Proctor (1879-1966).  As an Australian artist and teacher, she was a leader in design work influenced by our native fauna and flora.  Her Great-great grandfather and grandmother were also accomplished Swiss artists and Felicity has said she feels and would like to think that some of these influences have been passed down through the generations.

It was after attending a watercolour class with respected watercolourist, Rex Backhaus-Smith that Felicity decided to compile a body of work for her first solo exhibition which Rex opened at Talwood in 1984. The exhibition depicted images drawn from rural life of that time and was very successful.  Now many years on, and having held several solo exhibitions, exhibited widely in three states whilst living and working in rural areas with her husband and children, Felicity now has her work collected and represented in private collections throughout Australia and overseas.

Her paintings are produced in series with her work showing an evolutionary process with a common theme. Watercolour has largely been her preferred medium but acrylics and mixed media are to be found in a number of her paintings.

Felicity likes to weave a simple storyline using familiar subjects depicted in a humorous or quirky way.  Felicity has achieved an envied reputation for her unique depiction of the beautiful antique Spode China intertwined with captivating little blue wrens and for her stunning works from her Saddle series.

Felicity says she aims to incorporate fun into her work and hopes that the quirky and imaginative themes running through her paintings will be enjoyed by all who view them.