"The space between two extremes" - Exciting youthful art to please you!

During November, Jayes Gallery & Sculpture Gardens is pleased to announce a solo exhibition by an exciting artist. Her large abstract works are of particular interest and online images do not give the texture, form or depth of these fabulous works. So a visit to the gallery to fully appreciate these wonderful paintings firsthand is a must!

Laura Holland is a young artist from Dubbo NSW.  Since beginning painting at age 10, she has been practicing and refining her skills for the past 12 years. Now working on numerous exhibitions per year, Laura is gaining recognition for her diverse range of creativity and skill. Ranging from photo-realism in pencil and oils, to large scale abstract and mixed media work, Laura recognises there is an audience for both styles of her work.

"Inferno" Acrylic, Ink & Mixed Media on Canvas 1.2 m x 1.2 m

"I love watching people view my work, whether they are taken by the intensity of my large works, or intrigued by the detail in my drawings, the reactions are always different."  
  
Laura studied art throughout high school, and achieved great success in her HSC with her major work being selected for Art Express. Since then, Laura has continued to experiment with mediums and push the boundaries of paint, achieving dramatic results. The result of these pieces was 'Space', Laura's first solo exhibition in May 2011.

Alongside teaching both adult's and children's classes, Laura is continually working on her own practice, and currently developing her next body of work. 

"Poise" 100 cm x 40 cm Oil on Canvas

‘The Space Between Two Extremes’, is a show about the merging of two styles of Laura’s work. An experiment of combining the structure of traditional oils and realism with the fluidity of her large scale ink and mixed media works. An explosion of colour and a vivid dance between mediums on a canvas dance floor.

Opening on Saturday 24 November at 2 pm - all welcome!

A star studded night at Jayes!

ART EXHIBITION – Main Gallery

“EAST MEETS WEST”

Artist: Internationally renowned Marian Duncan

and daughter, Jade Duncan

Exhibition opens: Saturday 13 October 2012 at 6.00 pm

Exhibition runs: 13 October – 18 November 2012

Arabian horses, local studs and an eastern theme sets the stage for a wonderful exhibition on horses and rural life at Jayes Gallery in Molong soon.

With a strong international reputation, Marian Duncan is a ‘self proclaimed’ perfectionist when it comes to painting Arabian horses. Whilst Marian says she is still ‘learning’, her horses are so beautifully formed and fashioned, that they come to life before your eyes. With an exceptional eye for detail, Marian’s love of her subject shines through every work she produces.

Her works are regularly used on the covers of magazines; Australian Arabian Horse News and the American Arabian Horse Express and have been sold to collectors across Australasia. The USA, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and Jordan.
Marian tells us “The beauty and quality of the Arabian horse has no equal.” The Arabian is all about their large dark intelligent eyes, beautiful sculpted faces, large fine nostrils, soft velvet muzzles, curved ears, smooth elegant necks with thick manes, balanced body – their beauty lifts your senses and takes your breath away!” These sentiments present in Marian’s elegant paintings of these fine animals and her love of horses makes each work, a fine work of art.

Marian continues to study her Arabians together with all the trappings that make up a horse life; the traditional headstalls and saddles, heritage and environment, the body language and indeed every detail.

"Eyes of Kohl" Oil on Canvas

Supporting artist, Jade Duncan follows in her mother’s footsteps with her recent graphite drawings depicting the lives of local horses. Having been exposed to her mother’s artworks all of her life, it was certain that Jade was going to follow. 

Both ardent horse lovers, Jade tells us “I have been surrounded with horses all of my life, my earliest memories are filled with horses. My Mum introduced me to horses perhaps before I was even born and has passed on her love of everything about them. You may even say that I was brainwashed from birth, and would not change that for anything….I love it.”

We are proud to be able to bring together an exhibition featuring the quality works of both Marian daughter, Jade for your enjoyment and delight.

"United in Thirst" Graphite on Paper

Supporting the show with rural photography, is another family member, Colleen Clayton.

"Broadarrow Ambling" by Judy & Sarah Whitlock

 

"Foxground" Etching Plate in Silver Brooch (left) & as an etching! (right)

“BROADARROW AMBLING”

Artist: Nationally renowned Judy & Sarah Whitlock

Exhibition opens: Friday 7 September 2012 at 6.00 pm

Exhibition runs: 7 September – 7 October

“Broadarrow Ambling”
A collaborative exhibition in silver and on paper by Sydney-based, Sarah Whitlock, jewellery and object-maker, and Judy Whitlock, artist and printmaker. 

Work Practices
Sharing a studio in the City, Judy works on paper; Sarah works with metal – mostly sterling silver, adding precious and semi-precious stones. Judy etches her images into silver and then makes a very limited edition of prints on paper. Using these “master plates” Sarah creates wearable works of art and delicate objects.

Judy Whitlock is a Sydney-based professional exhibiting artist and multi talented woman. She works predominantly with paper - watercolour, etching, pen/ink, photography, oil-marbling, handmade books; gives workshops, demonstrations and is a watercolour tutor at Kuringai Art Centre. 

She is a member of the Friends Art Group and the Australian Society for Miniature Art (NSW), plays violin with the Balmain Sinfonia, studies Mandarin and carves name seals. 

Preferring the wild and untrammeled, she gravitates to areas less populated, in order to collect new material; areas like Willandra Lakes Heritage Area in western NSW, isolated pockets of the Snowy Mountains, and her country retreat at Watagan. Trees are special subjects.
Judy has been involved in numerous solo, collaborative, joint, and mixed exhibitions. Her work is represented in galleries and private collections in Australia, USA, Asia and Europe.  She has won many prizes particularly in the field of printmaking.

She prints from Flying Lobster Studios in Sydney city, gives demonstrations and workshops and is a watercolour tutor at Kuringai Art Centre. She is a member of the Friends Art Group.


Sarah Whitlock is a Sydney based contemporary jeweller working predominantly in sterling silver to create items of adornment and visual ecstasy. She works from her city studio-workshop-gallery space, the Flying Lobster Studio, now in its 12th year. 

Influences in Sarah’s work stem from such artists as Erte and Klimt as well as less identifiable artisans of ethnicity spanning the great continent, Arabic floral ornament, jewellery of Central Asia and East Asian decorative arts. 

Her range includes all things wearable, and is complemented by another more ornamental range hosted by whimsy and the odd flight of fancy. Trinket and treasure boxes, tooth-fairy boxes, perfume bottles, music boxes and clocks all designed and handcrafted with the extravagance of Faberge and passion of Sarah. 

Featured in magazines such as Marie Claire, Vogue, Studio Brides, and New Weekly Australia, Sarah is represented in commercial galleries and stores throughout NSW and private collections in Australia, Singapore, China, India, Greece and the USA.

"Broadarrow Ambling"

Opens: Friday 7 September 2012 at 6 pm

Exhibition runs: 7 September - 7 October 2012

"New Works" by Catherine Hale

"New Works"

Exhibition opens 6 July 2012 at 6 pm

Exhibition runs to 29 July 2012

Catherine Hale is an artist working in the Central West of NSW. Having grown up in Sydney she knows that there is more to life than living under the flight path a block from Parramatta Road.

She is now based in Bathurst and is the proud owner of a recently built backyard studio. Within this space, overlooking chicken coops and vegetable gardens; Catherine joins the frames, stretches the canvases and creates her paintings

ARTIST STATEMENT

My figurative paintings are executed from the imagination. They are narratives drawn from people and landscapes encountered:

Ø     during travels in a caravan round Australia

Ø     working on a multicultural program at the community centre

Ø     caring for Bathurst elderly and

Ø     volunteering at school vege garden working bees

I also work in landscape and still life; these are the inhabited spaces without the people.

"After the Fire" - Ceramics from Marjo Carter, Pauline Wellfare, Valerie Stuart & Margaret Ling

"After the Fire"

Exhibition opens: 6 July 2012 at 6 pm

Exhibition runs to 29 July 2012

Fire in its many forms has a potent and primitive place in the collective memory.

We recall the conflagrations that devour the countryside.  Yet we are also familiar with the hearth and stove where fire provides warmth and food. 

          

In this exhibition, some very different examples of the wonderful transmutative powers of fire, flame, heat and smoke when harnessed by the ceramic artist, are clearly evident. Each artist has an individual response to, and expectation of, the fire.

Margaret’s pots are simple, robust, handbuilt forms which wear the complex markings that result from the flame and smoke of the pitfire. Surfaces come alive with the suggestion of movement - a visual terrain across which the eye can travel.

By contrast, Pauline's fine porcelain pieces, transformed by heat but unmarked by it, reference the renewal of life and growth through seeds and pods, so delicately carved and polished. 

The soft, evocative qualities of smoke create the distinctive visual effects and surface decoration on Marjo’s pieces. And Val, significantly inspired by the forms and textures provided by nature, responds to the red hues of earth, enhanced and enriched by the passage of flame.

Results often prompt the imagination of the viewer, reading into the intricate matrix of pattern created by the passage of fire, flame, smoke. 

Marjo Carter

Artist Statement:

Currently, my studio practice revolves around individual handbuilt pieces that feature the softer, evocative nature of smoke firings. I have found much enjoyment in smoke firings, using natural sources such as leaves, grasses, pine needles, etc to create distinctive visual effects and surface decoration.

Another unique aspect of my work is the application of hand lettered calligraphy to the works, adding poetic meanings and depth to the pieces.

Margaret Ling

Artist statement:

I am inspired by nature and the primitive - the colours, the forms and the textures of the natural world around us.

              

My pots are simple, robust, handbuilt forms which wear the complex markings that result from the flame and smoke of the pitfire. Through this process I am looking for  surfaces that are alive with the suggestion of movement - a visual terrain across which the eye can travel.

The surface drama contained by the stillness of form.

                                          

 Pauline Wellfare

Artist Statement:

Making pots has been a passion for 25 years now, and I can’t see myself doing anything else.

Surface treatment is an important aspect of my work.  I like the work to be both a tactile experience as well as a visual one. Pieces are carved, sanded and polished a number of times during the firing and finishing processes in order to achieve the smooth, subtle surfaces I desire. The major inspiration for form, colour and decoration of my work comes from native vegetation I see in the surrounding bush, as well as the plant life I find in my garden.

                

Valerie Stuart

Artist Statement:

My work combines both wheel and hand building techniques. I use a variety of surface decoration and firing techniques in order to achieve a desired effect. My inspiration is drawn from everyday forms and textures provided by nature. When taken out of their context these characteristics impart a feeling of familiarity and surprise when viewed in a different framework.

"Unearthed" by Trevor Hood

UNEARTHING THE MEANING WITHIN

Trevor Hood asks us, “Mostly the world goes unnoticed. Do we notice below the surface? Do we look longer than the fleeting moment?

Either we don’t know what to look at or we fail to understand its importance and miss the opportunity to look at all. Much that we see is on our periphery and fails to register in any meaningful way. Sometimes we see phantoms, but what we see is only ever a slice of what can be considered real. No two people understand the world in the same way and no two people look, think or imagine alike."

These artworks are snapshots that can be seen to give some shape and drama to unnoticed shadows and unearth the barely perceived.”

This is Trevor’s first solo show at Jayes Gallery & Sculpture Gardens and we’re very excited to unearth what Trevor has been working on. His large and impressive works take us into unknown territory, the unseen forces of nature around us. His long career as a teacher in the arts gives him a dexterity with paint and canvas that is rarely seen. The works are finely tuned to build forms that incite the imagination with layers of transparent washes over solid shapes. This will be an outstanding exhibition of the highest standard.

"Red Earth"

Exhibition opens Friday 4 May at 6 pm - all welcome!

"Light, Life and Perspective" Exhibition by Joel Tonks

Joel tells about his show: “I grew up amongst a family of artists, with my mother, father and grandfather all actively creating art throughout my childhood. It was perhaps these influences that taught me to find beauty and detail in ordinary places. Having grown up in Orange NSW, I was always inspired by the extreme changes in colour and climate of the surrounding landscape. I began painting at 14, mostly depicting these vibrant local landscapes.

In my recent artwork, I try to push the boundaries of traditional realism and depict narratives through unusual perspectives. Since moving to the coast to study, I have been fortunate enough to have a lot of free time to travel and go on adventures, with my artwork often becoming a reflection of my experiences. I don’t always seek ideas for artworks; rather they hit me all at once and won’t leave me alone until put them down.

Creating artworks is my way of expressing feelings and experiences that I cannot put to words. I don’t fully understand why I paint, but there’s something immensely satisfying about putting the final touches and standing back to see what you’ve created. The need to create art is best described by William Faulkner, as “An artist is a creature driven by demons. He doesn't know why they chose him and he's usually too busy to wonder why.”

Exhibition opens Friday 4 May at 6 pm - all welcome!

"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   

STRENGTH CONTRAST & BOLDNESS GALVANISES INTO ONE EXHIBITION

With references from Brancusi and Giacometti in strong sculptural totemic forms through to interpretations of the landscape around Hill End, the opening show for 2012 is a strong and inspired collection of highly desirable artworks from two well recognised artists, Julie Williams and Hui Selwood.

Julie works by applying heavily contrasted layers of paint with the fine lines of ghostly heritage buildings that evoke a deep response in the viewer. Against these, the works of Hui Selwood, stand as totemic forms that imply the presence of souls among the ruins.

This is a natural alliance between 2 artists and friends who work from the heartland of the gold rush in Hill End near Bathurst NSW.

Julie Williams - Painter
My art practice primarily involves using painting as a problem solving experience to produce contemporary works with historical references.  The works, which explore relationships between the landscape and the built environment, are a combination of immediate responses to specific sites and ideas developed in the studio. Where we live creates relationship both visually and metaphorically, built environments either blend, recede or dominate but in the end it is the landscape that remains. The Australian attachment to landscape is very strong and landscape painting carries a huge legacy.  I think of my own work as trying to find something interesting and meaningful to say about my immediate landscape and at the same time make work, which is lively and compelling.  My interpretations are dependent on plein air studies, antique maps, photographs and archival documents.  My influences are the landscape and architecture of the historic gold rush town of Hill End, NSW, a place wrapped in a rich history of immigration, which has become a metaphor for my own sense of belonging.

Hui Selwood – Sculptor
Abstract compositions in the materials of metal and wood, predominate my work. The sculptural compositions acknowledge an architectural quality, which stems from my interest in design, architecture and construction. These works continue to investigate architectural ideas and design with the emphasis on the vertical, referencing totems and figures. The totem is a subject, which has occupied me for years. Intrigued by the totems from various cultures and civilisations, such as Aboriginal, African, Central and South American and Oceanic tribes, Ancient European and Eastern civilisations. My interest in the totem extends to the totem pole, where not only a connection has been established with my interest in architectural references but also with the figure, the quasi-representation of our selves. Questioning the need for humans to erect tall vertical structures from the times of Stonehenge to the modern high rise. A curious parallel, the evolutionary steps of man from the horizontal to the vertical. These works are responses to totems of the past, to contemporary architecture and to the sculptures of Brancusi, Giacometti, Meadmore and David Smith’s Cubi series.

"Elemental Sky" by Aida Pottinger

"Reflections" Acrylic & Oil on Canvas 50 cm x 70 cm

Artist’s Statement – Aida Pottinger

My mother was a Latvian refugee who fled the Russian invasion of Latvia into Germany and from there; she went as a refugee to England where she met my father. I was conceived in Lancashire and was born in Yorkshire where I was neither English nor Latvian. This exhibition tracks the landscapes linking mother and daughter. A powerful and emotional journey through war and migration, connecting Europe, England and Australia together. Land has a powerful hold over one’s identity. It is part memory, part anchor, part mystery. Peter Haynes, Director of ACT Museums and Galleries describes my work as “highly atmospheric, dream-like presentation with an air of mystery and nostalgia which captures the veils of memory”

I work in a variety of mediums including oils acrylics and ink and while working with a particular location in mind I am not bound by an exact recreation – I prefer to let intuition and the medium dictate what happens on the surface, exploring images which arrest the eye and are arrived at spontaneously. Working from life and landscape as a jumping off point. I like to push the source material to capture an atmosphere or mood visually echoing memories and emotions. My work emerges out of a landscape I may be working on and is a subconscious recognition of how the earth gives birth, nurtures, sustains and eventually reclaims the life on it.

My interests in composition, atmosphere and light reflect several of my artistic influences. First is the tradition of romantic landscape and the obvious influences of JMW Turner and Caspar David Friedrich.  A second direct influence on my work are the works of  Mark Rothko and Barnett Newman, who explored spatial structure and resonant colours in their abstract works. My work continues in these traditions by constructing landscapes that directly and meaningfully resonate to the viewers’ presence and engagement.

"Birdsong" by Lucy Watts

"Quenching the morning's thirst" Acrylic & Oil on Canvas 45 cm x 45 cm

ARTIST'S STATEMENT

The beautiful Australian Magpie has always inspired me. As a young girl I clearly remember looking through an enormous arch shaped window of a very old building onto towering gum trees. I was searching for the group of magpies that were making the most heavenly sound. I had just started in the junior school choir at the time and we practised once or twice a week. I thought “These birds are incredible. Here they are throwing together a complex choral masterpiece on a whim from the trees when we, in the school choir, were struggling to hold a two-part harmony.”

Much later I learned that these stunning bird songs were actually battle tunes performed to assert territorial dominance but at the time their music seemed like a glorious celebration of the Australian bush. It’s hard to imagine a bush setting like this without the melodious warbling of the Australian Magpie. This idea of the magpie song celebrating Australia’s natural beauty is the inspiration behind this exhibition.

The remote property where we live is in the Central Western farming district of NSW. Our garden drops away to a patchwork of endless plains that move with the seasons. The quilt of paddocks is set against a backdrop of deep blue mountains. In the early morning members of the huge colony of magpies that have made our garden and paddocks beyond their home, play in the garden together. They teach their young to fly from the nearby power-lines. For hours they supervise their young as they copy the technique their parents have displayed earlier. They duck and weave among the trees, dance under our sprinkler and warble atop our Hills Hoist. Their antics never fail to entertain and fascinate me.

My intention with this body of work has been to capture the personality, energy and texture of these wonderful creatures.

Bringing the Tuscan home!

Jayes Gallery & Sculpture Gardens is delighted to be able to bring you an amazing array of new artworks, ceramics and sculptures from artists across Central West NSW.

Nicole Parkins

Autumn is on it’s way and while the countryside gets painted in asounding colours right before our eyes, Jayes Gallery is pleased to be showing the works of Nicole Parkins, a newcomer t this region. For Nicole’s first solo show with us, she has painted a selection of small and delightful works inspired by her journeys in Tuscany. Nicole tells us that this regional reminds her of Tuscany with its rolling hills, vineyards, orchards and woodlands dotting the landscape.

Her works are colourful and joyful and we invite you to join us on Sunday 10 April at 2 pm for the opening of Nicole’s show.

Nicole says of her work “First stop on my first venture out of Australia was in the beautiful medieval village of Montecastello, Umbria, Italy. Many of the works on paper in this exhibition were completed while doing a residency in this little town on top of a hill surrounded by classic Italian countryside.  The town itself was gorgeous; rustic charm hugged every doorway, corner, or stone paved lane way.  From the 360 view around the town, white roads and rivers meandered through the countryside, which I frequently ventured out into on walks, gathering images in my mind to take home.  Later, on my return to my studio in Australia, I completed further studies and painted the canvas series.  My works are reflections on the many moods of myself, the changing landscape and the stories that it can create and tell.”

Marjo Carter

We are delighted to bring you a small selection of smoke fired pottery from well known potter, Marjo Carter. Margo’s works are highly sought after and once again, she has excelled in the works in this collection.

"The Living Landscape" by Georgia Mansur

Georgia Mansur grew up in California and moved to Australia in 1984, settling with husband Pete on a cotton property one hour west of Moree, NSW. This isolated new environment gave Georgia the opportunity to look inward for her source of creativity and self-expression. Painting and communicating her world became an inner wellspring of discovery and joy for the artist.

Now living on their vineyard in Mudgee, Georgia has continued to explore watercolour, pastels, acrylics, mixed media and oils to find the best way to express her fascination with nature. Being able to share through art that original emotion of being moved by nature; watching the shadows grow long against the setting sun is a wonderful expression of the human experience.

A particular interest in helping others to see the way light and colour on form produces artistic ‘magic’ drives Georgia to share this passion with others.

Teaching and communicating about creativity and self expression through art has been a fulfilling experience for the artist. As Artist in Residence at Hamilton Island, Great Barrier Reef, as well as teaching workshops around the country and overseas, Georgia enjoys that interaction from helping others to tap into the natural creativity within us.

Having completed a Bachelor of Communication at CSUS (California), Georgia feels painting is another level to communicate with others in a way that goes beyond words. Making a connection with the viewer of one’s artworks and truly touching and inspiring them with what you have created is this artist’s ultimate goal.

Georgia has studied with many well known Australian and International painting masters, including Joseph Zbukvic, Herman Pekel, Patrick Carroll, Alvaro Castagnet, David Taylor, Colley Whisson, Chris Brown, Colina Grant, Les McDonough, Mignon Parker, Jeff Rigby, Jerry Fresia (Italy) and Gil Dellinger, Terry Miura and Ignat Ignatov (California) to name a few.

Georgia was a finalist in the 2008 Country Energy $35,000 Landscape Prize, and has won many awards, including First Prizes in art shows with judges Edmund Capon (Director Art Gallery of NSW), Justin Miller (Director Sotheby’s Australia), Georgina Pemberton (Australian Paintings-Sotheby’s), as well as being selected for the Calleen Art Prize, Cowra (twice), The Rocks Market Art Prize (3 times) and winner of the People’s Choice Award ‘Driven to Abstraction’, Mudgee.

Georgia participated in the San Clemente Plein Air event and Quick Draw in June 2010 and also was the recipient of the Cyndee Van de Walker Scholarship sponsored by LPAPA (Laguna Plein Air Painters Assoc) in July 2010.

Georgia's work is now showing in the Wells Fargo Bank Collection in Laguna Beach, California and at Randy Higbee Gallery in Los Angeles.

Georgia teaches at the Mudgee TAFE (Technical and Further Education) and is currently delivering Creativity/Mixed Media, Exploring Colour/Watercolours and an Arts Marketing course to help others get their career off the ground.

The artist has recently returned from the Northern Territory in outback Australia teaching art workshops and touring Kakadu National Park.  

Upcoming workshops and events:

Cortona, Italy 17-24 Sept 2011~ Plein Air Workshop

Santorini Greece 28 Sept-5 Oct 2011~ Plein Air Workshop

Grafton Artsfest 13-16 April 2011~ Mixed Media Workshop

Australian International Plein Air Event 10-22 March 2012

Artist in Residence at Hamilton Island Great Barrier Reef, 2011 dates to be confirmed

*Georgia is a Certified International Golden Paints Artist Educator *

Georgia Mansur’s work is in collections in Australia, USA, UK, Germany, Hong Kong, and Singapore. 

ARTIST STATEMENT

Painting is a form of communication that acts as a bridge directly from me

to you, no words necessary.  My intense passion to explore creates a process in which I am exposed and made vulnerable—my personal perceptions weave their way into pieces, imprinting like an individual stamp.

It is this honesty that I am looking for and it is all there, if we take the time to look for it.

My work is shaped by a deep connection to the land---growing up in a farming community in California, my years in the Australian Bush, as well as time spent on our Mudgee vineyard. The natural environment, in all its ugliness and all its glory, fascinates me--- echoing human nature in an intriguingly similar way.

Colour and light motivate me, fueling my passion to paint. Painting is like music, creating a reaction, evoking a mood---sometimes bold and vibrant, sometimes soft and reflective---expressing and enriching our lives.

I am most inspired by the changing light and how it affects forms so dramatically. Early morning/late afternoon are my favourite times of day to watch the sun moving, casting long shadows and creating wonderful drama, throwing everything into a balance of light and dark, soft and hard edges.

Communicating in the language of visual art is very satisfying for me to express what I think and feel; even more powerful when the message is received by the viewer, linking us in a way not possible before.

Sometimes words are inadequate and painting helps

me put a finger on my emotions and express them,

creating an awareness within.

In some ways it is like a key to a secret passageway~

a beautiful place of possibilities and connection to all humanity.

"The Road to Tanami" via Molong!

An exhibition of recent artworks inspired by a journey through the most outback and desolate region of Australia, the Tanami Desert by Wanda Driscoll.

In her usual inimitable style, Wanda takes us to a new land, the Tanami desert in Central Australia. She is not called Wanda for nothing as her journeys take her to amazing places that many Australians have never seen and it is an extraordinary experience to be able to see these places through her particular style of paintings!

Colourful and rich, these artworks are imbued with the rawness of the Australian landscape, the depth and variety of colours. Her brushstrokes contain the freedom of the wind as they sweep across her canvasses.

The opening night was well attended and a lot of laughter as Wanda described her journeys to the gathered art lovers.

An art show that should not be missed! Only at the gallery for one month so come and see us soon! Exhibition ends 14 November.