Starting as an artist in 1957, he unsuccessfully tried to get into the Sydney Art School at Darlinghurst.

The Port Pirie-born man then returned to Adelaide and entered the South Australian School of Art.

He took a diploma in graphic art and was later employed by Channel 7.

But tragedy struck when his father developed a tumor.

His parents Daisy and Lionel had a grocery shop on The Terrace.

“It was a big business in the 1930s and 40s,” Mr Rodda said.

“After Woolworths opened, business went down.”

On receiving the news of his father’s illness, he returned to Port Pirie and stayed home with his mother until he was 19.

After this he gained a place in the Julian Ashton School of Art in Sydney to study fine art.

“I was lucky to have a mentor there called Mr Gibbins,” he said.

“Everyday I was like a boy meeting Father Christmas.”

Mr Rodda described him as an amazing teacher.

“He would tell you a story and relate it to your artwork,” he said.

His creative career came despite his having a love for horses.

“I thought I was going to be a horse trainer,” he said. “I fell into art.”

By the time Mr Rodda turned 26 his father had died. “It was very hard on me,” he said. “I got a stomach ulcer.”

Living in Sydney from 1965 to 1968 Mr Rodda was offered a job at his art school as a teacher.

In the few years he had been in the city he had been living off his savings.

He stayed at the school until 1975 when he became sick and moved back to Port Pirie.

“I was a wreck,” he said. “I did not draw a single thing for 15 years.”

Mr Rodda has not been able to paint ever since.

“I had a cleaning job and realised when I finished that I could draw again,” he said.

“I drew 700 crucifixions and would lay them in the passage.”

He later drew 25 half life-sized drawings of crucifixions, but dumped all of them.

Eventually, he went to the Workers Education Association in Adelaide.

“I started to feel better about my drawing,” he said.

While he resumed his love for drawing, he said he could never paint again.

“I have tried to get back into it,” he said. “It is just so unsuccessful.”