Forthcoming Exhibitions
Bouquet with red rose and blue cornflower
Acrylic on board
30 x 25 cm
‘Bouquet’ opened at Ladder Art Space, Denmark St Kew on 27 March 2024.
Here is a summary of my Artist Statement: ‘Bouquet’ examines in detail the natural world of flowers. My intention was to capture the unique personality of each specimen.
Humans have a strong relationship with flowers. They are symbols of love, joy, hope, gratitude, peace and loss. They hold our memories. Their fragrance sends humans into a state of euphoria. They are a mirror of our own lives in their inherent fragility and vulnerability. Their beauty inspires creativity. Many poets have written about flowers and a small selection of these poems accompany the paintings in this exhibition.
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‘Domestica’ opened at Meeniyan Art Gallery, 84 Whitelaw Street, Meeniyan, South Gippsland. It ran from October 30 – 25 November 2019. Here is an excerpt from my speech on the Opening day:
Following in the footsteps of Grace Cossington Smith and Margaret Olley, who both painted the interiors of their homes, I have centred my art practice around the immediate environment of our home in Ringwood. I have recently widened my gaze to include the laundry and domestic appliances.
I use arbitrary, expressive colour in the compositions. All are diffused with a sense of light. I paint in acrylic and draw up the image onto the canvas with charcoal first. I then paint black acrylic over the charcoal line to fix it.
Now retired from my job, the opportunity to paint full time has been a joy. I have realised that every-day, domestic objects and interiors can provide endless ideas for artistic expression and compositional challenge.
Corner of the laundry
Acrylic on canvas
60 x 50 cm
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In November 2017, I had an exhibition ‘Window’ at Tacit Galleries, 123a Gipps St (cnr Gipps/Islington), Collingwood, Vic. 3067.
Amina’s window-sill
Acrylic on canvas
61 x 61 cm.
Windows reflect ourselves. Windows make us look beyond ourselves. Windows are a bridge to the outside world. Windows are in-between security and the unknown. Windows are a prison or a means of escape. Windows let in the fresh air or keep in the warmth.
Looking at window paintings by Matisse, Bonnard and Dufy, I see how they endlessly incorporated them into their compositions. I have just begun.
