Design and Art Australia Online

Yvonne Helen O’Hara-Close, née Jeanneret, was born in Sydney, New South Wales, the daughter of Charles Robert 'Bob’ Jeanneret (1904 – 1987) and Isabel Graham Smith-Marr (1904 -1994). In 1953 Yve Close married Edwin Michael 'John’ O’Hara-Close, a marine engineer. They had three daughters.

Yve Close studied life drawing at the Julian Ashton Art School for several years with Henry C. Gibbons, then drawing at East Sydney Technical College for one year. She undertook painting studies for six years at the Royal Art Society of New South Wales with Allan Hansen, Arthur Murch, Garret Kingsley and Frederick Bates. She left the Royal Art Society in 1975 to join Joshua Smith at his Lane Cove School.

Yve Close is best known as a portrait painter and teacher in oils and pastels; she also paints landscapes and still-lifes, adopting a traditional approach to all subjects. With portraits, Close seeks to express the inner essence of her subject. Her commissioned portraits represent men, women and children from many walks of life, including senior university academics, army generals, artists, business people, Masonic grand masters, and religious leaders. All her major portraits are slightly larger than life-size. She prefers to work in oils or pastels from life with the subject present in her Lane Cove studio, but also undertakes posthumous portraits. Landscape and still-life paintings provided relaxation from the rigours of portraiture. Her typical signature is “Yve Close”.

Throughout much of her artistic career Close has carried out portrait painting demonstrations for city and rural art societies. In the 1980s, she demonstrated portraiture during a 'Women in Art’ week at the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery. Yve Close and Joshua Smith conducted portrait and still life classes at the Mitchell College of Creative Arts, Sturt University, in Bathurst from 1992 to 1995. She has judged and opened many art exhibitions in Sydney and rural areas, as well as judging several camera club competitions.

Close had a long association with Joshua Smith, successively as student, protegée and associate. Within one year of commencing studies with him in 1973 at his Lane Cove School, he appointed her as assistant teacher. Together they painted murals in a Balmain church which led to her becoming his associate and painting partner, a partnership which lasted for twenty years. During his final illness Close, together with her family, took care of Smith. After Smith died in 1995, his school continued for five years under Close’s direction, until family illness caused her to close it.

In 2009 Close was teaching portraiture at the Royal Art Society of New South Wales.

Writers:

Rost, Fred

Date written:

2009

Last updated:

2011