biography

Lee Machelak began painting in 1979. Over the next nine years she studied painting in oil and watercolour, and drawing in charcoal and pastel with various teachers.

In 1982 she concentrated on oil painting, studying a method called “Tonal Painting” developed in Australia by its founder, Max Meldrum, early in the 20th century, but which has its roots in the great tradition of European painting.

Lee studied with two of Meldrum’s students, firstly portraiture in 1982 with Alan Martin, and then cast painting in 1983 and 1984 with Max Casey.

From 1985 to 1988 she continued studies in this method with David Moore, concentrating on still life, portrait and landscape.

In 1994, having won the A.M.E. Bale Travelling Scholarship in 1993 – Australia’s premier award for traditional realist painting – Lee undertook twelve months studies overseas. During this period she spent three months visiting and studying the works in the major galleries in Europe and England, and one month working in the Prado Museum, Madrid, Spain, copying a portrait by Ribera for study purposes.

For six months of the scholarship from September 1994 to March 1995 Lee studied full-time at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy, where she did intensive work from the figure and portrait in pencil and charcoal, and still life and portrait painting in oil.

Further study tours include New York and Boston (1997) and Washington, D.C. (1999).