Rolf Harris was born
in Perth, Western Australia, Rolf has always loved art; Even before
he went to Primary School, whenever anyone asked him "What are
you going to be when you grow up?" his immediate response was "An
artist!".
At
the age of twenty-two, Rolf moved to London on what was supposed to
be a year's study leave, financing himself through four exhibitions
of his work held in Australia. He immediately enrolled at the City &
Guilds Art School in London, intending to follow in his grandfather's
footsteps and become a portrait painter. After a chance meeting with
the Australian impressionist painter 'Bill' Hayward Veal, however, he
began attending an art course run by Veal and soon became his protégé.
Rolf
has since become one of the most popular artists of our time. He has
been awarded the CBE, is a member of the Order of Australia and has
won many awards for his art. Recently he was made an honorary member
of the Royal Society of British Artists. His portrait of Her Majesty
The Queen, commissioned by the BBC to celebrate her eightieth birthday,
was the subject of a BBC1 programme ‘The Queen, by Rolf‘
which was screened on New Year's Day 2006.
