The V.I. Image Gallery

David Fam Bow Cheong - the Impressionist Watercolourist

David Fam Bow Cheong attended the V.I. from 1953 to 1957, after which he did a Diploma course at the Technical College. He completed his two-year degree in architecture at Melbourne University. He then spent two years in Kuala Lumpur and Kelantan, followed by five years in Brunei doing projects for the Sultan of Brunei. He settled in Melbourne with his family for about twelve years and has since lived in Queensland on the Gold Coast the last two decades.

David has always loved to draw and paint and twenty years ago decided to teach himself to paint in watercolours during weekends. He gave up architecture eight years ago and has been giving art classes twice a week at his home since.

He paints his watercolours in an impressionistic manner, trying to capture the light and essence of a subject. He has travelled and painted in Europe, South America, South East Asia and Australia applying the spontaneity and fluidity of the medium on a wide range of subjects from buildings, streetscapes, people, landscapes, seascapes to still life.

In 1994, David was fortunate enough to travel to Argentina, Peru, and Bolivia, sketching and painting with Alvaro Castagnet. Through the years he has attended various seminars and workshops with renowned artists from overseas and Australia, like Tom Hill, Charles Reed, Harley Brown, Robert Wade, David Taylor, Herman Pekel, Joseph Zbukvic, Ross Paterson and Alvaro Castagnet.

David exhibits and competes in art shows in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. He is a member of the Watercolour Society of Queensland, the Royal Queensland Art Society and the Inverell Art Society in NSW. His paintings are displayed at the Watercolour Society of Queensland, the Royal Queensland Art Society, Hang Ups Gallery Brisbane, the Inverell Art Gallery and the David Sumner Gallery, South Aistralia.

David can be contacted at dtfam149@bigpond.com

AWARDS

1988 2nd & 3rd prize Watercolour, Royal Brisbane show QLD
1988 Highly Commended, Inverell Bi-Centennial Art Competition NSW
1989 Highly Commended Marine Seascape, Royal Brisbane Show QLD
1990 Highly Commended, Open Class, Inverell Art Competition NSW
1990 Encouragement Award, Open Class, Inverell Art Competition NSW
1993 Highly commended Helensvale Art Show QLD
1995 Overall Winner, Inverell Annual Art Competition NSW
1996 First prize , Tom Roberts Art Festival, Inverell NSW
1996 First Prize Watercolour, Maroochydore Art competition Sunshine Coast QLD
1996 First Prize Watercolour, Maroochy Arts Festival, Nambour QLD
1996 Highly commended, watercolour, Maroochy Arts Festival, Nambour QLD
1996 Most Popular Painting, Portland Rotary Art Show VIC
1996 Highly commended Watercolour, Portland Rotary Art Show VIC
1997 First Prize Watercolour, Port Fairy Annual Art Exhibition VIC
1997 2nd Prize Watercolour, Royal Brisbane Show QLD
1997 Best Painting, Western District, Hamilton Rotary Art Show VIC
1997 Best Watercolour, Portland Rotary Art Show VIC
1997 Best Painting, Tenterfield Open Art Show NSW
1998 2nd Prize Watercolour, Royal Brisbane Show QLD
1999 Highly Commended, Camberwell Rotary Art Show, Melbourne VIC
2000 First Prize Watercolour, Royal Queensland Art Society, Winter Exhibition QLD
2000 First Prize, Gold Coast Show QLD
2000 Highly Commended, Gold Coast Show QLD
2000 Highly Commended, Hinterland Heritage Festival Art Show QLD
2000 People’s Choice award, Watercolour Society of Queensland Annual Exhibition QLD
2000 Highly Commended, Open Tropicarnival Art Prize, Royal Queensland Art Soc. QLD
2001 First Prize, Tom Roberts Art Festival, Inverell Art Society NSW
2001 Highly Commended Gold Coast Show QLD
2001 First prize Watercolour, Gold Coast City Council award. Springfest Art Festival. QLD
2001 Open prize winner. Inaugural Sir Henry Parkes Festival Art Show. Tenterfield NSW
2002 Third Prize Open Traditional Painting, Gold Coast Show. QLD
2003 People’s Choice award, Watercolour Society of Queensland QLD
2003 Second Prize Watercolour Gold Coast Show QLD
2003 Most Outstanding Exhibit Murwillumbah Art Exhibition NSW; Peoples Choice Award, Highly Commended & Judges commendation
2003 Third Prize Watercolour Society of Qld QLD
2004 Winner Equine Art Section, Country Stables Art Show QLD

PAINTINGS DISPLAYED

Watercolour Society of Queensland
Hang Ups Gallery, Brisbane
Inverell Art Gallery, NSW
Gilston Gallery, Qld
Royal Queensland Art Gallery
David Sumner Gallery SA.