Raymonde Francis Walsh
Born on November 21, 1951, in Merreweather near Newcastle, NSW, I grew up in Beecroft and attended Epping Boys High School. While academics weren’t my strong suit, I topped the entire year in art for three consecutive years—a natural talent that would shape my entire career.
Early Career:
Finding My Path
At 15, I left school and landed my first job as a junior in the art department at V.H. Freeth & Company, an advertising agency in North Sydney. This was where I truly began learning the fundamentals—layout, design, typography—skills that would prove invaluable throughout my career. Freeth & Company was pioneering at the time, being the first Australian agency to work with Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonald’s.
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Screen Printing
My journey continued in the screen printing industry, where I spent 4–5 years mastering every aspect of the craft. Working for a family friend’s screening company, I progressed from drawing large customer designs to cutting stencils and eventually four-colour printing on hand carousels. Creating T-shirt designs became a particular joy—I loved the hands-on creative process.
The Exhibition
Industry
12The majority of my working life was spent in the exhibition and trade show industry—the part I enjoyed most. My break came from a newspaper ad seeking brushhands, painters, and scenic artists for First State 88 at the brand new Darling Harbour Exhibition Centre. I applied for the brushhand position (thinking I’d be washing rollers and brushes), but when a scenic artist saw me add shading and outline to a section I was filling in, I was promoted on the spot to Scenic Artist.
13This launched a career designing and set painting exhibition stands for major companies, most notably Pico Exhibits—at the time, the world’s largest exhibition trade show company based in Singapore.
Around the World
with Pico
I worked with big-name international clients across diverse industries: medical, tech giants, motor vehicle companies, and everything in between. These opportunities took me across Australia many times and to major countries around the world, including an eye-opening experience in South Korea doing a major trade show for the Australian Government.
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17My Artistic Style
and Approach
I am self-taught and, I’m fortunate to say, naturally gifted. While I can paint in many styles from landscapes to portraits, I prefer painting realistically rather than abstract. My formal art training was minimal—every art class I attended concluded I could already draw better than the instructors. Perhaps I was a cocky little bastard, but that confidence served me well!
181920A Claim to Fame
21In 2019, I entered the Archibald Prize with a portrait of Jed Zarb, a well-known country music performer. While I didn’t win, I was absolutely chuffed when Jed chose to feature the portrait I painted of him in the centrefold of his last album cover—a validation that meant more to me than any prize.
2223Life Now:
Living the Dream
Now 74 and retired, I’ve dedicated myself to what has been my lifelong dream: painting full-time. Since COVID hit and I retired from the exhibition industry, I’ve been painting every day and teaching art privately. After a career spent creating for others, I’m finally creating purely for the love of it—no longer the starving artist I once feared becoming, but an artist who can paint with complete freedom.
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