Robert Davis
After a long career as a Shakespearean actor treading the boards in both Australia and England, Robert Davis has made his home high on a hill in Boonah Shire...and returned to his first love - painting.
Robert, who studied Commercial Art in Brisbane in the 1950s, lives at Greenhills Road, Milford, and finds inspiration in the beautiful landscapes of the Scenic Rim. "I had the good fortune to visit Boonah many years ago so, when I decided to return to fine art, Boonah Shire was for me the obvious choice. The views here are extraordinary," he said.
Those views featured strongly in Robert’s successful solo exhibition, "Allusions", at the Boonah Regional Art Gallery in October 2002. The exhibition was opened by Robert’s good friend and fellow international actor, Bryan Brown.
Robert’s career as an actor started when he toured with the Young Elizabethan Players - taking Shakespeare on a whistle-stop tour of schools and towns in New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.
He then decided to take his chances in England, landing a job with the Royal Shakespeare Company based in Stratford and working alongside actors who would later become international stars, including Helen Mirren, Malcolm McDowell and Ben Kingsley. After five years with the company, Robert returned to Australia to join the Sydney Theatre Company.
Now, instead of playing out scenes on the stage, he has turned his artistic talents to painting scenes on canvas.