Putto sketch by Maggie Cowling

Margaret Cowling Arts

Our tour leaders

Margaret Cowling

Studies
In 1960 Margaret completed a four year Diploma of Art (Illustration) at the Royal Melbourne Technical College (R.M.I.T.) under the tutelage of Murray Griffin, William Frater and Harold Freedman. She worked as a free lance Illustrator, Display Artist, Design Artist and Art Instructor before travelling extensively overseas. In Florence Margaret attended the University for Foreigners whilst living in the capacity of au pair with a family, and formed a life-long connection with Italy. In Australia she took oil painting classes with Shirley Bourne.

Exhibitions
Margaret’s first solo Exhibition was in oils at the Abacus Gallery, Ashburton in 1976. In 1983 she held her first Exhibition of watercolours.

She exhibits annually in solo and group exhibitions in the media of water colour and drawing. In 1993, ’94, and ’97 Margaret’s water colour portraits were selected to hang in the Portia Geach Memorial Award Exhibition in Sydney.

Activities
In 1977 and 1978 Margaret worked as an assistant to the State Artist, Harold Freedman, on the History of Transport Mural and the History of Geelong Mosaic. Margaret has taught Water Colour and Life Drawing at various venues including many years at the Victorian Artists’ Society. Margaret was Artist in Residence at Melbourne Grammar School during 1992. She was Honorary Secretary of the Water Colour Society of Victoria and The Twenty Melbourne Painters’ Society Inc., is a signatory member of the Victorian Artists’ Society and a member of the Melbourne Society of Women Painters and Sculptors.

Margaret annually conducts painting Tours to Venice, Florence, Lucca, Rome and surrounds, Cinque Terre I Sassi (Matera) Aeolian Islands and Sicily. She has led the Venice Lucca Florence Rome tour each year since 1993 in the sunny weather and colourful foliage of Autumn.

Publications, Bibliographies and Awards
In June 1989 Margaret’s article “How to tackle figure painting in water colour” was published in the Australian Artist magazine, and she has been included in several publications by Jean Campbell, Max Germaine, Juliet Peers and Alan McCulloch. Amongst the awards that Margaret has received are the 1988 Special Award $10,000 from the AME Bale Trust, Artist of the Year, Victorian Artists’ Society in 1990 and 1992, and in 2000 the Annie Oliver Davidson Award from The Melbourne Society of Women Painters and Sculptors.

Some examples of her work may be seen here.

Margaret giving individual tuition in Italy.

Ray Cowling

Academic qualifications
Ray has a Science Degree from the University of Melbourne and an Education Degree from Monash University.

Tours
He has co-led our tours to Bali, Venice Lucca Florence Rome, Veneto, and Cinque Terre et al, Sicily and the Northern Territory. Ray conducts much of the research involved in the tours – including ‘finding’ some of our exquisitely located hotels in Italy – an essential ingredient in maximising your time and pleasure.

Ray manages the administrative and financial aspects of the tours. He is keen to share Italy’s dramatic scenery and architecture, its abundant history, culinary pleasures and the warmth of its people.

Dave Disher

SULMAN PRIZE WINNER JOINS THE TEAM

We are honoured to welcome to our team David Disher (Dave). He is our painting teacher for the October, Venice Padua Florence and Rome tour in 2008 (in place of Margaret). Dave is a young, highly accomplished and well travelled artist. He is the winner of the 2007 Sulman Prize for "Genre Painting" (www.thearchibaldprize.com.au/winners/sulman) and exhibits nationally in Australia.

Dave is a friendly, considerate and humble person with an ability to share his joy of life and his sense of humour with others. He is also a sophisticated and satirical observer of life, as shown by his paintings. His full "Artist Statement", CV and a number of his recent works may be seen at www.jackmangallery.com.au/artists_david_disher.html.

Dave offers informed and flexible tuition for professional, student and beginner artists in all media.

David Disher - extract from his artist statement:
The artist is a lucky devil! We are the last of the alchemists; creating something out of nothing. The nothing is that blank canvas and blank state that freaks you out at the time, as you realise your last idea was actually your 'last' idea. To the slow process of hammering out an idea that materialises right before your eyes, or more importantly, before someone else's eyes. That blank stare is the perfect starting point. So we can get away with a vague look which in fact means 'I'm working'.

Dave will be holding the following Exhibitions during 2008:

January 16 to 26 - Depot II Gallery 2 Danks St, Waterloo.
July - Jackman Gallery 60 Inkerman St St. Kilda
August - Adelaide

Maggie Chiara Cowling

Maggie Chiara
Maggie was born in Melbourne in 1971.

Since 1989, Maggie has travelled extensively overseas and co-conducted ten painting tours in Italy.

Maggie has two degrees in Italian, Classics, and History from the University of Melbourne. She has also studied in Palermo (with a Melbourne University Language scholarship), Florence and Lucca. She is a NAATI- accredited para-professional interpreter and a translator of Italian to English.

For accredited translations from Italian to English contact
(03) 9355 7701 (tel/fax) or email her.

Maggie is passionate about painting. She has shown her paintings and drawings in four solo exhibitions, participated in numerous group exhibitions and illustrated a children’s reader.

Plein-air painting appeals to her most – she especially enjoys the challenge of painting while travelling.

Privately, Maggie has taught flute, drawing and Italian. She also taught English as a second language in Melbourne and co-founded and taught at the Italian language school “Amici” in North Carlton. She has taught Italian at Fitzroy Community School and at the Centre of Italian Studies in Carlton. In the last 18 months she has worked as an interpreter mainly in the health field, and as a translator of Italian to English. She currently teaches managerial staff at IVECO Trucks Australia.

Maggie has often been interviewed on SBS radio and ReteItalia, in Italian, regarding her tours to Italy, and by Il Globo newspaper. She has written and designed a booklet, primarily in English, for a course in Italian regional cuisine, involving discussion and coordination with Italian chefs and students. She has been interviewed on local television in Tuscany, in relation to an exhibition of Australian art works.

Maggie’s proficiency in Italian, and her familiarity with Italian culture, history and art, ensure these tours are conducted smoothly and informatively

Most photographs throughout this website have been taken by
Margaret, Maggie and Ray Cowling during the tours.