Loading the Coach (1986)

Pro Hart 1928 - 2006, Australian
Oil on canvas on board, 44cm x 33.5cm

Kevin "Pro" Hart was born in Broken Hill, NSW, Australia in 1928. He grew up on the family sheep station Larloona situated near Broken Hill. In his early twenties Pro moved to Broken Hill and worked underground as a miner. From age seven, Pro loved to sketch and paint. He began taking his gift seriously in his early twenties when he first used painting as a creative outlet to keep him sane from underground life as a miner. To develop his gift, Pro attended a few local art classes but is mainly self-taught.

He was discovered in 1962 by a gallery director in Adelaide. From there his success as an artist began to flourish. Mainly working in oils and acrylics, he used any tool or method to achieve the desired outcome for his work. He drew upon techniques of layering, chiaroscuro, glazing, scumbling, scratching and Alla prima. His work has been exhibited all over the world including, Australia, London, Dusseldorf, Los Angeles, New York, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, Israel, Cairo and Manila. His paintings are represented in collections owned by the likes of Harold Mertz, Lyndon Johnson, Prince Phillip, Qantas Airways, Margaret Carnegie, the Canberra War Memorial, the University of NSW and Adelaide, the Bonython Collection, the Warsaw National Collection of Poland and Cathay Pacific Airways. In 1976 Pro was awarded an MBE for his services to art in Australia. In 1982 he received an Honorary Life Membership of Society International Artistique for outstanding artistic achievement; this is granted to only one artist per continent. In 1983 he received an Australian Citizen of the Year Award.