Wayne Krause the Artist

My people are the Parjong (fish river people) and the Lachlan river (red earth people) in NSW, Australia.

Born in Hillston, NSW Australia in 1969. I lived in a small town call Merriwagga with a population of about 80 people.

My family was the only Aboriginal family in the town. The nearest Aboriginals known as Goori's (Koori's as they are known today) live in Hillston N.S.W, which is about 44km north west of Merriwagga.

My Aboriginal grandmother from the Parjong and Lachlan river people had taught me a lot about my culture through tell me stories of the dreamtime and her life. I remember her telling me about the little hairy men, water dog and the bad spirits around the waterhole where we would go camping and fishing. The atmosphere and feeling in the air was amazing. I could see different figures and colours in the shades of the night. What a feeling she would allow to pass through us. From these experiences in my early childhood and inspired me to draw. My first drawing was drawing cartoon charater from comic books.

I taught myself how to paint and draw, my first memories of art was inspired from the old woody wood pecker comics, from which I learned to draw cartoon style of art. I was also inspired by my people and my natural surroundings with some of my first portrait drawings of my grandmother who I lived with till I was 16yrs old.

As long as I can remember I have always enjoyed drawing and painting from an early age. Drawing still life such as chairs, television sets, tables and other things in my surroundings, along with life drawings of dogs, birds, people, plants and nature.