Vale Gary Miles

Locally renowned, respected and accomplished artist, Gary Miles died on Friday after a long illness.
Born in 1949, the artist had a long and successful career spanning 52 years.
Mr Miles was known for capturing the essence of Australia's vibrant landscapes, often painted in semi abstract series, using oils, acrylics, and watercolours.
During his career, he created more than 1600 works and sold 950. He featured in auction sales from the 1970s to the present day.
A leader in the local art scene, Mr Miles participated in many exhibitions including Creative Gippsland events held at Bradley Hall in Drouin West, Open Studio weekends and had 33 solo shows.
In 2000, he was invited by the Walpari Aboriginal people to create four large paintings on the Lajamanu School walls in the Tanami desert, Northern Territory, as part of the reconciliation process.
Mr Miles gained international attention alongside five other Baw Baw Shire artists including Leonie Ryan, Jenny Murray-Jones, Kerrie Warren, Laurie Collins and Eileen Harrison in 2007.
The artists toured a collaborative exhibition as Wild Dogs from Down Under to Jiujiang, China. They ended up front-page news on five Jiujiang newspapers and were interviewed twice on Chinese television.
Mr Miles continued creating later in life despite health challenges, producing a series of smaller works, in addition to larger works, for his 'To Paint a Flagpole' exhibit in December 2024 at Bradley Hall.
In an interview with The Gazette before the exhibition, Mr Miles said he was looking forward to seeing people at the launch.
"With my artwork, I've never got a big buzz out of doing it, but what I get a big buzz out of is doing the shows."
Mr Miles is survived by his partner Maggie Ujma, children Jade, Beau and Azzadine and their families, including six grandchildren.
Check Nielsen Funerals website for funeral details.