LOCAL artist Bruce Hargrave will launch his book "Around Euroa" at Euroa Library at 2.30pm on Thursday 27 April, showcasing 44 impressive watercolour paintings of local landmarks.
Mr Hargrave, who is 81, has lived in Euroa since moving from Melbourne in 1976.
"Euroa is really a haven for a watercolour painter with the creek and the hills and the foliage, the granite range that runs along the garden range," he said.
"And then if you want flats, you can go out towards Shepparton and see completely different landscape with cows and sheep and so on – so that's my book."
Mr Hargrave learnt to paint watercolours in 2006 and has since had 10 successful major solo exhibitions, with more on the horizon.
When it was put to him in an interview that he is a very skilled watercolour painter for someone who started late in life, his answer was both humble and poetic.
"That's the illusion of watercolour, you see – it's in the eye of beholder," he said.
"I figure it's like cooking and gardening and music – there's a continuum of hopeless to brilliant, and we all know those people who are at the brilliant end of the scale, and we're plugging away along that channel and aspiring towards that sort of brilliance."
Mr Hargrave's most recent solo exhibition was a three–week stint in Violet Town at the backART Gallery, where he was in attendance every day from 10am to 4pm and sold more than half his paintings.
He will also exhibit five artworks at the upcoming Giant Miniature exhibition at Como House in Melbourne, which will feature many "really tiny paintings" about the size of a postage stamp.
Mr Hargrave is well–known in Euroa as a man who has worn many hats: former Euroa Primary School vice principal, former Department of Education liaison officer to the ABC, musician, author and vintage bicycle enthusiast.
All proceeds from Thursday's book opening will be donated to the Strathbogie Landcare tea towel project, an initiative where blank tea towels will be printed with artists' impressions.
"Around Euroa" is dedicated to Mr Hargrave's daughter Jen and the memory of his late wife Suzie.