Tony Dawson

Tony is a part time professional artist balancing time in his Invercargill studio with time spent working as a liaison arborist throughout Southland. He has a connection with, a passion for and a deep appreciation of southern rural life, borne of a heritage in farming, fishing and hunting in Southern New Zealand.

His art practice focuses on oil paintings which capture the people, animals and places he encounters in realistic detail using light, shadow and shape and the complex interplay of those elements, employing techniques first developed by the ‘Old Masters’ of the Renaissance period. His technical skills were developed most recently over a two year period as understudy to an internationally acclaimed New Zealand artist. Tony has exhibited in both the North and South of New Zealand.

Tony’s paintings are not limited to rural New Zealand scenes, they also include portraiture, figure studies, wildlife, historical architecture and botanical studies, along with landscapes and seascapes.

Silent Declaration is Not for Sale but you may have seen this at ILT Awards late 2025.