"Face the Music" by Connie Eales

ARTIST INSPIRED TO PAINT THROUGH HER LOVE OF MUSIC

Connie tells us about the inspiration for “FACE THE MUSIC” artworks, “I was once a violinist – not a brilliant violinist, but more than competent and I loved playing the instrument.  I was never a professional musician but I derived so much pleasure from making music on my lovely violin alone and with friends who played other instruments.   Injury to my fingers put an end to these pleasures. 

I listen to music every day of my life and since I can paint but not play, I derive a great deal of satisfaction from painting musical themes and musicians. I want to share that pleasure with others.”

Connie Eales, born in Gulgong NSW, grew up on the Central Coast and moved to Sydney when she enrolled at Sydney University for her first degree.  Connie achieved her BA, Dip.Ed and taught High School for three years before undertaking further post-graduate work at Macquarie University.  Her Masters degree and subsequent work in school counselling ensured her registration as a professional psychologist in NSW.

Connie occupied a senior executive position in the NSW Department of Education for 9 years in which time she also spent time working with the then Minister for Education.  During this time Connie achieved a Masters degree from the Graduate School of Management.

Connie ran her practice The Advancement Centre in Western Sydney for 10 years providing psychology services, career consulting and in-service training for individuals, schools and businesses.  Concurrently Connie taught in post-graduate courses at Macquarie University and UTS.

With this academic background you might wonder how Connie has come to be a well known artist in mid-western NSW.  The answer is that she decided on a career change.  She decided to pluck up the courage to relinquish a lucrative job to pursue a life-long desire – the desire to create the art that had been incubating for years in her heart and mind.  Connie had always been an artist at heart and whenever she could find some time in her life in the fast lane, she painted, even if it was only the occasional oil study.  Her husband and two daughters were frequently the subject of portrait vignettes.

In her new art career Connie took some classes, worked under the mentorship of several professional artists and just got in some good brush mileage.

The academic bug struck again in 2007/8 when Connie undertook post-graduate qualifications in Museum Studies at Macquarie University.  Connie curated exhibitions for Cudgegong Gallery and Mudgee Arts Council for several years while at the same time pursuing her own artistic bent.  She now holds one or more exhibitions a year to share her latest muse and patrons have described her work as addictive as many of them own two or more of her paintings and they claim that they never tire of looking at them and always see something in them that they never noticed before.

"Musica de Mondo"

Exhibition opens: Friday 30 March 2012 at 6.00 pm

Exhibition runs: 30 March – 29 April 2012   

"Through my eyes - Cambodian Inspiration" by Matthew Begg

Matt tells of the inspiration for this new exhibition of works “Seeing Cambodia for the first time was like looking at life with fresh eyes. In Cambodia everything is so different from the West- the architecture, the landscape, the way of living and the organization of the place-the country is so raw.

“I don’t want to capture just the grand architecture and the glamorous living. I want to capture the essence of the place, the beauty of the average building or street scene-the real Cambodia”.

Matthew Begg was born in Camden Australia in 1979 and is now residing in Dubbo in Central Western NSW. Matthew is a self taught artist, he developed an interest in art as a small child and as long as he can remember he has drawn and painted.

Matthew usually works with acrylic on cotton because of its versatile nature. His work is highly detailed, elaborate and engrossing and demonstrates a sophisticated knowledge of perspective.

During Matthew’s trip to Cambodia he was inspired to paint the everyday life and the conditions that the people experience. He loved the honesty and rawness of the country, nothing was swept under the carpet - both beauty and harshness was exposed for all to see.

Matthews latest exhibited artworks have been inspired from photographs taken by himself, friends or family. He is currently working on a range of streetscapes.

"Paddy Field"

Exhibition opens: Friday 30 March 2012 at 6.00 pm

Exhibition runs: 30 March – 29 April 2012