FORMER Swan Hill art teacher Robert Cue still cherishes the Mallee and wants to continue to paint the region for the rest of his life.
Mr Cue, who now lives in Castlemaine, returned to Swan Hill for the official opening of his latest exhibition Near and Far which is on display at the Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery until March 27.
Now retired, Mr Cue spent over 35 years as an art teacher at Swan Hill College, and has devoted his life to art.
During his teaching years, he would quite often set himself up at a location and paint on site, and he has only begun to paint in his studio more frequently in his post teaching years.
Near and Far is a collection of pieces which represent two opposite parts of the world, the Mallee and the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia.
Mr Cue’s fascination in the South Pacific first started in school when he would read National Geographic Magazine that struck in him a curiosity that has stayed with him since.
“It’s a very beautiful place,” he said.
“There are only 400 to 500 people living there and they are all very friendly people.”
His paintings depict an isolated paradise that has remained largely untouched over the years and features plenty of natural beauty.
The Mallee is a contrast to the Marquesas Islands in many aspects, however Mr Cue said the region had a special quality that he loves to paint.
“There is so much beauty here in the Mallee,” he said.
“I will continue to paint the Mallee for the rest of my life.”
Some of the paintings from this exhibition include pieces where Mr Cue has painted portraits, something that he had not experimented with previously.
“There is always something to spark new ideas,” he said.
Mr Cue said Swan Hill had played a very significant part on his life.
“I’ve always said that I have two homes, Swan Hill and Castlemaine,” he said.
