T F Byrne
Visual artist. Portraiture. Natural history illustration.

About

Direct yet conceptual. Provocative and engaging. Design & illustration for brands, publications, and people.

 
 

About

 

I am a visual artist, specialising in portraiture, and work in pencil, pastel, oils, acrylic and watercolours. I am inspired by nature and my love of animals, which I convey through my art, sometimes with a quirky twist. I live in Scone in the Hunter Valley, NSW.

My parents were in the veterinary business in England and I grew up surrounded by horses and other animals. I spent many hours drawing animals and cartooning my family life with five siblings. Art became my passion and led me to further studies. 

I completed a Foundation course at Epsom Art School in the UK, after which I studied drawing and painting with Nerina Simi in Florence, Italy. In 2018, I graduated from the University of Newcastle with a Bachelor of Natural History Illustration (distinction). 

Since arriving in Australia, I have concentrated on commissioned portrait work. I have been a finalist in the Portia Geach Memorial Award for portraiture three times. I have exhibited at Von Bertouch Galleries in Newcastle and Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre.

 
 
 
Liquorice Allsorts. Acrylic on cradled board. 40cm x 40cm I love Liquorice All sorts, particularly as a child. I am becoming more of a chocolate person now. One going to Nundle Art Prize and the other to the Viola Bromley Art Prize, Muswellbrook
I have had an urge to use a different colour palette…bright, saturated, fluorescent! Hence….. Liquorice Allsorts 1 2nd version on it’s way. Acrylic on board 40 x 40cms
Cold snap yesterday. Back in the jumpers and Ugg boots. 20 minute semi blind contour drawing (where you look at the paper as little as possible). I like the wonkiness it produces! Biro on copy paper. #20for20artchallenge2024
Pencil portrait ‘in situ’ Brooklyn NY
Scone Art Prize is now done and dusted. It has been a wonderful 60th anniversary exhibition and congratulations to all. Very happy to have won the Watercolour Prize with my Platypus, a half sized forerunner to the version I painted for @muswellbroo
The hardworking Brown Honeyeater….singing all day, first to be heard in the morning and last to sing at night. Sustenance from the pineapple sage salvia. Last photo of the Eastern Spinebill, who also enjoys the salvias. Putting me off pruning
Three watercolour sketches of my mother’s garden.
Life in my mother’s garden. Wish I brought my zoom camera….first photo is a harvest mouse!