john lovett - brief biography

I was born in Cooma, N.S.W. Australia, in 1953. My father was the official artist for the Snowy Mountains Authority and encouraged my two brothers and I to draw and paint from an early age.We had a 2000 acre cattle property in the mountains where we learnt to love and respect the Australian bush. Some of my fondest memories as a kid come from time spent in the mountains, rounding up cattle in the snow, putting up fences, tracking kangeroos and wombats and simply exploring the bush.

After leaving school I attended the National Art School in Newcastle. It was a great place in the early 70's. More of our drawing lessons were held in the back bar of the Star Hotel than at the art school.

Following art school I fell in love, got married, moved to Sydney and worked in a job that annoyed me enough to make me realize what it was I really wanted to do. So my wife Dianne, an art teacher, supported us while I struggled to establish a name in the Sydney art world.

It took a few years of hard work but eventually demand for my paintings grew to a point where we could live comfortably from painting sales alone. In 1991 we moved to Queensland. Dianne, being organised and methodical, manages the business side of things, allowing me and our two sons to keep the studio in a state of disorganised chaos.