OUR Artist of the Week Denis Harold has always had a passion for art which has manifested itself throughout his life in different ways, encouraged by his father who was a gifted caricaturist and cartoonist and practised for the sheer joy of it.
Denis’s maternal Great Grandfather (Charles Henry Hunt) was a professional artist, illustrator and writer who immigrated to Sydney via a sailing ship in the 1880s.
As a child, Denis remembers looking through Charles’s sketch books and revering a few paintings that had been passed down. I guess you could say it’s in his DNA.
In his early 20s, Denis painted several pieces, but had a tsunami of priorities that prevented him from continuing.
Then like all good things that come to those who wait, two years ago he decided to get back to the easel at the age of 71 after a 50-year hiatus, determined to give it a crack and see how far he could go.
Primarily self-taught, Denis studied art, visited galleries and immersed himself in art all his life, having always carried a patient expectation that one day he would paint again. Which brings us to today.
With a passion for the outback and this great battered land and all those who work on it, Denis is a story teller through the placement of animals and people in the landscape who often appear individually isolated but form part of a coherent bigger picture connected by space and time. He wants the viewer to explore the painting and take away whatever connects with them.
With a current focus on targeting competitions to gain some traction, the results have yielded some surprising and satisfying results including being named a finalist in both the Prohart Outback Prize 2026 and the John D Bowe Art Prize 2026.
Denis has vowed that if he is lucky enough to win either,he wants to set up a proper studio and go full-time painting.
Fingers crossed and we look forward to hearing if this wish comes true for Denis.
