Printed Art

Ted Grambeau is a Master Surf and Ocean Photographer with a four-decade career shooting commercial, editorial and fine art work in extreme locations worldwide. Known for his mastery of light, movement and composition in and around water, Ted’s photographs have been commissioned by leading brands, have won prestigious photographic awards, exhibited internationally and collected by private and corporate clients.

“My whole mission statement is to have experiences in life, and that is my wealth,” Grambeau, who recently turned 70, tells Ocean Road at a café near his Currumbin bolthole. “I’m not taking money or a Lamborghini with me when I die, I’m taking experiences.”

Renowned as one of the world’s foremost surfing and ocean photographers, with a catalogue of stunning images from his globetrotting escapades to some of the world’s most remote and far-flung destinations, Grambeau’s life could have taken a much more traditional path had he not been bitten by wanderlust very early on.

Through my fascination with pencil drawing of African and Australian wildlife and keenly observing and portraying their unique behaviour, I was fortunate to rapidly reach an international level in the wildlife art world. Although my ability attracted strong encouragement from intuitive and dedicated mentors at school, I have had no formal training. 

Forty-three years managing large sheep and cattle stations in the Australian outback gave me the fascination and insight into animal behavior and a trip to Africa in 1994 instantly brought about a passion to begin drawing wildlife. After seventeen trips to Africa since as the result of interest on this great continent of my artwork and writing, I endeavour to reflect my patient observation of wildlife by trying to capture with dedicated accuracy their natural behaviour, movement and interaction. 

Now in retirement, I have been asked to exhibit my work overseas in USA, Africa and UK and was invited to become a Signature Member of the elite US based Society of Animal Artists. I can be found drawing in the Chris McClelland Gallery/Studio 95 Lachlan Street, Hay NSW Australia.