Daws, Lawrence (1927-...), an Australian painter, studied at the National Gallery of Victoria Art School from 1949 to 1953. But the precise and geometrically ordered nature of his early paintings originated in his studies of engineering and architecture at the University of Adelaide and two years of geological survey work in New Guinea. His geological experience inspired Daws to paint both realistic and abstract landscapes of the vast Australian interior. Daws is also a noted portrait painter. He developed a respect for craftsmanship that remains an important characteristic of his work.