Michael Collins was a highly respected and talented member of the arts fraternity of Western Australia who passed away in June 2005, aged 50.
Aside from producing thousands of caricatures, Michael was a firm believer that anyone can draw, and was extremely keen to pass on his trade. He was particularly interested in fostering drawing amongst children, as an outlet for boredom and means of increasing confidence through creativity. As a qualified teacher he delighted in teaching cartooning and caricatures to thousands of West Australian children and adults.
He found that caricatures were the ideal vehicle to teach drawing, as students could quickly learn how to produce a drawing of someone recognizable and have fun in the process. In doing so he added humour to their lives, while helping them develop their creative side. The universal nature of caricatures also meant he was also able to teach school children in Japan.
Over the years his accomplishments included:
- A cartoon strip in the Daily News, Perthfume
- Guest artist on Channel 7s Children's Show
- Resident artist for Spare Parts Puppet Theatre
- Book illustration e.g. The Magnificent Seven, West Coast Eagles to name a few
- His caricatures grace the walls of thousands of workplaces and homes throughout Australia, which brought joy and happiness to many.
- Michaels work was extremely high calibre and received praise from some high profile victims including; Rowan Atkinson, Pete Postlethwaite, Marcel Marceau and Dame Edna to name a few.
In recognition of his talents and ability to spread the art of caricature through his teachings, the members of the Western Australian Division of the ACA have established the Michael Collins Caricature Award.
The main aim of the Award is to continue Michaels work by promoting creativity and the art of caricature via a national caricature award.
