Kim Nelson

Kim Nelson (born 1958 Kiama, [[New South Wales]died 12 August 2015]) was an Australian artist. He lived and worked in the foothills of the Brindabella mountain range, near the Australian National Capital, Canberra. Themes such as the recurring ‘Red Shawl’ and other spiritually suggestive motifs put his artwork firmly in the field of Symbolism though his style does range from classical to the abstract.

Early years

Kim Nelson grew up in a farming community on the New South Wales south coast. His artistic abilities were evident very early in his childhood, both in art and music. In 1976, on the suggestion of his uncle, Australian landscape artist Leonard Long, Nelson spent a year at the renowned Julian Ashton Art School in Sydney, studying life drawing. He subsequently embarked, on a career in graphic design and advertising concurrent with a career as a singer/songwriter in contemporary music. He was to spend the greater part of a decade in this field. This was followed by another ten years as manager/curator of historic house museums primarily for the National Trust of Australia (Cooma Cottage). In 1995 he was acting senior curator of Lanyon & Calthorpes’ House in Canberra.