About Me

2023 Dogwood Crossing Miles – Photo Credit Amy Bevan

As a young man Chris Osborne set himself up with a thorough foundation in art and design, acquiring an Associate Diploma in Fine Arts at TAFE, following on with a course at the Chatswood Chase School of Graphic Design in the early nineties.

Fine art and design were put aside while he built a computer mapping career in Sydney and Newcastle. Discovering a love for photography and film, creativity started to make a comeback in Osborne’s life. These skills were employed to make YouTube videos to document his bushwalking, kayaking and biking adventures for family and friends.

Osborne was inspired by books he read on his work commute to seek more adventure in his life. In 2018 he put his house on the market, quit his secure job of 27 years, and boarded the train at Central Station for the last time. He has never looked back.

Heading to Europe for six months of travel. Osborne walked the Camino de Santiago, a 900km trek across France and Spain an amazing transition from his work life, to living life free and unrestricted. Returning to Australia in 2019 he travelled around Queensland and New South Wales, collecting and documenting experiences for his travel blog. Using his photography as source material, Osborne finally began to paint again, focusing on animals and landscapes. He has now had six exhibitions in Queensland and expanded on his choice of mediums from gouache to now include watercolour, acrylic, oil paint and pen & ink.

Osborne is now Artist in Residence at Possum Park, Kowguran (Miles), Queensland. Here he has his home and own art gallery and shop in a converted train carriage. Amid beautiful gardens with lots of native birds, he paints surrounded by nature. His dream of becoming a working artist is now a reality.

2023 Osborne was selected as one of the Western Downs 10 Artists: Finale. Promotional video below.

2023 Video by Clancy Sinnamon & Western Downs Regional Council

Studying Fine Art

1989 – 1991 Associate Diploma in fine arts at Penrith TAFE.
1993 Graphic design course at Chatswood Chase School of Graphic Design.

Change in Direction

1994 – 2017 Osbornes career direction changed to computer mapping, in various government departments in Sydney and Newcastle. Unfortunately, this led to his fine art skills almost becoming dormant for 23 years until he discovered film.

YouTube & Adventure

2011 Expanding on his photographic background to moving pictures he created a YouTube Chanel (Chris Osborne Adventures). Feeling the need to express himself and expose some of the wonderful Australian landscape to his family and friends overseas, he filmed his bushwalking, Kayaking and bike riding adventures.
Dec 2017 Osborne decided that he wanted to set himself up for a life full of adventure, like he was reading about in nonfiction books on his daily train commute to work. So he quit his secure job of 17 years, boarded a train at Central Station for the last time and never looked back. Oh and for good measure he put his house on the market the same week too.
April 2018 After some renovations Osborne’s house sold reasonably quickly and he was totally free to start living a life of adventure, so he jumped on a plane and headed to Europe for 6mths.
June 2018 Osborne walked The Camino de Santiago, a 900km trek starting in France and then across Spain where he met some amazing people and it became an amazing life experience. From this wonderful adventure he has painted some amazing landscapes, buildings, a series of greeting cards and limited edition prints.
This was a nice transition from work life to, well… just living life and the freedom to travel unrestricted.
April 2019 he purchased a 4WD and started travelling around Queensland and NSW collecting experiences for his travel blog and social media accounts.

Becoming an Artist

Sept 2019 Osborne finally started becoming an artist once again, after so many years his life long dream. Now his photography is a source for his animal and landscape paintings.
2020 The year Osborne embraced lockdown and created some amazing works for his first virtual exhibition Beaks, Claws & Paws. He also started selling his artworks Internationally.
Jan 2021 Osborne moved to Possum Park, Kowguran (Miles) Queensland where he is the resident artist and has a collection of originals and prints for sale in the foyer of Possum Cottage Gallery and shop.
Feb 2024 Chris Osborne Art Gallery now open and in an old Manly goods van at Possum Park.