Natural elements serve as the guiding force behind my investigation, as I delve deeply into the hidden, complex web of connections that exist within the environment. Rather than concentrating solely on clear, tangible facts, I allow unseen and subtle forces to take shape gradually, unveiling their true form and essence, which in turn helps us gain a fuller understanding of reality. Often, we glance at objects around us but fail to perceive the deeper meanings and intricate relationships that bind these things together. True awareness means genuinely noticing and appreciating what exists in our surroundings. I express my ideas through the use of mythical symbols, whether painted on large canvases or illustrated in children’s books. I hold the belief that the unknown holds far greater significance than the known because it stirs our dreams and intuition, encouraging us to explore beyond the superficial surface.
Patrick Shirvington explores his intimate connection with nature through the act of drawing, viewing it as a fundamental means to think creatively and uncover what remains invisible to the naked eye. "I don’t seek practical realities," he explains, "but rather allow the unseen to manifest itself spatially, revealing its own authenticity as a clearly defined and poignant form. Only then can it be truly perceived in the light of reality." While we tend to look at objects, do we truly see the subject behind them? Are we fully conscious of all that surrounds us as individual entities coming together to form a unified whole? Awareness of our environment involves a conscious cognition; in other words, it requires actively seeing and taking notice of the things present around us. I tell my story through mythical symbols—whether applied with a brushstroke on a large canvas or crafted as more intimate illustrations in children’s books—and I believe the unknown is far more important than
Through our dreams we delve deeper than the mere surface. To gain a deeper understanding of the world is to perceive it more clearly and to hold a greater respect for its complexity and diversity.
Patrick Shirvington is an accomplished children’s book illustratoR. He has a Master of Cross Disciplinary Art and Design UNSW MCDArtDes. His picture book, Can You find Me ?, written by Dr Gordon Winch, was shortlisted for the Wilderness Society Environment Award for Picture Books (Australia), a CBCA Notable book, with Patrick being nominated for the Crichton award for illustration. Patrick’s books have now been published worldwide, including translation into Chinese. With his fifth book Three Dancing Frogs being released November 2020.
Shirvington’s animals, real and imaginary, are rendered with much attention to detail and personality. They are not props. They are there to say something larger and to be characters in his new drawing tale. Plucked from the past and perhaps existing in his dreams, they are thrust into the present with selfless devotion.
Joseph Eisenberg OAM Emeritus Cultural Director Maitland Regional Art Gallery
Shirvington is poetic and whimsical, Shirvington’s facility for witty and charming drawings brings many such vignettes to life.
Dr Christopher Allen National art critic for The Australian
Responding to seasonal changes in the landscape. Patrick Shirvington’s studies of the local environs, with intensified frenzy, pushes the markings, scribbles and scratches of the tree to the surface ground that emulates the feel and smell of the bush.
Rhonda Davis – ‘Arboreal’, Macquarie University Art Gallery.
Patrick Shirvington’s interest is predominantly with nature and the environment. Being loyal to the landscape, he is always moving into new territories.
Kath von Witt – Hawkesbury Regional Gallery.
Represented by Art Atrium 48 Gallery Sydney Patrick Shirvington I LIKE EMUS – EMUS LIKE ME — Art Atrium
Education
1975 life drawing at Academie de la Grand Chaumiere,Paris
2002 Art of Rudolf Steiner, Parsifal College, Sydney
2007 Conservation and Land Management
2015 Masters of Cross Disciplinary Art & Design, University NSW - Learn to Lead, UNSW
Solo exhibitions
2025 I LIKE EMUS - EMUS LIKE ME Art Atrium 48, Sydney
2020 Scene and Unseen - Art Atrium, Sydney
2017 UNSEEN - Art Atrium, Sydney
2015 Biophilia – Art Atrium, Sydney
2013 Connection Art Atrium, Sydney
2010 Riversdale dreaming Adelaide Perry Gallery, Sydney
2008 Survey Exhibition Hawkesbury Regional Gallery, NSW
Homage to birds Wagner Gallery, Sydney
2007 Sowing the seed Borg Gallery, Gosford
2006 Rediscovering the Colo Kenthurst Gallery, Sydney
A Testament to the Hawkesbury Wagner Gallery, Sydney
2005 Gaia and the river Gallery 460, Gosford
2004 The Australian landscape – An inner response Kenthurst Gallery, Sydney
The landscape – “Veiled in light” Wagner Gallery, Sydney
2002 Wandering the Shoalhaven Wagner Gallery, Sydney
Recent landscapes Gallery 460, Gosford
2000 A special place Gallery 460, Gosford
1998 Gallery 460, Gosford
1997 Eddie Glastra Gallery, Sydney
1996 Kenthurst Gallery, Sydney
1995 Gallery 460, Gosford
1994 Eddie Glastra Gallery, Sydney
1992 Gallery 460, Gosford
1990 Gallery 460, Gosford
1988 Gallery 460, Gosford
1987 Kenthurst Gallery, Sydney
1986 Gallery 460, Gosford
1980 Rainsford Gallery, Sydney
Selected group exhibitions
2025 KAAF - Korea - Australia Arts Foundation.
2025 Sculpture in the Valley, Kangaroo Vallery
2025 Environmental Art & Design Prize. Manly Art Gallery & Museum.
2025 Vibrations in Australian Drawing. Cowra Regional Gallery.
2025 A river, a mountain, a field, a road. Hawkesbury Regional Gallery.
2024 KAAF - Korea - Australia Arts Foundation.
2024 New England Regional Gallery. Packsaddle exhibition.
2024 Northern Beaches Environmental Art and Design exhibition. Manly Regional Gallery
2023 Artifactual Fictions - Unseen Dialogue. Shared with Hadyn Wilson. Macquarie University Library.
2023 Vibrations in Australian Drawing. Macquarie University Art Gallery.
2023 Environmental Art and Design Prize. MAnly Art Gallery and Museum.
2023 Artists’Book Award exhibition. Manly Regional Gallery and Museum.
2022 KAAF - Korea - Australia Arts Foundation.
2022 Northern Beaches Environmental Award Exhibition. Manly Regional Gallery
2022 Libris Awards: the Australian Artists' Book Prize. The Return.
2021 KAAF - Korea - Australia Arts Foundation.
EDGE Greenway - Inner West Council. Woven Narratives. Installation
2020 Art Atrium Gallery - Summer Sojourn
Paddington Art Prize, Sydney
Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing.
2019 Art Atrium Gallery - Summer Sojourn
KAAF - Korea - Australia Arts Foundation.
Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing.
2018 NSW Parliament, Plein Air Painting prize
Paddington Art Prize,Sydney
Transcendence - Art Atrium,in association with Live In Art,Sydney
2017 KAAF - Korea - Australia Arts Foundation.
2015 Art Atrium Gallery - Summer Sojourn
2014 On Islands, Eramboo project. Collaboration with Imogen Cranna
2013 Art Atrium Gallery – Art 3KArt
2012 Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing.
Kedumba Drawing collection – Orange Regional Gallery
Shelf Life Delmar Gallery, Sydney
Art Atrium Gallery – Art 3KArt 3K Art 3K
2011 ARBOREAL – Macquarie University Gallery, Sydney
Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing.
Gallery, Presbyterian Ladies College, Sydney
Landscape Show - Defiance Gallery, Newtown
Drawing Show - Defiance Gallery, Paddington
2010 Shelf Life Delmar Gallery, Sydney
2009 20th Kedumba Drawing Award, Wentworth Falls, NSW
Collections Hawkesbury Regional Gallery, NSW
Hazelhurst Art Award for Art on Paper, Hazelhurst
Regional Gallery, NSW
2008 House of Phillips Fine Art Drawing Award, Mosman.
2007 Summer exhibition Wagner Gallery, Sydney
2006 Shelf Life Delmar Gallery, Sydney
Tattersalls Club Invitation Art Prize. QLD
Kedumba Drawing Award, Wentworth Falls, NSW
Small works Gallery 460, Gosford
2005 Watercolours Delmar Gallery, Sydney
Selected works Kenthurst Gallery, Sydney
Summer collection Wagner Gallery, Sydney
Collage - Taylor Gallery, Sydney
2004 Tattersalls Club Invitation Art Prize, QLD
2003 Kedumba Drawing Award, Wentworth Falls, NSW
Hutchins Art Prize, Tasmania
2002 Summer Collection Wagner Gallery, Sydney
Watercolour Show Delmar Gallery, Sydney
2001 Pastel Show Delmar Gallery, Sydney
2000 Fleurieu Biennale Landscape Prize, South Australia
1999 SCEGGS Redlands Invitation Prize, Sydney
Archibald Prize Exhibition AGNSW, Sydney
Jeans for Genes Art Auction, MCA, Sydney
1998 Watercolour Show Delmar Gallery, Sydney
1997 Tattersalls Club Invitation Art Prize, QLD
1996 North Shore Fine Art, Sydney
Kenthurst Gallery, Sydney
1992 Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
Mosman Art Prize, Sydney
1991 Muswellbrook Art Prize, Muswellbrook Regional Gallery, NSW
Bathurst Art Prize, Bathurst Regional Gallery, NSW
1990 Mosman Art Prize, Sydney
1989 Australian Maritime Art Award. Travelling exhibition
1975 Truro Gallery, St Ives. England
Residencies
2025 NSW Department of Education Bush Studio. Gibberagong Environmental Education Centre.
2023 NSW Department of Education Bush Studio. Gibberagong Environmental Education Centre.
2023 Sturt Winter School.Drawn to Nature
2022 West Darling Arts, Outback Residency. Hidden Dialogue
2021 EDGE Greenway - Inner West Council
2021 Pymble Ladies College. Sydney
2015 Pymble Ladies College. Sydney
2014 Pymble Ladies College. Sydney
2013 Pymble Ladies College, Sydney
2010 Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney
2005 Epping Boys High, Sydney
2003 Trinity College, Sydney
Arthur Boyd Studio, Bundanon
2001 Brigidine College St Ives
Arthur Boyd Studio, Bundanon
Epping Boys High, Sydney
Collections
Australian Air Services, Sydney International Airport
NSW State Library.
Edogowa Museum, Osaka, Japan.
Kedumba Drawing Collection
McDonalds corporation, Australia
Arthur Boyd Bundanon collection
David Boyd Private collection
Baulkham Hills Shire Council commission for Shire Banner
New Frontier Publishing,London
Hawkesbury Regional Gallery collection
Macquarie University, NSW
Presbyterian Ladies College, Sydney
Australian Stock Exchange, Sydney
Trinity College, Sydney
Tattersall’s club,Sydney
AMP Corporation
Bibliography
Shirvington Patrick. 2025 Environmental Citizen of the Year.Local Legends Honoured at Australia Day Awards | The Hills Shire Council
Joseph Eisenberg essay. Macquarie University. Exhibition Artifactual Fictions-Unseen Dialogue. Patrick Shirvington and Hadyn Wilson 2023 - 2024
The Weekend Australian.Jan 20 2024. Christopher Allen. Macquarie University Exhibition.Artifactual Fictions - Unseen Dialogue.
Vibrations in Australian Drawing. Macquarie University Art Gallery. Rhonda Davis 2023.
Kirkus Review New York USA.Review - Little Spiral.2021
Children’s Book Council of Australia. Can You Find Me 2018
702 ABC Radio interview National Tree Day 2018
Artists and Galleries of Australia, Max Germain – Vol 1,2,3
Who’s Who of Australian Visual Art 1991 – 94
Australian Artist magazine 1975,83,96,99
International Artist magazine 1999
The Age Melbourne Arts
Sydney Morning Herald Arts Review, Annemarie Lopes
Central Coast Herald
Sydney News August 17, 1994
Graham Cheney & Patrick Shirvington 31 October – 7 December 2008 -Hawkesbury Regional Gallery. Kathleen Von Witt
Bundanon Trust 10th Anniversary November 9 2003
Kedumba Drawing Award 2010 , artists in the collection
Patrick Shirvington and Graham Cheney ISBN:0977587371 Publisher:Hawkesbury Regional Gallery.Kathleen Von Witt 2008
Collections - Hawkesbury City Council, Regional Gallery. Forward by Kathleen Von Witt 2009
Arboreal.A Macquarie University exhibition. Rhonda Davis. 2011
Radio Northern Beaches, Sydney.Krista Elliott interview
ABC Radio. Regional Television 2013
Shirvington P. 2015 Drawing International Griffith, Queensland College of the Arts. Phenomenology – Drawn from.
Curtis David. 2017 Building Sustainability with the Arts. Chapter Thirteen - Character of the Bush P177.
Teaching / workshops
2025 Drawn to Nature. Mosman Council
2025 Drawn to Nature. NARLA Environmental.
2025 Nature Journalling. Penrith City Council
2024 Drawing the Cumberland Plain. WSIG Penrith City Council.
2024 Drawn to Abstraction Workshop. Macquarie University Art Gallery
2023 Illustration Workshop. Drawing your Dreams. Macquarie University Art Gallery
2023 Drawing En plein air. Macquarie University Art Gallery
2023 Drawn to Nature. Sturt Winter School.
2023 Abbotsleigh Girls School. Discovering Australian Impressionism.
2022 Drawing En plein air. Macquarie University Art Gallery
2022 Drawn to Nature. Liverpool Council
2021 UNSW Career Discovery Mentoring Program
2021 Drawn to Nature. Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre.
2020 UNSW Career Discovery Mentoring Program
2019 Drawn to Nature. North Sydney Council.
2018 Market for your Mind. Mosman Council
2018 Drawn to Nature. North Sydney Council
2018 Drawn to Nature. Lane Cove Council
2018 Drawn to Nature. Sturt Winter School
2018 Drawn to Nature. North Sydney Council.
2017 Drawn to Nature. Mosman Council
2016 The Coal Loader centre for Sustainability, Waverton
2016 NSW Society for Conservation Biology. Centennial park
2016 Drawn to Nature. Mosman Council
2016 Lane Cove Art Society
2015 Drawn to Nature. Mosman Council
2014 Drawn to Nature. Mosman Council
2014 Landscapes of Parramatta. Parramatta Council
2013 Drawn to Nature. Mosman Council
2013 CONNECTING:Ferry Artists – Wisemans Ferry
2012 CHAS- Explore the creative process of mark making
2012 Artworkshops Australia – Allowing yourself to evolve
2011 Drawing Workshop exploring the natural environment – Macquarie University, Sydney
Artist in Residence – Pymble Ladies College, Sydney
2010 Artist in Residence - PLC Croydon
Dungog Society of Arts, Dungog
2006 Drawing and mixed media, Hawkesbury Regional Gallery
Working with the Landscape, Epping Boys High
2005 North West NSW, Artist workshop Forbes
2004 Working with the Landscape, Epping Boys High
North West NSW, Artist workshop Forbes
2003 Bundanon Artist in Residence, open studio talk 10th Anniversary
Drawing techniques ‘ the Landscape ‘ Trinity College Ashfield
Working with the Landscape, Epping Boys High
2002 Bundanon workshop, Drawing and mixed media
2001 Bundanon workshop, Brigidine College St Ives
Bundanon workshop, Drawing techniques and print making
1999-2003 Teaching, Workshop Arts Centre Willoughby
Projects
Hills Shire Council Seasonal Banner project. Design banner for site specific use around the Shire
North West Youth Art Project. “ Road Less Travelled “ Arts NSW – Hills Shire Council. Facilitate workshops and curate final exhibition
Theatre set design, Riverside Theatre Parramatta – The Dreamstone
Mosman Council “Drawn to Nature” look at the interconnectedness of Art and Nature. Sept 3013.
Brewongle, Environmental Education centre. Workshop Engaging Visions camp.Nov 2013
Eramboo Artist Environment. On Islands collaboration. 2014
Drawing International Brisbane (DIB)Symposium. Phenomenology 2015
Conference Presentations & Publications
2023 Thinking through Drawing symposium. London.
Hardingham L and S P. 2020. Three Dancing Frogs. New Frontier Publishing. ISBN: 9781921928819
Winch G and Shirvington P. 2019. Can You find 12 Busy Bees ? New Frontier Publishing. ISBN: 9781925594560
Shirvington P. EcoArts Australis Using the visual arts to encourage pro-environmental behaviour. An Analysis of children’s picture books……... May 2019
Gigi Ford Zink and Patrick Shirvington. 2018. The Koala and the Cockatoo. Little Steps Publishing. HB..ISBN: 9781925839081. PB..9781925839166.
Shirvington P. 2018 Sturt presentation - Drawing animation.
Simmons P and Shirvington P 2018. Little Spiral. Little Steps Publishing. ISBN: 9780648267324
Winch G and Shirvington P. 2017. Can You find Me ? New Frontier Publishing. ISBN: 9781925059793
Shirvington P. 2017. Building Sustainability Through the Arts. Cambridge University Press. P 177,Ch 13.
ISBN (10): 1-4438-9133-9
Shirvington P. 2017. 33rd NSW ENVIRONMENT EDUCATION CONFERENCE: MAKE THE CHANGE..SESEPTEMBER 2017.
Shirvington P. 2016. Sydney Society for Conservation Biology. Drawn from.
Shirvington P. 2016. EcoArts Australis: Building Sustainability through the Arts: Drawing towards connection. May 2016.
Shirvington P. Drawing International Griffith, Queensland College of the Arts. Phenomenology – Drawn from. October 2015 file:///C:/Users/Pat/Documents/PATRICK+SHIRVINGTON_PHENOMENOLOGY_DRAWN+FROM_DIB2015.pdf
Shirvington P. Linking Art and the Environment: NSW Catchment Management Authority. University of Wollongong. P133 2013
Shirvington P. EcoArts Australis Creating an empathy for nature through the arts -. Drawing towards connection. May 2013
Patrick Shirvington and Graham Cheney ISBN:0977587371 Publisher:Hawkesbury Regional Gallery. Kath Von Witt 2008