About Me

Gatakers Artspace, Maryborough – Photo Credit Kim Parnell

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 Graphic Design course at Chase School of Graphic Design in the early nineties.

Fine art and design were put aside while he built a career in computer mapping in Sydney and Newcastle. Discovering a love for film, both still and moving pictures, creativity started to make a comeback in Osborne’s life. He put his photography to work making 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.

Osborne headed to Europe for six months of travel. Walking the Camino de Santiago, a 900km trek across France and Spain was an amazing transition from 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. Lockdown supercharged his rekindled passion and by 2021 he had created work for his first virtual exhibition Beaks, Claws & Paws. His first gallery exhibition Beach to Bush launched at Gatakers Art Space Maryborough and then ArtPlus Gallery Bundaberg.

Osborne is now Artist in Residence at Possum Park, Kowguran (Miles) Queensland. Here he has his home and studio and displays his work in the Possum Cottage Gallery and shop. Amid beautiful gardens with lots of native birds he paints surrounded by nature. His dream to become a working artist is now a reality.

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 My arts career direction changed to computer mapping, in various government departments in Sydney and Newcastle. Unfortunately, this led to my fine art skills almost becoming dormant for 23 years until I discovered film.

YouTube & Adventure

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

Becoming an Artist

Sept 2019 I finally started becoming an artist once again after so many years, my life long dream. My photography is now a source for my animal and landscape paintings.
2020 The year I embraced lockdown and created some amazing works for my first virtual exhibition Beaks, Claws & Paws. I also started selling my artworks Internationally.
Mar – May 2021 My first physical exhibition “Beach to Bush” @ Gatakers Art Space, Maryborough.
Jul – Oct 2021 Exhibition of 5 works @ ArtPlus Gallery Bundaberg.
2021 – 2022 I’m currently the resident artist at Possum Park, Kowguran (Miles) Queensland where I have a collection of originals and prints for sale in the foyer of Possum Cottage Gallery and shop.
Sept – Oct 2022 My 4th exhibition “Surrounded by Nature” @ John Mullins Memorial Art Gallery, Miles, QLD