About Isaac

Background

Isaac Sheppard is a long term resident of the Maleny district in the Sunshine Coast hinterland of south east Queensland.

Surrounded by the rolling lush hills of the hinterland, Maleny, the Blackall and Conondale Ranges are well known as amongst the most picturesque regions in Australia. Living, as he has, in beautiful rural surroundings contributed to his knowledge, feelings and respect for the natural landscape and wildlife - and this is reflected in his fine artworks.

An emerging and talented artist, Isaac has worked in the media of clay and acrylics, producing fine sculptures and paintings for some years. His art has developed over many years through a strong, abiding interest in a range of forms which have typically reflected the natural environment.

From an early age, it was clear that Isaac was naturally creative. When it became obvious that his creativity, along with his intelligence and talents were not being used to his full potential at School, he found himself teaching his teachers in the area of art from an early age. His parents then sought after a better education that recognized his innate intelligence and creativity, that of his brothers and that accorded with their democratic values and beliefs in which freedom and responsibility were high priorities. His family were amongst the Founders of The Booroobin Sudbury School – a centre of Learning. The Booroobin Sudbury Democratic Centre of Learning followed in its stead. The School empowered him to realize that you don't need an art teacher to learn how to paint high quality fine art, and how to succeed in those things that you commit yourself to. This is how he was able to develop his fine art at such an incredibly young age. He is persistent and determined, and not satisfied with anything but quality work. He is independent and is his worst and hardest critic.

At first, Isaac focused his attention on hand building in clay. His works were displayed in the Peace of Green Gallery in Maleny. His mother co-founded the Gallery in 1994, and it still operates, and is managed and staffed by a collective of talented, diverse artists. His art was entered and displayed in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland Young Artists' Exhibition and Competition. He was awarded Prizes and Awards in 3 Exhibitions. In 2000 he found that ceramics were too limiting for what he wanted to achieve, and then started painting in acrylics.

Isaac has developed a strong, abiding interest in realistic representations of unique, native wildlife and the plants and natural environment from around the world. He has exhibited, by invitation, in the Maleny Art Gallery and Mary Cairncross Gallery. His first painting of two wedge-tailed eagles sold within a couple hours of being on display. This was his first sale.

In 2002 he won the first prize in the Hinterland Young Artists' Exhibition and Competition with an acrylic painting, and this painting was sold soon afterwards.

Isaac took time off his art for a while so that he could earn money to support his passion for painting. In that time he worked in far north Queensland on a sugar cane farm, in a supermarket and then working underground in the mines in Mt Isa. This period helped him to reflect on where he was going with his painting.

Upon his return to Maleny and Booroobin, he set upon a course of developing products for patents and design certification.

In 2007, he participated in the 3 Dimensions exhibition at The Gallery, Peace of Green in Maleny. This was the first time that he combined his art with the ceramic works of his mother, Jo Sheppard, and the canvas prints of unique, hand drawn, coloured digital works of another of his 4 brother's, Adu Sheppard. These works can be seen on the web site www.thardswrothe.com/3d/

His aims now are to travel to the most spectacular places around the world, then return home to paint the awesome scenes that he sees during his travels.

Present and future plans

Isaac's present plans are to display his art in the leading art galleries in Australia and around the world. He hopes to be able to live off the sale of his art while pursuing his dream to take and exhibit his fine art to international galleries, buyers and collectors. His move to Sydney is part of that quest.

There is no doubt that, once his obvious talents are known and recognized, his art will be highly sought after and will represent an investment sure to escalate in value over the years.