Stu Doherty, Coral Snow Gum, 2025. Watercolour on cotton paper, mounted on board, cold wax finish. 43x33.5cm framed in oak.
Stu Doherty - High Country: Between Sky and Stone
Exhibition Dates: September 28th - October 11th
Online Sales Launch: 7pm September 28th
Stu Doherty is a contemporary watercolour and gouache artist whose work explores the layered beauty and complex history of the Australian landscape. Working on paper with meticulous, meditative precision, Stu captures both the physical textures and the deep emotional resonance of the land. His practice is defined by transparent washes, grainy textures, and carefully masked highlights, finished with cold wax to invite a more intimate encounter with the work - free from the barrier of glass.
Drawing inspiration from the Australian bush, Stu makes eucalyptus trees a recurring subject, celebrating their striking forms and the way they anchor the landscape. His compositions often balance crisp, clean lines with delicate tonal shifts, creating a contrast that heightens depth and draws the viewer into the scene. Every detail is considered, from the shimmer of light on leaves to the subtle textures of bark and earth, offering a quiet reverence for place.
Stu has exhibited widely across Australia, including as a finalist in the Elaine Bermingham National Watercolour Prize(QCAD Gallery, Brisbane), and in shows at Brunswick Street Gallery (Melbourne), Glasshouse Regional Gallery (Port Macquarie), Rex Livingstone Gallery (NSW), and Lethbridge Gallery (QLD). In 2024, he completed a public art commission in Wauchope, NSW, and in 2025 was awarded two first prizes for watercolour at the Bonny Hills Art Prize.
Originally trained at the NAS: East Sydney Tech Design Studio, Stu built a successful career in fashion design, teaching at the Whitehouse Institute of Design and designing menswear for leading Australian labels and department stores before returning full‑time to painting. He is also a co‑founder of the award‑winning Wauchope Creative Hub, a regional artist‑run co‑op where he continues to teach watercolour painting.
Stu Doherty, Not Quite Empty, 2025. Watercolour on cotton paper, mounted on board, cold wax finish. 43x43cm framed in oak.
Deeply inspired by his time in the landscape, Stu’s paintings often begin with long walks, including his recent journey along the Kosciuszko Trail. The monumental presence of ancient snow gums and rock formations left a lasting impression, shaping his latest body of work. He draws not only on photographs and natural objects collected in the field, but also on sensory memories, the smell of eucalyptus, the feel of bark, the colour of lichen. These impressions infuse his paintings with authenticity and emotional depth.
For Stu, watercolour is both joy and discipline: a balance of flow and control, chaos and calm. He paints with respect for the land and the deep histories it carries, aiming to create works that resonate beyond the visual, holding memory, atmosphere, and a sense of presence within the Australian landscape.
Stu Doherty, The End of the Day, 2025. Watercolour on cotton paper, mounted on board, cold wax finish. 43x33.5cm framed in oak.
Stu Doherty, The Corner Store Gallery
