Jaq Grantford

When I was about twelve years old, I was travelling on a train. Looking around the carriage, I was transfixed by a girl about five years older than me who had a fascinating face.

It was long and oval with a pointy chin. And her eyes were dark and mesmerising. I couldn’t look away as I painted all the lines in my mind, and noted the shades and contours.

She sensed me looking at her. ‘What are you looking at?’ she said as if she was about to punch me.

I quickly looked down and tried not to look at anyone else again for that journey.

But to this day, I still stare at interesting faces or anything that I find fascinating. I can’t help myself. It can be a building, a person walking, a hole in the ground.

I’m more discreet now, of course, if I’m looking at a person. And if anyone notices, I simply say, ‘I’m an artist, and I was painting you in my mind.’

And then they understand.

SELECTED GRANTS AND AWARDS

2020                 Finalist Mod Portrait Prize
2020                 Finalist Portrait Society of America International Members Competition
2020                 ARC Salon Finalist – Runner Up Best Nude
2020                 Finalist Clayton Utz Award
2020                 Finalist Brisbane Portrait Prize
2020                 ARC Associate Living Artist status, Art Renewal Centre
2019                 Winner Kennedy Art Prize
2019                 Finalist 5th International Figure Painting Competition, New York
2019                 Finalist Arc Salon International Art Prize, Art Renewal Centre
2018                 Finalist Mod Portrait Prize Spain, MEAM European Museum of Modern Art
2018                 Finalist Arc Salon International Art Prize, Art Renewal Centre
2018                 Winner Best in Show, Gateway International Painting Competition
2018                 Finalist Gateway International Painting Competition, February
2018                 Finalist Gateway International Painting Competition, April
2018                 Winner People’s Choice Black Swan Portrait Prize, Art Gallery Western Australia
2018                 Winner 8th place, Portrait Society of America, International Members Prize
2017                 Winner Hidden Faces People’s Choice
2017                 Winner 3rd place, Portrait Society of America, International Members Prize
2017                 Finalist Fomenar Art Prize, Rome, Italy
2017                 Finalist Portia Geach Portrait Prize
2017                 Semi-finalist Doug Moran Portrait Prize
2016                 Finalist Hornsby Art Prize
2016                 Winner Melbourne in Cliftons Art Prize
2016                 Semi-finalist Doug Moran Portrait Prize
2016                 Park Art Fair International, Germany, Honourable Mention
2016                 Winner People’s Choice Shirley Hannan National Portrait Prize
2015                 Finalist Black Swan Portrait Prize
2015                 Winner Master of Art International exhibition, Architecture Award, London
2015                 Scholarship to attend International Portrait Conference with Portrait Society of America
2015                 Certificate of Excellence Artavita International Art Prize
2014                 Finalist Toyota Community Spirit Gallery Sculpture Prize
2014                 Winner People’s Choice Black Swan Heritage Prize, Perth
2014                 The Archibald Salon de Refuses
2014                 Third Place, International Artist Magazine, Landscape Prize
2014                 Semi-finalist Doug Moran Portrait Prize
2014                 Support Stipend, Can Serrat residency, Spain
2014                 Finalist Shirley Hannon Portrait Prize for realism
2014                 Semi-finalist in Arte Laguna Prize in Venice
2014                 Certificate of Excellence in the Portrait Society of America open international competition
2013                 Winner People’s Choice Black Swan Portrait Prize – portrait of Jacki Weaver
2013                 Highly Commended Black Swan Heritage Prize
2013                 Finalist Surrealism prize, Mortimore Art Prize
2013                 Australian Guild of Realist Artists, Winner of the Presidents Challenge
2013                 S.H. Ervin Gallery, Salon de Refuse with portrait of Jacki Weaver
2012                 Winner Surrealism prize, Mortimore Art Prize
2012                 Finalist, Black Swan Portrait Prize
2012                 Finalist, Portia Geach Portrait Prize
2012                 Finalist, Cricket Art Prize
2012                 Finalist, Waverley Art Prize
2012                 Finalist, Xstrata Percival Portrait Award
2011                 Semi-finalist, Charlatan Ink Art Prize in New York. 100 chosen internationally
2011                 Finalist, Corangamarah Art Prize
2011                 Finalist, Black Swan Portrait Prize
2011                 Finalist, Mortimore Art Prize
2010                 Finalist, Waverley Art Prize
2009                 Finalist Black Swan Portrait Prize with portrait of Jonathon Welch
2009                 Finalist in the ANL Mariners Art Prize
2008                 Finalist, Black Swan Portrait Prize with portrait of Paul Mercurio
2008                 Winner of the ‘Hidden Faces of the Archibald’ exhibition – portrait of Paul Mercurio

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2020     Awarded TransCultural Exchange Art Residency Portugal. Cancelled due to COVID 19
2019     ‘People’, The Button Factory, Victoria
2015     ‘Eclectic Synergy, G3 Artspace, Parkdale
2012     ‘A Show of Hands’, Chapel off Chapel, Prahran, VIC
2010     ‘Nancy Bentleigh’, Dromkeen Museum of Children’s Literature, Riddell’s Creek, VIC
2008     ‘A True Person’, Dromkeen Museum of Children’s Literature, Riddell’s Creek, VIC
2005     Children’s illustrations, Dromkeen Museum of Children’s Literature, Riddell’s Creek
2004     ‘Shoes News’, Dromkeen Museum of Children’s Literature, Riddell’s Creek, VIC
2003     ‘Various Faerious’, Chisholm Institute, Dandenong, VIC

SELECTED  GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2016                 Women Painting Women, Burrinja Cultural Centre https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_Painting_Women
2015                 Outstanding Women Artists, Media House Gallery
2014                 Can Serrat artists, El Bruc, Spain
2007                 Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava Slovakia
2007                 Ilustrarte Biennial International Exhibition of Children’s book Illustration Portugal
2007                 Warnabool Art Gallery
2004                 Frankston International Music Festival
2004                 Warnabool Art Gallery
2003                 Wyreena Community Arts Centre Exhibition

RESIDENCIES AWARDED:

Can Serrat, Spain, 2014
Nes Residency, Iceland, 2019