FREDA SURGENOR FRAS

Freda was born in Harrow, England and studied art and later graphic design and
illustration at Bournville School of Art, Birmingham, United Kingdom

She worked in London as a graphic designer in publishing as well as illustrating two children's books and teaching art for several years.

Since coming to Australia in 1982, Freda has established herself through solo exhibitions and group shows as a highly respected watercolourist and acrylic painter.

In 1990 her painting "Backyard" was selected for exhibition in the Herald Heritage Award and in 1991 two of her paintings toured Australia in the prestigious National Exhibition "Portrait of Australia". In 1994 her painting "Dockscape" was selected and hung in the Salon de Refuses at the SH Ervin Gallery.

Freda's painting "Sweet Indulgence" was included as a finalist in Australian Artist's new magazine Water Colour Annual '97. Subsequently, Freda was featured as a Master Painter in both the Australian Artist Watercolour Annual '98 and the January and October issues of the International Artist Magazine. She has been a regular contributor to Australian Artist Magazine since then.

In October 2003 Freda was accepted as an exhibiting member of The Royal Art Society of NSW and in 2009 she was elevated to Fellow.

A multi award winning artist, including The Mosman Art Prize and awards at The Royal Easter Show, including a First Prize in the Marine Section in 2000, she was approached by the print distributors Art Throughout Australia and there are some of her reproductions in circulation.

Freda has been doing life drawing for many years and is now convenor of the West Oatley Life Drawing Sketch Group for the Oatley 101 Society of Artists, Sydney. She has taught life drawing workshops for them and for Art in Action - an art learning experience run by the Combined Art Societies of Sydney at the Maroo Conference Center, Kurrajong, in May every year.

Freda, who has always been interested in people, both at work and play, demonstrates a high level of excellence using vibrant colours to depict a great variety of subjects from landscapes through watescapes, cityscapes, still life, floral, portraiture, life painting and miniatures.

Freda is totally dedicated in her work - when she's not painting, she's thinking about it. She feels that good draughtsmanship is a basis for successful painting and never stops drawing. She works in fine detail using strong colour to create pieces which glow with life and light. This results in highly successful, warm paintings which demonstrate her ability to capture and recreate the images realistically. This is reflected by the number of her works which are highly sought after by collectors both in Australia and World wide.