Artist Name: MARISA VEERMAN

Artwork Title: PIP

Medium: Photography, Embroidery

Size: 60 x 60cm

About the Artist:

Marisa Veerman is a Brisbane based fine artist working in the areas of photography and textiles. Forging a career as a textile visual merchandiser in fabric boutiques across the state, Marisa was well known for her creative expertise in sculpting theatrical pieces on mannequins using pins and fabric alone.

An emerging force in the art world, Marisa has now established a unique space through the creation of mixed media photographic works that are embellished with fine embroidery and beading. Using carefully staged and costumed models, Veerman utilises light and long-exposure times to effect a melancholic and ethereal beauty, transcendent of time and place.

Imbued with a delicate sensibility, Marisa’s works explore a creative space that exists between fragility and strength; between childhood innocence and vulnerability.

Artist Statement:

Sometimes it feels like there is an ominous wave of anaesthesia that is slowly wrapping around us all.

I really want to feel alive and embrace my humanity and step outside the numbness.
I want to gently wake you, so you feel alive too.

You may meet a sense of calm, joy or even melancholy.
I don’t really mind what you feel as long as you feel something.
Our thoughts and feelings give us vital energy.

Artist Name: GEORGINA SEPA

Artwork Title: ECNELIS

Medium: Acrylic Paint

Size: 45 x 45cm

About the Artist:

I am driven by a passion for capturing the beauty and complexity of the world around me through my artwork. Drawing inspiration from people, culture, and personal experiences, I strive to create pieces that evoke emotion and spark connection with viewers. My work often explores themes of identity, belonging, and the human experience, employing a variety of mediums and techniques to bring my vision to life.

Artist Statement:

Her gaze fixed on the unseen horizon beyond the barrier. Her expression is one of contemplation, tinged with a hint of longing and uncertainty. It's as though she is suspended in a moment of quiet reflection, grappling with the invisible constraints that confine her and the weight of her own thoughts.

She seems vulnerable.

The predominant use of blue hues envelops the scene in a tranquil yet melancholic ambiance, evoking the depths of the ocean. The interplay of light and shadow adds depth to the composition, casting subtle ripples of movement across the surface of the barrier and imbuing the painting with a sense of surrealism.

Artist Name: TODD SIMPSON

Artwork Title: MAN VERSUS MACHINES

Medium: Painting, Airbrushed Acrylic on Aluminum

Size: 61 x 61cm

About the Artist:

Todd Simpson is a contemporary realist artist based in Melbourne whose paintings have been exhibited nationally. Through his art he endeavours to capture the fleeting moments that often evade our attention. Specializing in portraiture and landscape, Todd employs airbrushes as his primary medium.

Artist Statement:

'Man Versus Machines’ is a portrayal of the human experience amidst the relentless march of technology. Amongst the downtown splendour, a solitary human figure symbolizes resilience and the enduring human spirit. Yet, the artwork also hints at an underlying tension, where modern existence is entangled with technology and we face the paradox of our reliance on the creations that both empower and constrain us. The omnipresence of machines surrounding the figure evokes a sense of being observed, as if hunted prey, by the very technology meant to serve us.

Artist Name: DAEVID ANDERSON

Artwork Title: UNWRAPPED (CHROME)

Medium: Oil on board

Size: 40 x 40cm

About the Artist:

Daevid Anderson is a contemporary realist painter currently living and working in Perth, Western Australia. A five-time finalist in the Lester Prize/Black Swan Prize for Portraiture, most recently in 2020, Daevid has been a finalist in the Shirley Hannan Portrait Prize twice, picking up the Mailroom Prize in 2018. In 2017, he was selected as a semi finalist in the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, a finalist in the George’s River Art Prize, Darlington Reserve Art Prize, and the Collie Art Prize, and won the painting prize at the City of Stirling Art Awards. In 2018 Daevid was selected as a finalist in the Kennedy Art Prize and received a judge’s commendation in the Lethbridge 10000. His work is held in private collections across Australia and the United States.

Artist Statement:

This work is part of an ongoing series of still lifes with objects arranged in simple white boxes, which aims to merge traditional trompe l'oeil with a contemporary aesthetic and nostalgia for the toys of our childhood. This piece was a particular challenge being mostly monochrome - the hard edged shiny robot against the soft enveloping cloth.

Artist Name: PAUL TREFRY

Artwork Title: GLADYS ALWAYS KNEW CHARLIE WAS LATE.

Medium: mixed

Size: 40 x 60cm

Artist Name: LORIBELLE SPIROVSKI

Artwork Title: LAS MENINAS

Medium: Oil on wood panel

Size: 40 x 40cm

About the Artist:

Born in Manila in 1990, Loribelle Spirovski resettled in Australia in 1999. Her work is influenced by the contrasting images of both countries, as well as her parents' mixed Asian-European ethnicities.

Driven by a strong sense of play and experimentation, Spirovski's work draws inspiration from artists such as Francis Bacon, Paula Rego, Giorgio de Chirico, and Egon Schiele. As an artist she feels most connected to the medium of paint, rich in historical tradition, with a timeless versatility able to capture the unique conflicts and contradictions of the 21st century.

Artist Statement:

The role of the artist is to observe. The role of the art is to reflect the artist. This self-portrait takes its name from Diego Velazquez's group portrait of the Spanish court, which famously plays with the gaze by bouncing the eye from subject to subject. My own self-portrait reflects on being 34: a familiar, yet unfamiliar face in the mirror; an older self-portrait contained within the same reflection; a framed photograph of my child-self; a preparatory sketch in the left-hand corner; all intimations of past and future. Las Meninas means 'ladies-in-waiting' and in this portrait of my own handmaidens, it is ultimately the person being watched that holds the key to its meaning.

Artist Name: JULIAN CLAVIJO

Artwork Title: EMERGING FROM WATER AND LAND

Medium: Spray paint and oil on wood blocks

Size: 32 x 32cm

Artist Name: SACHI OIZUMI

Artwork Title: BIORHYTHM

Medium: Organic Pigment Color

Size: 46 x 38cm

About the Artist:

Sachi is modern artist classically trained in 100% natural
traditional Japanese art techniques.
Each paint is mixed by crushed natural mineral combined glue extracted from deer skin.and 22 karat gold sheet and crushed pearl.

Artist Statement:

Biorhythm-The fragile harmony of life measured in hours, days and years

Artist Name: SCOTT MCDOUGALL

Artwork Title: WINTERS AFTERNOON LIGHT, TENTERFIELD NSW

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 40 x 60cm

Artist Statement:

I set out to capture the crisp chill in the air as early winters light slowly disappeared from this granite strewn landscape, just outside of Tenterfield.

Artist Name: RILEY P

Artwork Title: DOUGHTNUTS ON A RAINY NIGHT

Medium: Acrylic on board

Size: 50 x 40cm

Artist Name: ALEXANDRA MATTHEWS

Artwork Title: GOLDEN FRINGED SPILL, ACACIA FIMBRIATA

Medium: Acrylic

Size: 44 x 44cm

About the Artist:

Alexandra's Still Life visual arts practice explores relationships forged with objects implying narratives. Evolving out of a love of detail, colour, light, and the notion that inanimate objects can be seen to have a life of their own. Her paintings uncover the hidden splendour of the familiar as it transitions and transforms with light, natural and artificial.

Recent winner of 31 West Chambers Inaugural 10000 Art Award 2024, Judge: Geraldine Barlow, GOMA & Hon Justice Thomas Bradley SCQLD
1st Prize Rotary Art Award Acrylic 2023 and 1st Prize Royal Queensland Art Society BLLP Landscape Prize 2023
Alexandra's artworks are represented in Australian and Overseas Collections

Artist Statement:

Transformed by Australian light, verge collected Brisbane Wattle is elevated in a silver collared, crystal spill bowl. Each holds history, amalgamated in shared light. Newly added (2023) emblem of Brisbane and inspiration for the green and gold that unite our country, Acacia Fimbriata is representational of the Australian spirit. The background is inspired by strong Australian timbers and the dark sap trees produce to heal wounds.

Artist Name: TRISH TAIT

Artwork Title: LONELINESS REMEMBERS WHAT HAPPINESS FORGETS

Medium: Oil

Size: 30 x 30cm

About the Artist:

Trish Tait paints in a realist style using oils, and is essentially interested in detailed portraiture. Her recent solo exhibition, Portraits of sound, a series of portraits of young musicians, exhibited at the Tweed Regional Gallery in early 2024.
In 2023, 2022 and 2020 Trish was selected to hang in the Salon des Refusés, the S.H. Ervin
Gallery’s ‘alternative selection’ of the Archibald.
Trish was selected as a finalist in the 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020 Portia Geach Memorial Award
at the S.H. Ervin Gallery Sydney, and a semifinalist in the 2021 Doug Moran National Portrait
prize Sydney.

Artist Statement:

Loneliness remembers what happiness forgets

A young musician experiencing the disconnect and entrapment of loneliness .
My portrait captures a young man in a solitary moment, the company of his guitar provides comfort and inspiration.
The open curtain, a subliminal message that light will eventually replace the darkness.
Oil painted on circular timber, reminiscent of an LP record.

Artist Name: BELINDA STANTON

Artwork Title: 'HAPPY NEW YEAR'

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 60 x 60cm

About the Artist:

Belinda Stanton completed her Bachelor of Creative Art (hons) degree at the University of Southern Queensland in 2023. Prior to these studies, she was a graphic designer, illustrator, and potter. Her current work focuses on the process of translating personal thoughts into tangible, external spaces, communicating a visual narrative for others to perceive and experience.

Her interest in the transference of visual information from mind to canvas stems from her fascination with the human condition. In particular, how our minds work, how we translate and communicate thoughts visually, and how these tangible images become a physical record of our contemporary experiences. Belinda has recently begun looking at the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how this new technology could be used as a camera obscura that provides us with a distorted view of reality. She is examining the way in which image generation AI uses user prompts, publicly available images, and labelling systems to create work that reflects popular culture and contemporary societal biases and norms. She believes that by incorporating new technologies in her art processes such as AI and 3D printing, she can tap into the zeitgeist of the early 21st century.

Artist Statement:

At the turn of the year 2024 my life seemed once again to float before my eyes. In an effort to paint my current experience I sifted through source images created using AI agent MidJourney. Using my usual process, I dissected a multitude of AI created reference images and pulled out the symbolic visuals that resonated with my mood. Part of this process typically involves using transparent layers in photoshop to scale and place the different visuals into a draft/reference composition I am happy with. Whilst in photoshop, I found the transparent layers themselves interesting and found that they were representative of the two very different directions my life could go in the new year. Am I looking forward to a year of promise and progress or another year of patience that would require me to center myself? It was my glimpse into the unknown, I didn’t know what was real and what wasn’t real. This painting helped me to understand what is ‘is’, even when you don’t know what it is.

Artist Name: ANDREW BONNEAU

Artwork Title: HOMERIC STILL LIFE

Medium: Oil on Board

Size: 30 x 40cm

About the Artist:

Andrew Bonneau is a painter based in the Southern Highlands, NSW. He has exhibited widely in both group and solo exhibitions within Australia. His work, in the genres of still life and portraiture is known for its realism, its luminosity and its subtlety of colour.
Andrew was the recipient of The William Fletcher Foundation Rome Fellowship in 2019, spending 3 months as a resident artist at the British School at Rome.
His work is held in several collections, including Sydney Grammar School, The State Library of NSW and The National Portrait Gallery.

Artist Statement:

This painting brings together objects that can be seen as alluding to the Trojan War described by Homer in The Iliad and The Odyssey. The Judgment of Paris, the battle between Hector and Achilles and the Trojan horse are all referred to, and the background suggests both the sea journey from Greece to Troy, and red-the war itself. My painting practice centres on pure observation from life, and the genre of still life is perfect for this pursuit.

Artist Name: HARI LUALHATI

Artwork Title: WASHED IN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB

Medium: Oil on Aluminium Panel

Size: 60 x 60cm

About the Artist:

HARI LUALHATI ARTIST’S STATEMENT

I prefer to refer to my art pieces as my “SOULWORKS” because to me, they transcend mere artworks; they are embodiments of my soul expressed through art, serving as a direct connection to my inner self and encapsulating values that are profoundly significant to me. The essence of my Soulworks revolves around powerful life lessons, aha moments, and realizations that have left an indelible mark on my journey, shaping me into a better version of myself. Through my Soulworks, I aim to preserve and convey these lessons and inspirations to others, grounded in the belief that, as human beings, we are inherently interconnected and share the same spectrum of emotions.

The human figure, with its sincerity and raw beauty, has always captivated me. In my creations, I intertwine elements of nature and animals with the human form to emphasize the interconnectedness that binds us all. My artistic style can be characterized as a harmonious blend of realism, expressionism, and symbolism. Every stroke on the canvas is a heartfelt expression, as I believe in painting with my heart. The success of a Soulwork, in my perspective, lies in its ability to evoke the intended emotion in anyone who gazes upon it—a means of delivering a clear message by touching the hearts of viewers.

Artist Statement:

Title: "Washed in the Blood of the Lamb"

In my artistic journey, I affectionately refer to all my creations as "Soulworks" because they are a profound reflection of the life lessons and realizations that have guided me on my quest to become a better version of myself. These artworks serve as a direct connection to my soul, a conduit through which I express my deepest convictions.

Among these Soulworks, I am delighted to introduce "Washed in the Blood of the Lamb." This piece is a visual testament to the sacrificial blood of Christ, a symbol of His ultimate act of love and redemption. Let me take you on a journey through the symbolism interwoven within this Soulwork.

The Lamb: At the heart of this painting, the lamb symbolizes Jesus Christ. Just as a sacrificial lamb, He offered His life on the cross so that we, who believe, may find life and salvation.

White Blood: The main figure and the lamb are partially submerged in a pool of white. This pristine hue represents the blood of Christ, transformed into purity and holiness. It is a tribute to His immaculate sacrifice for our salvation.

The Main Figure: This central portrait, an embodiment of myself and, in a broader sense, all of humanity, stands soaked in this "white blood." Her baptism, symbolized by her wet hair, signifies a declaration of faith in Christ – a public confession of our unwavering commitment to Him.

Raised Left Arm: My choice to raise the left arm holds personal significance, as I am a left-handed artist. It's through this very hand that I breathe life into my Soulworks, a gesture of creative devotion.

Red Blood on the Left Hand: Blood, as a symbol of life, is prominently featured on the left hand. In my interpretation, it signifies my life's purpose – to utilize the talents bestowed upon me by God to share the profound lessons I've learned through Him with the world through my Soulworks. In essence, it embodies our responsibility to use the life we've been given for a greater purpose.

The phrase "washed in the blood" describes the act of accepting the gift of salvation offered by Jesus. His perfect sacrifice has cleansed us from sin and made us new creations. This piece is a tribute to the sacrifices and boundless love of Christ, reminding us that through His cleansing, we are reborn and made holy.

The "emotional eyes" of the main figure seek to connect with you, whispering to your heart a heartfelt wish – that we may all be "washed in the blood" of Jesus, purified and redeemed by His selfless act of love.

In honoring the sacrifice and immense love of Christ, this Soulwork stands as a tribute to the new life we find in Him, as 2 Corinthians 5:17 declares. As the Hebrews 10:10 reminds us, we have been sanctified through the body of Jesus Christ, a once-for-all sacrifice.

May this artwork resonate with your soul and inspire you to reflect on the profound gift of salvation through Christ.

Artist Name: NICOLE REED

Artwork Title: WHAT'S YOUR POISON CLANCY?

Medium: Oil on canvas framed in black hardwood

Size: 61 x 61cm

About the Artist:

Nicole Reed is an emotive painter working in Gubbi Gubbi Country, Sunshine Coast. As a romantic artist, Nicole sees the world through an emotive lens, translating deep human emotions within her works, a balance of things existing, both in nature and her imagination. 

Artist Statement:

With concern for the rapid escalation of climate change, artificial intelligence, and an increasingly treacherous world of online scams, Reed’s overwhelm led her to focus on nostalgia and sustainability. Painting in a slower style of classical realism, using vintage wares repurposed into vessels for locally foraged plants. 

Artist Name: SUSAN SCHMIDT

Artwork Title: A VERDANT HEART

Medium: oil and acrylic on canvas

Size: 50 x 50cm

About the Artist:

Susan’s paintings are contemporary figurative with subtle abstract elements and surprises, reflecting concern for the environment. Layered and rubbed back evoking nostalgia, inviting appreciation for the taken for granted. An award-winning mid-career artist, Susan’s works are exhibited, selected and collected nationally and internationally and held in public and private collections.

Artist Statement:

‘A Verdant Heart’ evokes nostalgia for a day, era or life spent.
Sunlight glints on green glass. A fleeting moment, insignificant until all it held is lost and nothing but a memory.

Artist Name: DOMINIKA KELLER

Artwork Title: GAUGUIN WITH GARDEN BOTANICALS & ANTIQUE FORK

Medium: acrylic on linen

Size: 61 x 61cm

About the Artist:

I am a botanical illustrator and self-taught painter, based in the Yarra Valley region of Victoria. My practice explores an interest in objects as vessels of connection to people, places and notable experiences and nurtures a deep love of both nature and domesticity, a celebration of life.

Artist Statement:

This piece is akin to a love letter to myself, an opportunity to celebrate the goodness of my late autumn garden and delight in the abundance of what I have grown and harvested. It is a celebration of objects and botanicals that feed my soul through what they privately represent.

Artist Name: DESIREE CROSSING

Artwork Title: THREE MUSES

Medium: Oil on board

Size: 36 x 28cm

About the Artist:

This piece was one of those artworks that come together through pure inspiration. It was painted solely from a still life in my studio, using items sourced from my immediate environment.

Artist Statement:

This work is an ode to three muses that chase a course through the history of mankind.

Artist Name: DONNA MALONE

Artwork Title: BARCELONA! MOMENTS PRECIOSOS (SIDE 1)

Medium: mixed media on paper

Size: 40 x 40cm

About the Artist:

Brisbane based artist Donna Malone devotes full-time work to the production of her images and forms. All the more surprising, then, is the fact that so much of what she produces still manages to appear so fresh, at times childlike in their immediacy and simplicity. Yet this is no small feat - Donna is an artist who takes on each new drawing or collage as if it was the first. Instead of relying on a familiar, well-worn collection of tropes and approaches, she manifests the images from the substrates through processes of soaking and layering and piercing, ripping, and abrading the substrates. This results in images that appear to have emerged as if of their own volition – fugitive apparitions that are indistinguishable from the materials, tones and colours from which they draw form. Her resultant images demand ‘the slower look’; where viewers are called to pay attention to zones beneath surfaces of wash, collage and markmaking so that other subtleties emerge.

Artist Statement:

Note; This is a double sided artwork. The reverse side image is the 2nd image

Barcelona is an artist haven and in between getting up close and personal with Tapies, Picasso and Miro I sat and drew in the bustling outdoor squares and cafés capturing the scenes unfold around me and pinching myself.
The work presented here as collage was originally made in Barcelona using my drawings and ephemera from the markets, handmade paper and materials sourced from the local Barcelona art shops together with etchings and monoprints created at Art Print Residency where I stayed and worked for 2 weeks with a family of Catalonian master printmakers.
The memories of this time draw vague then lucid and are obscured again as my hands wrangle the papers in my studio 8 years down the track. I start to appreciate and comprehend the bigheartedness extended to me in Barcelona. This work bears witness to this.

Artist Name: MIRANDA FREE

Artwork Title: FLAVOURS OF PROVENCE

Medium: Oil on canvas

Size: 45 x 61cm

About the Artist:

Based in the small town of Nannup in Western Australia, Miranda divides her time between there and Fremantle while retaining strong links to Brisbane where she lived for 25 years and trained at the at the Arts Academy that was based at Balmoral SHS. Her arts practice is generally devoted to recognisable depictions of people and the world around her.
She favours painting in oils and working from life where practical, including painting the landscape en plein air and attending life drawing sessions, though she is currently focused on still life compositions that usually contain botanical subjects. Dramatic lighting used to create shadows that become an integral part of the composition and that introduce elements of mystery is a feature of many of her these works. She also tends to imbue them with personal significance by including objects once owned by her mother, thereby creating keeping her close.
In Flavours of Provence, a burnished metal dish with turquoise patina is one such item which both proved interesting to recreate in paint and a comforting Aide-mémoire.

Artist Statement:

Gin bottles come in a variety of colours and shapes and contain gins flavoured by a variety of botanicals. The botanicals that flavour Citadelle, a French gin, are featured in the background wallpaper as well as the fruits that accompany the dramatically lit bottle and glass of gin and tonic. The colours are reminiscent of Provence in France and recall summery holidays.

Artist Name: MICHELLE CAITENS

Artwork Title: POP IT!

Medium: Oil on canvas

Size: 61 x 61cm

About the Artist:

Michelle Caitens is an award-winning Sunshine Coast-based artist, who has exhibited with Lethbridge Gallery for many years. Michelle has a love of simple concepts that are portrayed with the intricate complexity of detail and the illusion of depth and realism.

Artist Statement:

´Pop It!’ is a fun piece based on a 1966 Newsweek magazine cover image by Roy Lichtenstein. It’s a simple concept but created with a complex deconstruction of depth and realism. It explores the contrast between fine art and pop art cultures, blurring the boundaries between these artistic movements.

Artist Name: PETER TANKEY

Artwork Title: PUNCHLINES

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Size: 53 x 43cm

About the Artist:

Peter Tankey is a realist Landscape and Still life painter.
His work is primarily concerned with everyday objects and places, attempting to reframe them in new or challenging ways.
He works from his studio in Ballarat, Victoria.

Artist Statement:

My painting practice has always considered the contrast between high and low culture, taking everyday objects and reframing them through the lens of a traditional "high" art form (still life painting).
This painting is one of a small group of "hamburger-stack" paintings i have made since 2008.
They were initially created on a whim - a visual pun around "balanced diets" which is how i came to the title "Punchlines".

Artist Name: NICK OFFER

Artwork Title: SKULL SIDEWAYS

Medium: oil on board

Size: 28 x 38cm

About the Artist:

I am a figurative painter, currently focusing on landscapes. I live and work in Canberra.

Artist Statement:

'Skull Sideways' was painted from life, the product of an effort I recently made to improve my observational painting. Of the various studies I made I liked this one the most, mainly for the lateral thrust of the skull at this unusual angle which echoes the direction of the light, the edge of the platform and its strut.

Artist Name: DAVID BONGIORNO

Artwork Title: ZUCCHINI SOUP

Medium: oil on board

Size: 30 x 45cm

About the Artist:

David has had exhibitions in public and private galleries including Cooroy, Manning, Maryborough and Caloundra Galleries, Cardinia Cultural Centre. He has undertaken commissions, with works in private and public collections and teaches drawing.
David was “Emerging Wearable Artist Winner”, Australian Wearable Art Festival 2022, and "Highly Commended", Waterbrook Drawing Prize 2023.

Artist Statement:

With 'Zucchini Soup', I wanted to do something different and personally meaningful with the genre of still life painting. Zucchini Soup is from a suite of still life paintings of fruit and vegetables I grow and the recipes I cook with them. A record of produce and a visual cookbook.

Artist Name: MATT JAMES

Artwork Title: BARNES HILL, LOOKING SOUTH

Medium: Oil on board, framed on Oak

Size: 20 x 40cm

About the Artist:

I am a Brisbane–based artist primarily interested in landscape painting and drawing. Having grown up in rural West Wales my love of the outdoors is a key driver of my work.

My paintings are based on pencil and oil sketches created in situ, from photographs, and my recollection of the location. My work represents actual places but is often constructed from memory and my impression of the environment. I am interested in exploring the shape of the landscape, the movement of clouds, the perception of distance, and the shifting of the light.

Experimentation with mark-making is important to my work – I use brushes and palette knife strokes to represent direction, movement and focus to influence how the audience views the work. Contrasts in paint texture and thickness add visual interest and allow me to move between figurative and abstract representation

Artist Statement:

This piece was painted at Barnes Hill at Mt Crosby. From this vantage point, you are high above a bend of the Brisbane River looking south to the distant hills. I chose a wide format composition to capture the sweeping bend and extensive horizon. It was a warm day with no shade on the hill, so I needed to work quickly. I love how unforgiving painting en pein air can be. On this occasion, I was pleased with the result and felt I had captured the moment.

Artist Name: AI SHAH

Artwork Title: TUNING IN

Medium: Oil

Size: 50 x 50cm

About the Artist:

After growing up in Japan, I moved to Australia in 2005. The bright sun and surrounding colours have always struck me deeply and so, I started painting landscapes.  Soon after beginning to paint, I became especially interested in water as a subject. Its movement, depth, colours, reflections, mood, and tranquillity. It is so ephemeral and fragile. I am constantly learning how to observe water, and to express my observations on the canvas. My technique also continuously evolves.

Artist Statement:

This scene is captured at Cudgera Creek, at the time the water is returning to the ocean. I remained at the spot for a long time, seeking inspiration. It is only when I stopped looking that I started seeing the many colours singing and the suns dancing quietly but constantly. They are there all the time and they will be there all the time. It felt like I was with them.

Artist Name: ELENA KOLOTUSHA

Artwork Title: STILL

Medium: oil

Size: 30 x 23cm

About the Artist:

I am a realist artist from Melbourne and "still life" genre is one of my favorite. In my still life drawings and paintings I try to create a connection with the viewer through emotional engagement and a hint of quirkiness and symbolism.

Artist Statement:

In this painting I sought to capture the quiet poetry found in ordinary objects - three items emerge as protagonists: a delicate Major Mitchel's Cockatoo feather, a pristine white shell, and an aged rusty key. Each object carries its own story, its own journey through time and space, yet together they create a harmonious narrative of beauty and impermanence. The simplicity of the composition belies the depth of emotion and contemplation it evokes, encouraging viewers to find their own meaning within the stillness of the scene.
It is my hope that this painting invites viewers to embrace the beauty found in the ordinary and discover moments of tranquility amidst the chaos of modern life.

Artist Name: ROBERT ERIC RIGGS

Artwork Title: CHOOSE YOUR WORDS CAREFULLY.

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 20 x 20cm

About the Artist:

Painting has many faces and many expressions. It is within still life painting that I feel most comfortable as an artist, offering me a challenge to create mood and thought in the form of everyday objects.

Artist Statement:

Carefully considered words are often the wisest, avoiding the pain of regret and the appearance of foolishness.

Artist Name: PAUL DE ZUBICARAY

Artwork Title: OLD BILL

Medium: Oil on canvas

Size: 50 x 50cm

About the Artist:

I am a Brisbane based artist specialising in portraiture. My practice is influenced by retro poster art and the old masters. I have been a finalist in several significant art prizes including the Archibald Prize.

Artist Statement:

Inspired by a series of travel photographs of wildlife at Kruger National Park, South Africa I love the expression on the Hornbill’s face.

Artist Name: FLORENCE WANG

Artwork Title: MORNING HAZE

Medium: Acrylic on Wood

Size: 18 x 9cm

About the Artist:

My art practice focuses on the narrative aspects of visual medium and using subject matter for storytelling. Within my art practice, I draw inspirations from my own experiences, surroundings, or the narratives of those I am familiar with. I am compelled to use my paintings, my artworks to create relatable experiences and connections for the viewers.

Artist Statement:

The inspiration of this artwork comes one morning I accidentally dropped my mobile phone and damaged the screen. The accident led me to consider how heavily the modern daily life is replied on technology, particularly screened devices; and the obscurity of information when it only exists virtually. The artwork depicts a self-portrait through a mobile phone screen, which was painted on wood to mimic the appearance of a mobile phone.

Artist Name: JENELLE SYMONDS

Artwork Title: BETTY, EV AND NELL

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Size: 43 x 53cm

About the Artist:

Nell Symonds has spent much of her life immersed in the Australian landscape, since her upbringing in small WA townships and current residence in Mandurah, on Perth’s south coast. Her time in the bushland, sighting the distinct environmental elements and remarkable flora, has greatly influenced and informed her works, the style and execution of which was developed uniquely over a number of years.

Initially taking art classes during her secondary schooling, Nell did not consider the visual arts a professional pursuit until her adulthood, when she adopted a primarily self-taught approach. Whilst travelling abroad in her 20s, she drew still life images and portraiture in a combination of charcoal and graphite, as a means to document her journeying. She eventually established an interest in the integration of oils and began learning the technical aspects of their usage and depicting her works in this alternate medium. Later finding herself struggling to produce artistically satisfying works, she took the advice of acclaimed West Australian artist Anya Brock, who encouraged her to paint subjects that resonate at the soul level.

Quickly inspired to paint green pears on top of a darkened backdrop, this concept was the product of Nell consciously observing the fruits in a bowl lit by downlights, against the dark blue of her kitchen wall. As she discovered her attraction to the contrasting colour structure and evidentiary shapes and shadows of this seemingly simple subject, her signature still life series was born. In an effort to extend upon these concepts, she has progressed into the depiction of landscape imagery, successfully characterising the contrast of light and shade within a wider scope. Australian artists David Moore and Clifford How have been frequent influences over her works, due to what she perceives as their inherent ability to convey the expression and stillness of their subjects and scapes.

Nell has been a finalist in a number of local and interstate art awards, including 2022’s National Emerging Art Prize and Lethbridge 20000. Additionally, she has participated at the Affordable Art Fair and in several group exhibitions within Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.

Artist Statement:

This piece is a deeply personal artwork for me. I was fortunate enough to have both my Grandmothers in my life. Until I didn’t. They were both very different women, who led different lives to me, and to each other.

Having a little more life experience than I did when I lost them, somehow I feel closer to them. I think I understand them better and their choices. But I often wish I could talk to them. Although the world is vastly different for women now, I don’t doubt their wisdom would be any less relevant.

Until I can speak with them again, I will continue my inner conversations with Betty and Ev. Cataloguing all the questions and thoughts that we will discuss safely in my mind.

Artist Name: ELIZABETH BARDEN

Artwork Title: THE JAGUAR AND THE RABBIT

Medium: Oil on Linen

Size: 60 x 60cm

About the Artist:

Elizabeth Barden is a figurative artist, represented in the collection of the Australian National Portrait Gallery.
Group shows nationally and internationally, two solo exhibitions - public gallery.
Multiple times finalist in major national and international exhibitions.

Artist Statement:

Deena Lynch is an Australian creative who performs as Jaguar Jonze.
Recognised for using her voice in fighting for a safer environment within the music industry, being an advocate for survivors of sexual assault and harassment.

The symbolism of a rabbit derives from a Chinese saying - ‘Colour will Change on the Dragon’.
Spinning this to ‘Colour will Change on the Rabbit’, describing her fears with being bunny-like, her tattoo reminds her to be unafraid to tell stories, share culture, passions and opinions. We don’t ever have to stay the same. Let yourself be heard and seen - be you.

Artist Name: SARAH FIELD

Artwork Title: LOVE ME, EVEN WHEN MY PETALS FALL

Medium: Oil

Size: 32 x 32cm

About the Artist:

Sarah Field is a Brisbane based emerging artist. Finalist in the 2024 John Villiers Outback Prize, Lethbridge Small Scale Art Awards 2023 & 2022 and 2nd place in The Moreton Bay Region Art Prize 2021. Sarah finds peace in the beauty of nature and reflects this sentiment in her work.

Artist Statement:

As I was styling this work, a petal fell. My first instinct was to correct it, but then I saw the beauty in the change. It became a reminder to always see the magic in imperfection.

Artist Name: ZAC MOYNIHAN

Artwork Title: AFTERNOON HAZE FROM ENOGGERA TCE

Medium: Oil

Size: 12 x 30cm

About the Artist:

Exploring ideas around depicting our landscape and the sublime, Zac Moynihan is an artist currently painting around Brisbane and surrounds. Working en plein air and reflecting further in the studio, Zac's connection to place is evident in the hurried, loose brush strokes of the plein air studies, suggesting an outdoor, elemental struggle to get the vista in front of him down with finesse. In contrast, the detailed, disciplined outcomes derived from the studio process elude to a rich and vigorous study of preindustrial revolution painters, lending knowledge and grounding to Zac's painting style.

Artist Statement:

I often run past this view of an afternoon, and am always inspired by the glowing haze that feels so inherent to Queensland Summer. Looking towards Mt. Coot-tha and the Samford Valley, the vista is speckled with gorgeous heritage Queenslanders making for a quintessentially Brisbane outlook.

Artist Name: ALEJA HINE

Artwork Title: DEMETERS SPOILS

Medium: Oil on paper

Size: 42 x 30cm

About the Artist:

I embrace the expressive qualities of oil paints to capture intimate moments of daily life with still life and portraiture, transforming the mundane into subjects of contemplation. My paintings document personal experiences, preserving subtle, everyday scenes through brushstrokes. Influenced by Impressionist and Modernist painters, I find inspiration in overlooked details—the space between objects, the texture of an orange's skin, the quiet elegance of a bowl. By blending traditional techniques with contemporary subjects, my work invites viewers to appreciate the simplicity and beauty in their own lives, creating a timeless yet relevant resonance.

Artist Statement:

"Dementers Spoils" elevates an ordinary breakfast scene into a sophisticated still life that melds traditional techniques with contemporary themes. Inspired by the serene rituals of morning, I curated found items from my coffee table, employing vibrant colors and dynamic brushstrokes. This piece invites viewers to savor the quiet, grounding moments that anchor our day, revealing the extraordinary within the mundane. The expressive textures and rich palette not only capture the essence of peaceful mornings but also celebrate the nuanced beauty of everyday life.

Artist Name: SANGEETA MAHAJAN

Artwork Title: CHATTEL

Medium: Photography- Limited Edition

Size: 60 x 60cm

About the Artist:

Through my photographs, I like to explore what lies beneath the human skin- the subtle, unspoken twists and angst of the heart and thought. I love to create story-telling art that somehow reflects subtle nuances of people's reality, their relationships and their inner self. For me, my work a way of expressing the internal beauty and distortions of the human form in a subtle manner, using light, shadow, mood, emotion and artistry.

Artist Statement:

'Chattel' is after a Gerome's 1884 painting that has always disturbed me.

I recently re-read Thomas Hardy's Mayor of Casterbridge. Its a story of a drunk man who sells his wife at an auction. Revisiting the novel and reading about the recent protests relating to violence against women inspired this work. It made me wonder whether women were still 'metaphorical' chattel in the eyes of a sub-group of men.

Artist Name: KAREN BROCK

Artwork Title: SUBURBAN GLOW AS NIGHT FALLS

Medium: oil paint

Size: 33 x 33cm

About the Artist:

My latest series of paintings depict a typical Australian suburban neighbourhood at night. The scenes are set in the blue hour, a transitional time that marks the beginning of a slower pace, allowing us to retreat, replenish and find comfort in our homes and families. Painting at this time of night encourages a focus on colour value and temperature, both are important in conveying the mood of an Australian era I remember with fondness.

Artist Statement:

As night falls and darkness envelops our suburban neighbourhood a sense of calm prevails.
The noise of the day quiets, and the mood shifts. An exterior light comes on illuminating the private garden in this painting. It casts a warm glow, giving an other worldly appearance to the scene. The painting is a continuation of my fascination with colour and composition. It is part of a series of nocturnes painted in my local area, depicting a typical Australian neighbourhood from my unique perspective. I hope the viewer finds familiarity, comfort and a sense of nostalgia in my work.

Artist Name: CATHERINE ABEL

Artwork Title: ALL IS NOT WHAT IT SEEMS

Medium: Oil on linen

Size: 37 x 44cm

About the Artist:

Art history is a profound teacher, and I feel a deep connection to the artists of the 19th & 20th century, like a kind of direct lineage in my veins. Their legacies fuel my creativity that sparks heat beneath the sobering society we live in today. A touch of beauty and artistic tradition is food for the soul.

Artist Statement:

“My loneliness had a weight to it, as wet cloth does. Heavy, limp and loathsome. I wanted to wring it tightly to release the moisture, and let it drip out like tears.”
- journal entry, April.

Artist Name: REEVA ASHTON

Artwork Title: THIS FUNNY LITTLE THING CALLED LIFE

Medium: Oil on Canvas (Framed in Oak)

Size: 53 x 53cm

About the Artist:

An emerging artist and practicing psychologist, Reeva’s work incorporates early childhood interests in photography and digital art with the painted medium. Reeva has won the AGES art prize in 2024, and was a finalist in Lethbridge 20000 in 2023, Bluethumb Art Prize in 2023, and Agendo Art Prize in 2021.

Artist Statement:

‘This Funny Little Thing Called Life’ invites the viewer to contemplate timeless themes of life, death, and the existential intricacies of human experience. Depicting a number of public domain works by Paul Troger (1698 - 1762), it is a testament to the enduring relevance of art history, reimagined through contemporary interpretation.

Artist Name: YIANNI MAGGACIS

Artwork Title: THE DINING ROOM I

Medium: Oil on Panel

Size: 30 x 22cm

About the Artist:

Toowoomba based conceptual artist Yianni Maggacis creates artwork that first appears familiar, yet on second glance seem strange and ‘not quite right. For Maggacis, this tension of the strangely familiar encourages the viewer to ‘look awry’ and become an active participant in the meaning making process of his work.

Artist Statement:

This dining room scene may initially appear ordinary, though a closer inspection reveals otherwise. Missing details such as the lack of ashtray, unusual details such as the unlit cigarette, and the caricature-like nudes on the lamp, all create a disjointed picture - providing the image with an air of strangeness.

Artist Name: ALEX LOUISA

Artwork Title: STUDIO SCENE

Medium: Oil on Panel

Size: 60 x 60cm

About the Artist:

Based near Brisbane, I work mainly with oils, PanPastel and watercolour, but I also love to experiment with new materials.

My work focuses on elements of the natural world that grab my attention. Birds have always been my favourite subject (even my first word was "bird!"), but I also enjoy creating interesting still life compositions and landscapes.

I have exhibited through Australia and the US in over 100 group and solo shows, and I teach workshops both in person and online to pass on my love of my favourite materials and subjects.

Artist Statement:

This particular piece depicts a favourite corner of my studio that catches the light beautifully in the late afternoon. This is where I place finished small pieces to display atop the stack of drawers which hold some of my materials. I really enjoy painting foliage, but I am far better at bringing plants to life in paint, than I am at keeping them alive in my studio. I've never tried to re-paint one of my pieces before, so it was a fun challenge to re-create this kookaburra painting within this piece.

I'm more well known for my birds, but I also really love creating an interesting still life to paint. When I was coming up with an idea for this piece, I couldn't decide whether I wanted to paint a still life or a bird. I still wanted the piece to be recognisable as mine, so I thought it was a fun idea to include one of my bird paintings in the arrangement as a nod, or "clue", to my other work.

I also love painting cast shadows, and these few dried sprigs cast the most gorgeous shadows on my studio wall of an afternoon. It's always a treat to see them taking shape and making their way along the wall as the light shifts while the sun sets.

Artist Name: LORI PENSINI

Artwork Title: THE LIGHT WITHIN

Medium: oil on linen

Size: 50 x 45cm

About the Artist:

Lori’s art practise is an exploration of identity and placement within her ancestral grazier history and lived experiences on country. The exploration of matrilineal memory within her shared European and Indigenous lineage engages commentary around the simultaneously constructive and destructive relationship between wo(man) and land.

Artist Statement:

This piece seeks to explore the light within, to find the space to look beyond captive thoughts and fears, to support ourselves in healing and to share this radiance with others. The Saligna wattle sprig blooms in recognition of the illuminance of loved ones past and old friendships.

Artist Name: MARGARET INGLES

Artwork Title: AN OLD SUITCASE, FOUR SHIRTS AND A PANAMA HAT

Medium: oil on polycotton

Size: 60 x 60cm

About the Artist:

I have been collecting vintage luggage for a new series of paintings. The humble suitcase is ubiquitous – each one has a story. Travel, once the domain of the rich, broadened in the last century. Suitcase design reflect the mass movement of people around the world, but also the new values of travel for adventure's sake alone.  

Artist Statement:

The suitcase is a symbol of both movement and transience, and a vehicle to explore themes of displacement, nostalgia, and the universal quest for belonging. The suitcase and its changing form and function, reflects the evolution of travel, migration, and globalisation. Each mark, each latch, tells a story of departure and arrival, of beginnings and farewells.

Artist Name: CONOR KNIGHT

Artwork Title: SHOULDERS

Medium: oil paint

Size: 30 x 30cm

Artist Name: KATE MAREK

Artwork Title: “IT WILL BE A GIRL, AND SHE’LL BE ARTISTIC LIKE US.”

Medium: Oil on board framed in oak

Size: 31 x 31cm

About the Artist:

Kate Marek is primarily an oil painter, preferring to paint from life. Whether its landscapes or objects, Kate is fascinated the evocative power and painterly application of colour. She has been a practicing artist for over 20 years, with a background in visual arts, animation and teaching. Her work is held in collections worldwide.

Artist Statement:

“It will be a girl, and she’ll be artistic like us.”
My Grandmother was spot on when she said this to me. This still life of a Mother’s Day card (and slide puzzle) from my daughter, and a jacaranda pod butterfly from my grandmother, represent the creative women in my family. To paint objects made for me by my loved ones is comforting, and a way to honour our creative connection over the generations.

Artist Name: ELIZABETH JANE AUSTIN

Artwork Title: CHILLI AND LIME.

Medium: Oil

Size: 32 x 42cm

About the Artist:

There is an interesting beauty in the study of simple domestic things. I find the glossiest, most vibrant market produce and pair it with vintage op-shop finds. All the purchases are interactive, conversational and have a little story to them. Painting the fall of the light, the organic shapes and the bright colours are an expression of the life of these small things.

Artist Statement:

Everything in the composition was purchased from a market or op shop with human interaction, life and a story behind it. This piece is about bringing home a basket of bright market goods and putting them out in a sunlit kitchen. It is about colour, light and domesticity.

Artist Name: LARS VESTER

Artwork Title: PERFECTLY IMPERFECT

Medium: oil on canvas board

Size: 61 x 61cm

Artist Statement:

My intention behind this piece (a seemingly classic still life) is to invite the viewer to contemplate the virtues of abstraction and realism. Is reality in an abstracted state in a sense more realistic? Can they co-exist?

Artist Name: PHIL SUTER

Artwork Title: PUT ON A HAPPY FACE

Medium: mixed medium

Size: 50 x 50cm

About the Artist:

Within each artistic expression I aim to capture a sense of place, memory and spirit.
With this artwork, 'Put on a Happy Face', it is about the spirit of a person who is shielded behind a wall of false emotions and false narratives which both camouflage and often stifles their true emotional state.

Artist Statement:

Emoji symbolism infiltrates our normal everyday interactions, like masks which shield us from normal discourse and from expression of our true feelings.
Behind these symbols there is a person, whose genuine state of mind remains 
a mystery to the observer.
This artwork reflects that conflict.

Artist Name: SABRINA SIMONI

Artwork Title: LEI

Medium: acrylic on canvas

Size: 40 x 50cm

About the Artist:

In creating my paintings I'm often moving away from a fixed style, in order to achieve a more spontaneous approach, letting the journey and the experience guiding me to new places. I'm interested in change and possibilities, and the interaction between the two. I consider myself a forever beginner.

Artist Statement:

In this work I was mostly focusing in creating an image that was minimalist and elegant. Searching for a hidden language, thoughts and silence.

Artist Name: LEONIE MCINTOSH

Artwork Title: LOLLY PIZZA

Medium: Oil

Size: 50 x 50cm

About the Artist:

I have create works that allow the viewer to reflect on their own personal connection to the subject. I love when you ask someone their favourite treat from childhood and the conversation leads to other people reminiscing about theirs, usually evoking a feeling of fondness, and occasionally disgust. With the bold colours, lettering and eye-catching marketing techniques used in packaging, I find a fountain of memories and inspiration. By employing little characters at times, it helps me to tell a story and create interest by making small objects the centre of attention.

Artist Statement:

Lolly pizza has been created to ignite the sweet nostalgia sensors, and provide a pop of feel good fun. I wanted it to be ultra realistic so it feels like you could pick off whatever treat you like. We all have our favourite lollies, and with the combination of the chocolate base this piece is sure to be a delicious conversation starter.

Artist Name: LOUISE ISACKSON

Artwork Title: IMPOSSIBLE PLACES TAKING SHAPE NO. 1

Medium: Assemblage, oil and graphite on board

Size: 51 x 41cm

About the Artist:

I’m an expressive painter exploring the language of colour/sound correlation (chromesthesia), abstraction and visual composition. Music and Colour can be paired by resonance, rhythm and harmony, along with many other sensory parallels, as proven by historical artists in this abstract tradition (Kandinsky, Klee, Albers). I explore these ideas by exploring many approaches that include intuitive mark-making, rhythmic brushstrokes, and formalist geometry. My work also encompasses a continued practice of light intersecting orb compositions. I’m currently experimenting with materials that extend further into a playful approach to art making. This includes assemblage relief shapes, collage, pigmented resin on acrylic perspex or board panels. I am fascinated by the visceral effects of colour while exploring a range of materials, colours and forms.

Artist Statement:

This piece is part of a new body of work where I’m experimenting with assemblage materials, and relief surfaces on board panels. Ideas for this artwork include chromatic tonal colour, harmony, expressive rhythmic brushstrokes and composition through geometry. I’m also playing with the concept of ‘impossible shapes’ and a sense of place through shadows and light. Surface illusion is formed by the relief shapes casting interesting shadows onto the surface. The eyes glance around the interplay of colour, tone, and shape in a balanced centralised composition.

Artist Name: CLAUDE JONES

Artwork Title: ARBOLEFANT

Medium: pencil, watercolour, collage on paper

Size: 14 x 15cm

About the Artist:

My art practice serves as a lens through which I explore the complex and often fraught relationship between humanity and the natural world. Drawing inspiration from the interconnectedness of all living beings, my practice delves into themes of animal rights, environmental stewardship, and the ethical implications of human behavior. With a focus on mixed media sculpture and 2D works, I create hybrid and anthropomorphic figures infused with narrative, metaphor, and irony. These creations prompt
contemplation on the intricate ethical landscapes of our shared existence.

Artist Statement:

"Arbolefant' is one of a series of petite works on paper employing drawing, watercolour, and collage techniques to whimsically delve into the notion of hybridity. This work depicts an imaginary creature that symbolizes the evolving dynamics of our connection with nature amidst the advancements in biotechnological development and the growing consciousness of environmental issues.

The 'Arbolefant" comprises diverse elements referencing transgenics, and the experimental fusion of animal, plant, and human attributes—a sort of modern-day Frankenstein amalgamation of species. Through playful exploration, this artwork invites contemplation on the intersections of science, ethics, and our relationship with the natural world.

Please note: Dimensions above for actual artwork.
Frame size: 22 x 22 x 2cm. Float-mounted with archival materials in natural wooden frame.

Artist Name: PAUL SNELL

Artwork Title: BLEED # 202376

Medium: Chromogenic Print Face-mounted 3mm Matte Plexiglas, backed with extruded polystyrene, concrete, acrylic, enamel and pigments

Size: 50 x 40cm

About the Artist:

This body of work place the viewer in a space that is just out of reach. A liquid space that
envelopes and consumes, it invites contemplation and reflection. The soft forms
presented are both rich and void. It is an exploration of the relationship between making
and taking photographs, painting and photography, and object and screen.
This body of work is a response to the overwhelming influence of technology on our lives.
In this digital age, our sense of time is altered, stretched and contracted simultaneously,
and we are constantly bombarded by visual and auditory noise. Our addiction to instant
gratification through likes and shares often leads us to prioritise empty affirmations over
genuine human interaction. However, in the wake of the pandemic, many people have
recognised the need to slow down and take stock. The value of un-rushed observance
and turning away from constant white noise has been amplified. By tuning our attention in
a singular way, we can listen and see in a way that engenders hearing and enables seeing.
By slowing down and taking stock, we can remember the small things that provoke joy -
the bleed of one colour to the next, the space to contemplate the beauty of things lost,
and the value of what remains for nothing more than its own sake. Through this work,
viewers are invited to engage with work that allows for contemplation and transcendence.
The exhibition aims to create a space for people to just be, to feel life itself, and to
breathe amidst the constant noise of modern life. By breaking down the overwhelming
imagery of the digital era and creating voids, spaces, moments in time, shifts, and places
for people to sit, contemplate, and just lose themselves in the colours, it is possible to
feel life itself and breathe.

Artist Statement:

The pause, the gap and the omission are increasingly significant in our saturated image driven society.
Through this work the daily saturation is replaced by selective sensitisation, these pieces continue my exploration of non-representative forms and examines the possibilities of abstraction and minimalism in photo-media. Bleed #202376 investigates the transformation of photographic modes of production and the manipulation of data to invent new visual forms, exploring the intricate relationship between making and taking photographs, painting, photography, and object and screen.. By rhythmically repeating, pairing, overlapping, and sequencing through the investigations of specific colour relationships, I seek a sensory understanding of the physical object. These pieces are not representations of certain realities; they are their own reality. These works aim to create a space for people to simply be, feel life itself, and breathe.

Artist Name: ANNETTE T RAFF

Artwork Title: INTERLUDE

Medium: Mixed media

Size: 43 x 37cm

About the Artist:

I divide my time between teaching art and cultivating my own artistic pursuits, giving me the opportunity to hone my traditional art skills while indulging in more exploratory approaches. My interest is in my natural surroundings and observations of plant growth and natural forms. I enjoy the process of spontaneously fusing visual information and imagination without the limitations imposed by reality.

Artist Statement:

In the scene, three birds are depicted, engaged in their natural activities. They are perched close to one another, subtly blending into the surrounding foliage. They appear almost as an extension of the leaves and branches, rendering them inconspicuous at first glance. This seamless integration with nature underscores a theme of harmony and unity with the environment.

Artist Name: KATHERINE CARSON

Artwork Title: HIS MASTER'S SUPPER

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Size: 60 x 40cm

About the Artist:

I am enamoured with light and luminescence - how it dances, scintillates, reflects, capriciously changes mood. All is composed of light. Light travels in a myriad of guises… sunlight, moonlight, firelight, limelight, backlight. We all bathe together in this infinite sea of metamorphosing illumination.

Artist Statement:

In days gone by, the corner store was the neighbourhood hub for local news and bumping into friends. The warm, golden incandescence warms the patrons inside. Under a chilly, late autumn dusk, a dog on the street eagerly waits for his master amid the wafting aromas of old-fashioned cooking.

Artist Name: TANIA SMALL

Artwork Title: CHARVIN BLANC DE TITANE

Medium: Oil

Size: 53 x 43cm

About the Artist:

It is the emotion felt in response to seemingly ordinary items or domestic settings which inspire the oil paintings created by Tania Small. More so, the viewer is invited to add their own interpretation and sentiment to the painting via the layers of their own life story and memory.

Artist Statement:

Whilst spending a month in France on an artist residency program, I came across the most magical of art stores, Charvin Arts. An absolute treasure trove of art supplies, colour and history dating back to 1830. Naturally I had to buy myself some souvenirs.

Artist Name: PILAR DE LA TORRE

Artwork Title: OLD AND NEW

Medium: oil on linen

Size: 35 x 45cm

About the Artist:

Pilar De La Torre has trained as a traditional realist painter both in Australia and overseas, most recently at the Russian Academy of Art, Saint Petersburg.
Technically de la Torre’s primary concern is with the creation of the illusion of form and structure in space. Her work aims at creating a feeling of movement through the application of paint as tiny mosaic tiles, to build up the desired effect of depth in the image.
Pilar’s art practice is focused on working exclusively from life and it includes painting and drawing the figure, portrait, landscape and still life.
Pilar De La Torre lives and works in Melbourne.

Artist Statement:

Thanks to my grand daughter coming into my life in 2021, I have collected a number of toys and objects that were near to my heart when I was a child. Therefore a whole new collection of still life objects were available for her to play with and me to paint. Old and New, represent some of the collection available to me. Full of colour, it bring joy and color to my paintings.

Artist Name: BROOKE WALKER

Artwork Title: WHERE DOES ALL MY LOVE GO NOW YOU'RE GONE?

Medium: oil

Size: 32 x 32cm

About the Artist:

Brooke Walker strives to reconnect the human and natural world through carefully considered and meticulously rendered artworks. Each piece is created through many hours of intense concentration and attention to detail. The aim is for the viewer to feel part of the painting, as though they could reach out and interact, almost feeling the artwork breathe.

Artist Statement:

In 2021, Kye was diagnosed with terminal cancer and passed away 7 weeks later. It's been 3 years of grieving his loss and it still sits just under the surface. As an artist, I've created many memorial portraits, but I never really understood their gravity until I painted my own.

Artist Name: KAILUM GRAVES

Artwork Title: SHADOWS AND LIGHT

Medium: Pigment print on Hahnemühle cotton rag, framed, museum glass

Size: 40 x 40cm

About the Artist:

Kailum Graves investigates different media and photographic methods—from appropriation to pixel and data manipulation—to create still and moving image projects that reflect the influence of technology on the photographic medium and sit resolutely within the context of future movements of contemporary photography. One of the most convincing aspects of his approach is the way he urges the viewer to evolve from a condition of mere spectatorship to a position where they must actively reflect on the various roles of technology in our media-driven age.

Artist Statement:

Shadows and Light is an introspective self-portrait that delves into the complex landscape of living with complex post-traumatic stress disorder. It captures the nuanced interplay between the enveloping shadows of past traumas and the ephemeral glimpses of light that symbolise moments of healing and understanding. Through a blend of stark contrasts and subtle transitions, the portrait explores the depths of vulnerability and resilience inherent in the human spirit. Composed of ten different self-portraits captured in different moods and moments, the mix reflects the layered experiences of memory, emotion, and healing. Textures vary, symbolising the uneven terrain of the journey. Dark, heavy tones represent the weight of historical pain, while brighter tones emerge as symbols of hope and renewal. It offers a window into the soul of someone navigating the delicate balance of darkness and light within themselves, providing a poignant reminder of the strength required to confront one’s innermost fears and scars.

Artist Name: CHRISTOPHER WEBB

Artwork Title: PROLOGUE H: ZIM CONTAINER (MODENA, ITALY)

Medium: oil on board

Size: 13 x 26cm

About the Artist:

Christopher Webb explores the interplay between humanity and the ever-expanding realm of global trade and its profound impact on our planet. His paintings confront the harsh realities of our world, where the relentless pursuit of efficiency and profit comes at the expense of our environment and collective well-being.

Webb depicts everyday scenes or objects, often cropped, each rendered with a studied economy of means. His motifs are often imaginary or inspired from Webb's own or found photographs which he then paints in a photorealistic, technically masterful way, resulting in images that are deeply familiar yet intriguingly unknowable. Despite this pared-down aesthetic, Webb experiments with texture and scale to produce works rich in layered meanings, offering depictions that, while specific, seem part of a visual bank of collective memories. More recently, Webb has produced a series of intimately scaled paintings of shipping containers and the massive cargo vessels which he views daily from his studio in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Gently ironic in their approach, and influenced by an interest in repetition and seriality typical of conceptual photography, these paintings thrive on the palpable tension between utilitarian value and uselessness. Webb's often mundane subject matter offers the viewer a literal entry point into each image, yet any suggestion of narrative remains ambiguous and open-ended. Ultimately, his work investigates visual ideologies and unleashes a vast array of associated chains, posing both personal and socio-political questions.

Webb’s images, much like the containers he paints, are filled with what we seek: desire, collective aspirations for a society that embraces sustainability and harmony, beauty amidst the brutal, solace amidst the chaos.

Artist Statement:

Further to my Artist Statement, in my latest body of work, I aim to leverage a sentiment often expressed to figurative painters, which can sometimes feel like a backhanded compliment: "It looks like a photo. Is that a painting? It's so pretty." With this series, I have purposely created 'beautiful' works that mask an ugly subject matter, challenging viewers to spend more time contemplating the composition and, ultimately, the choices we make and their impact on society.

In this particular piece, a pristine 8x40ft brown ZIM shipping container is meticulously situated within the private garden of one of Italy's foremost chefs, who is also an esteemed art and car collector. The container's natural earth tones seamlessly harmonize with the garden's colour palette, crafting a visually appealing yet intellectually provocative juxtaposition. In his meticulously curated garden, which seeks to tame and reorganize nature, the shipping container serves an analogous meta-purpose, compelling viewers to reflect on how our choices contribute to the degradation of the environment.

Artist Name: BRONWYN VAN DE GRAAFF

Artwork Title: QUINCES

Medium: Oil on Linen

Size: 32 x 46cm

About the Artist:

Bronwyn Van de Graaff is an Australian contemporary classical realist artist, specialising in still life oil paintings and botanical portraits.
Her paintings are an exploration of moments of beauty, calm and harmony. Painting from life, she embraces bloom, decay, imperfections and change and believes therein lies the essence of life.

Artist Statement:

Painted from seasonal quinces gifted by a local farmer, this is an exploration of the cycle of the organic states of life. The deep black of the background, like the original void from which life emerges, highlights the drama of the living fruit captured in layers of colours and tones.

Artist Name: NATALIE RYAN

Artwork Title: VAMPIRE BAT (GR)

Medium: Bronze, acyclic teeth, 23 kt gold leaf (Edition 1/3)

Size: 45 x 18cm

About the Artist:

Natalie Ryan's practice explores themes surrounding the representation of natural sciences throughout history and their inclusion in contemporary art. Drawing from existing methodologies used for displaying these elements, Ryan is interested in the process of imaging the natural world and the exchange between art and science that has allowed this.

Artist Statement:

This piece delves into the intricate connections between nocturnal animals and their rich tapestry within folklore, mythology, and popular culture. The vampire bat, often misunderstood and burdened with negative associations, is spotlighted here to foster awareness and appreciation. The work was initially sculpted from wax-based clay, first building up the bat's anatomy then carving in fine detail.

Artist Name: KATHY ELLEM

Artwork Title: HEADS UP

Medium: oil

Size: 30 x 15cm

About the Artist:

I want to create works which leave people feeling up-lifted; to feel a sense of joy. I also want people viewing my paintings to feel connected to life on the land.

After 20 years in the Queensland ‘outback’ where I primarily taught myself, in 2015 we moved back to North East Victoria where I grew up to settle on 1300 acres farming beef cattle.
After holding at least one annual exhibition in various regional galleries across Australia since 2009, I opened my own art gallery and workshop space in the historic town of Beechworth in 2017.
Notable awards include:
Australian National Equine Art Prize in 2017 (with an $8000 cash prize),
The Christine Drewyer Award of Excellence, and the Best in Show at the Women Artists Of The West 48th National Exhibition
In 2020 alone:
Best in show, WAOW Settlers West Show, USA.
John Villiers Outback Art Prize, Winton QLD, $10,000.
Clayton Utz Art Awards, Brisbane QLD, Peoples choice.
Pro Hart Outback Art Prize, Broken Hill NSW, Peoples choice.

Artist Statement:

This study poetically captured the essence of what drew me to paint this subject. It achieved what wasn't possible on a larger scale. Brief but concise marks with apparent joy and abandon. Our landscape is textured and full of life, movement and colour. Mark making that is abstract on an individual basis but also able to tell a story.

Artist Name: SEIMI LEE

Artwork Title: EVERLASTING

Medium: oil on board

Size: 23 x 30cm

Artist Name: DAN JOHNS

Artwork Title: JAPANESE STREET

Medium: Watercolour

Size: 26 x 18cm

About the Artist:

I am a watercolour artist whose work explores the concept of place, both natural and man-made. My background as an architect has instilled in me a deep fascination with how spaces function and the stories they tell. Through washes and layers, my paintings capture not only the essence of a landscape or cityscape, but also the process of creation itself. The transparency of watercolour allows the viewer to see the evolution of the piece, where each mark and wash contributes to the final narrative. My work seeks to explore place and its meaning to the observer.

Artist Statement:

This piece aims to capture with watercolour and ink the overload one experiences when arriving in a new and unfamiliar place, coupled with the urge to go explore. This piece seeks to capture the energy and mess of stimulus only someplace new can provide.

Artist Name: MARCEL DESBIENS

Artwork Title: NATURE’S KNOWLEDGE

Medium: oil on board

Size: 40 x 40cm

About the Artist:

Looking back now over all those years, I can see a consistency in my art floating between opposite poles as the pure traditional representation and complete abstraction. I was thinking again about the whole thing as people often ask me for a definite label of a style attached to my art. Should I be a realist, surrealist, abstract, expressionist, traditionalist or modernist or even avantgarde? Or should I just play with oil colours and see what the univers wants to send through my brushes.

Artist Statement:

Nature’s knowledge
This landscape demonstrates the ongoing study I've done to produce a piece that may be interpreted in a variety of ways. An original narrative is ignited by the image. Since the terrain is wholly improvised and not based on an actual location, it approaches a surrealist and fantasy portrayal of the natural world.

Artist Name: KIM PERCY

Artwork Title: THE SWING

Medium: Digital Photograph in Lightbox

Size: 58 x 40cm

About the Artist:

Finding out I was dyslexic redefined the way I saw myself as an artist. My vision of my future veered towards academia as a mechanism to prove that I was more than a learning disability. I have been exhibiting for almost 30 years, mainly as a photographic artist, and have been included in some of Australia’s notable exhibitions and awards including BOAA Biennale of Australian Art, Bowness Photo Prize, Glover Landscape Prize, HeadOn Photo Festival and Ballarat Foto Biennale.
As a visual artist, I explore the intersection of image, space, and identity. My work investigates how art can drive social change, delving into themes such as climate change, forced population migration, and motherhood. Currently, I am pursuing PhD research that examines dyslexia through the lens of visual art.

Artist Statement:

Poised above the ocean at night, a woman stands on a swing. Her red dress glows against the foreboding dark landscape. This image is part of a series exploring neurodiversity, employing the swing as a metaphor for the uncertainty of growing up different. She stares out into the unknown, strong against the challenges before her, seeing the future somewhere across the waves. The symbology of the land meets the sea is a poetic reference to the endless emotional tidal pull of being neurodiverse in a world that is still awakening to different ways of thinking.
Please note: The artwork is illuminated in a lightbox and will require power.

Artist Name: MERRY SPARKS

Artwork Title: A PEARLER OF A BIRD 2

Medium: oil and acrylic on canvas

Size: 40 x 30cm

About the Artist:

I am a "fauna whisperer" and I can mimic a magpie's call, but as an artist, I specialise in popular culture and a range of mediums and genres – including paintings; ceramics; sculptures; racing car wraps; graphic, website and interior design; and the promotion of Australia via my own souvenir and gift brand.

My work is full of heart surfing Aussie PopArt kitsch, a little tongue in cheek, a little bit posh, a little bit street art.

Artist Statement:

A little kindness, a little joy, a little love - Molly distracted us from an increasingly unsettled world and warmed our hearts, particularly when he came home.

My retreat looks upon a pretty green space and magpies visit regularly. I am in love with their intelligence and inquisitive nature.

Artist Name: MELISSA PROPOSCH

Artwork Title: DISTANT FAMILY 1

Medium: Pencil and ink on board

Size: 30 x 30cm

About the Artist:

Melissa Proposch works from her studio in Newstead, regional Victoria. She is co-director of Artpuff gallery, previously a founding committee member of Castlemaine Press, publisher of Trouble arts magazine, and has a Master of Arts (Federation University). Her current practice includes hybrid printmaking, photography, drawing, collage, interactive and found-object works.

Artist Statement:

The Distant Family works are drawn from composite asteroid images. Drawing them is devotional, a move into the distance that separates us. I have to look closely to draw the landscape, and its features are so strange that I get lost and have to reorient myself over and over.

These drawings which began as composite photos can now be mistaken for photographs themselves, and the asteroids, with their pitted, chalky ghostliness, might be imagined as bones.

There's estimates that say we need only to get to our 70th-or-so cousin-removed to find we're all related. I imagine it’s the exponential nature of branching family trees that makes such an incredible idea possible. It makes me wonder how many steps away we are really from cosmic dust and ash.

Artist Name: MELANIE SINCLAIR

Artwork Title: SANCTUARIES

Medium: Digital Photograph

Size: 15 x 45cm

About the Artist:

Melanie (Mel) Sinclair is a Landscape and Creative Photographer from Ipswich, Queensland. Her work embodies the ethereal - those otherworldly moments found on her travels. These are both powerful and delicate, a balance that sits neatly in-between, bound by her love of fog.

Artist Statement:

The migration of birds, their habitats and sanctuaries are so special and hidden. I wanted to show the intricate colors and shapes of the trees of the Scenic Rim in Queensland, augmented with its residents in a different and unique way. It is whimsical, offering several interpretations of flow, fluttering, flitting and exploration.

Artist Name: JANE ERICKSEN

Artwork Title: THE STATION

Medium: Oil

Size: 41 x 31cm

About the Artist:

Jane is an award winning artist whose work resides in both public and private collections in Australia and Canada. She uses oils and synthetic polymer to depict figurative scenes, portraits and landscapes. She strives to gain the essence of her subject or scene, deepening the mystery, and inviting the viewer to investigate the painting further, ideally reflecting on their own experience and/or having an emotive response.

Artist Statement:

I love travelling to remote locations, particularly the Australian outback. I recently visited Taabinga Station near Kingaroy and was inspired by the way light changes over the landscape and on the buildings as the day progresses. I was drawn to the early morning light and the shapes and colours created by the light and wanted to convey a mysterious quiet, viewing the outside from the darkness inside.

Artist Name: SAMANTHA GROENESTYN

Artwork Title: RIDING FOR THE FEELING

Medium: Oil on linen

Size: 46 x 28cm

About the Artist:

Raised in far north Queensland, Groenestyn trained as a philosopher and painter in Brisbane and Vienna. She is a current finalist in the Archibald Salon des Refuses and the Percival Portrait Painting Prize, and won second prize in the 2022 Queensland Figurative. Her work is observational but tightly constructed, anchored in vital, rhythmic drawing.

Artist Statement:

I have left many lives behind—tropical farmlands with rainforest beaches and home-distilled molasses-dark rum, the silence and dogma of a narrow-minded church, the buttery streets of Vienna shimmering with gold and buzzing with scientific and philosophical inquiry, a doomed love that I deeply believed in. With every loss we rise again, with new strength and new purpose.

Artist Name: ROD BAX

Artwork Title: MAGPIE GRID

Medium: OIL

Size: 60 x 60cm

About the Artist:

Rod Bax is an established artist who has been exhibiting professionally for over 30 years. He works in a variety of mediums but is best known for his gouache and watercolour paintings of the wetland areas of South Australia’s south east. He has been a finalist in the prestigious Waterhouse Natural History Prize on numerous occasions and the core and heart of his work always has the concerns and compassion for the preservation of the natural world.

Bax studied at the South Australian School of Art, East Sydney Technical College and is a Fellow of The Royal South Australian Society of Arts. He was a director of the Southern School of Art and as an art educator he has been Head of Art at St Peter’s College and Westminster School.

Artist Statement:

The 'Magpie Landscape' series of works has been an ongoing theme over a number of years that looks at the territorial nature one of Australia most familiar birds.
The ground is an important aspect of the work as it is a natural record of ecosystems at that level and
deliberately providing a horizon free image, the work can be viewed as map with coordinates specific to the birds' knowledge and habitat .

Artist Name: HOLLY FIELD

Artwork Title: ACCESSORIES ARE LIFE

Medium: oil

Size: 25 x 20cm

About the Artist:

Holly is an emerging artist with a passion for capturing the essence of people and light. Starting out as a self taught ceramic artist, she has embraced a variety of painting mediums. She specialises in oil painting, capturing her subject’s through her love for colour and mark making.

Artist Statement:

This artwork depicts Holly’s youngest daughter, who is a complete style icon at the age of three. She never leaves the house without a full array of accessories and tulle for days. The painting is done alla prima with abstract marks that suggest the figure without overstating the form.

Artist Name: HOWARD SEARCHFIELD

Artwork Title: MICK

Medium: Oil on Canvas.

Size: 40 x 40cm

Artist Statement:

This is a painting of my good friend Mick. When we were younger we travelled to rodeos together, we have surfed together and performed in stunt shows together. He now works in the movie industry as a stunt rigger in major blockbuster movies. This is my third painting of him.

Artist Name: ALANA WILKIE

Artwork Title: RED DEVOTCHKIN

Medium: Oil

Size: 61 x 52cm

About the Artist:

Alana Wilkie specialises in highly detailed oil paintings that celebrate feminine strength and beauty. Her work, including pieces like "Red Devotchkin," reflect her fascination with surreal glamour and the intricate nuances of the female form. Drawing inspiration from classical art and vintage aesthetics, Wilkie blends traditional techniques with contemporary elements to create evocative, timeless compositions. Wilkie's practice is rooted in personal experiences and a deep appreciation for the past, as seen through the lens of modernity. Each painting is a narrative, inviting viewers to explore the complex interplay between history and the present.

Artist Statement:

In "Red Devotchkin," I draw inspiration from the rich tradition of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, particularly the works of Frederick Sandys, such as "Proud Maisie" (1880-1890) and "Love's Shadow" (1867). This painting captures the intensity and emotion characteristic of the Pre-Raphaelite style while infusing it with a contemporary twist.

The subject of the painting is my burlesque friend, Red Devotchkin, adorned in modern makeup, hair, and dress. By juxtaposing her vivid, contemporary appearance with the classical composition and dramatic expression reminiscent of Sandys' muses, I aim to create a dialogue between past and present. The bold colours and striking contrast highlight her powerful presence, evoking themes of strength, beauty, and vulnerability.

This piece explores the timeless nature of human emotion and the evolving standards of beauty and femininity. "Red Devotchkin" serves as a bridge between eras, celebrating the enduring allure and complexity of the female form.

Artist Name: EMMA MIAO

Artwork Title: SUNSET HIGHWAY

Medium: Digital Art

Size: 30 x 21cm

About the Artist:

I am a year 12 high school student based in Melbourne Australia, I am very passionate about art and have been drawing since I can remember. I have entered in 2022 for the Lethbridge 20000, and was fortunate to be listed as one of the gallery finalists, this year I hope to share my recent work with Lethbridge Gallery again with this wonderful opportunity.

Artist Statement:

Capturing the essence of tranquility amidst the chaos of modern existence, my digital artwork portrays a sunset highway adorned with bustling cars and an ambiance of serenity. This piece celebrates the quiet beauty found in ordinary moments, reminding us to seek solace amidst the hustle and bustle of life. In embracing moments of peace, we discover the true richness of our experiences, elevating the mundane into moments of profound beauty.

APP: Procreate
Time: ~4hours

Artist Name: PENELOPE OATES

Artwork Title: ARTIST'S SHADOW IN THE LANDSCAPE

Medium: Acrylic, ink and heated soldering iron on timber

Size: 60 x 60cm

About the Artist:

Ever since I can remember I have always been a keen observer of natural forms, from the shifting shapes of clouds to the light and shadows that play amongst trees and rocks. My fondest memories I have as a child are of my dad taking my out on bush expeditions to draw and it is no accident that I have introduced the soldering iron into my work as a form of drawing, in this sense I see myself as more of a mark-maker than a painter. It is this tool that really builds the textural integrity of my work with a multitude of overlapping lines that build up the depth and intricacies of the natural environment.

Artist Statement:

This work was inspired by a photograph I had taken of the landscape which captured my elongated shadow..i have always loved the distortions created by shadows and became attracted to the idea of placing myself in the landscape as a mere shadow. My presence is impermanent, fleeting, merging into the shadows in the foreground as I capture clouds forming, moving, a gentle breeze through the gums..moments in time.

Artist Name: REMNIM ALEXANDER TAYCO

Artwork Title: OVER THE HORIZON

Medium: Ink on Panel

Size: 60 x 50cm

About the Artist:

Remnim Alexander Tayco is Filipino born Australian Studied Certificate of Fine Arts in Wollongong, BFA at National Art school and MA by coursework at UNSW (COFA).
Resides in Sydney and works primarily in Drawing and Painting. For the last two decades been interested on European painting and drawing. Recently experimenting on the introduction
Of cultural narratives and personal imagery with developing handmade frames as part of the work.

Artist Statement:

Drawing from realms of memory and imagination, I evoke a poetic longing and curiosity, captivated by imagined landscapes. Raised in the Philippines and now in Australia, I'm transported to dreamscapes where childhood memories merge with distant horizons. It's an indescribable sensation, deeply resonant. 'Over the horizon' acts as a bridge between my worlds, reflecting the rich tapestry of experiences shaping my identity. Through creative endeavors, I seek to capture these fleeting moments, transcending language to reveal the ethereal inner landscapes.

Artist Name: ANDY HARWOOD

Artwork Title: EXTENDED LIGHT (GREEN)

Medium: Synthetic polymer on canvas

Size: 61 x 51cm

About the Artist:

Andy Harwood, b.1983, a contemporary Brisbane artist, has a design background which he harnesses to create complex mathematically derived compositions and explores the capacity for abstract geometry to evoke an emotive response in the viewer. Influenced by the Op Art movement, and in particular Josef Albers’ Homage to the Square, and Richard Anuszkiewicz’s Temple Series, Harwood exploits the functional relationship between retina and brain, between seeing and interpreting. The viewer’s sense of space and reality is distorted as shapes simultaneously appear to recede and advance. Harwood counters the structural precision of geometric forms by building colour in semi-transparent, painterly layers, blending colours together to produce a kinetic, reverberating effect.

Artist Statement:

Andy Harwood, b.1983, is a contemporary Brisbane artist. Harwood’s painting, ‘Extended Light (Emerald)’ is an exploration of colour and its adaptability. Considering the interactions between light and colour through mathematically coordinated compositions. Exposing the colour in its solid form alongside semi-transparent forms gives the viewer the opportunity to view how colour is influenced and changed by its surroundings. This process is akin to the human experience. The body readily responds to varying environmental and physiological changes for us to survive. ‘Extended Light’ resonates with an inner luminosity, the static canvas vibrating with its own kinetic energy as the gaze is simultaneously pulled between movement and stillness. Harwood’s painting intends to shift the emphasis of his work away from perception willed by the artist to reception engineered by the viewer.

Artist Name: PURPLE CHANG

Artwork Title: POETIC NONSENSE

Medium: Oil on canvas

Size: 50 x 50cm

About the Artist:

Purple Chang, a self-taught Taiwanese artist, explores diverse mediums blending Eastern philosophy with Western expression. Migrating to Australia in 1995, her art reflects this transformative journey, creating visually rich narratives and inviting a cross-cultural dialogue.

Artist Statement:

"Poetic Nonsense" reimagines mundane objects like dried flowers, ancient paintings, figurines, and jars. Blending East and West, old and new, with realistic and impressionistic styles, it creates a surreal, timeless scene revealing the hidden beauty in the ordinary.

Artist Name: TODD WHISSON

Artwork Title: CURRUMBIN ROCK

Medium: Oil on Board

Size: 45 x 45cm

About the Artist:

My enjoyment for painting en plein air drives my artistic expression. Inspired by 'Currumbin,' I reinterpreted the landscape through vibrant colours and energetic brushstrokes. Through Currumbin Rock, my work explores the evolving relationship between humanity and the environment, inviting contemplation of heritage and harmony.

Artist Statement:

This artwork portrays Currumbin Rock as a monolith symbolizing human evolution and the duality of permanence and impermanence. 'Currumbin,' a Yugambeh word meaning 'tall trees,' reflects its significance. Weathered over time, it stands resilient—a spiritual beacon urging harmony with nature and serving as a sign for change.

Artist Name: SONIA MARTIGNON

Artwork Title: WANDER

Medium: Acrylic on hand cut plywood

Size: 59 x 40cm

About the Artist:

Based in the NT, Sonia Martignon depicts the landscape through painting and pyrography on intricately hand-cut plywood. Holding degrees in Fine Art and Education, she has been a selected finalist in several national art prizes. Sonia was awarded the KAAF Art Prize in 2022 and the Katherine Prize in 2023.

Artist Statement:

‘Wander’ depicts a sanctuary of biodiversity surrounding one of the many vital Northern Territory waterways in jeopardy. Through intricate details and vibrant hues, it captures the delicate dance between existence and extinction. This painting serves as a poignant reminder of our responsibility to safeguard these ecosystems before they vanish forever.

Artist Name: MARNIE COLLIE

Artwork Title: DRY MARTINI

Medium: Acrylic

Size: 55 x 45cm

About the Artist:

I am a self-taught emerging artist living in the Redlands Shire of Brisbane.
My creations are influenced by my surroundings and exposure to moments in time, whether it be visual or emotional experiences. I am driven by collections of colour, and the challenge of creating connections, which can effect the direction of my work and the choice to be versatile with my style.
Exploring a range of media over recent years has reinforced my preference to acrylics as my main choice of medium.

Artist Statement:

Acknowledging the timeless elegance and sophistication of the classic Dry Martini. This piece aims to evoke the sensory experience and allure of indulging in this crisp iconic cocktail.

Artist Name: FILTHY THE BEAR

Artwork Title: STACKHAT

Medium: Acrylic on canvas

Size: 27 x 33cm

About the Artist:

I am attracted to the contrasts and hypocrisies of life. It seems that from a very young age we are taught to strive for impossible ideals. Black/white, good/evil. These are concepts rarely so absolute in reality. We fear this lack of clarity in our world and so we create fictions to serve as avatars of what we wish to be truth. God/Satan, democracy/communism, He-man/Skeletor. From a very young age we are told stories about ultimate goods and ultimate evils, and told to strive to be perfect. Pop-culture, as with religion, pushes this on us at an early age with cartoons of flawless heroes and irredeemable villains. It’s ridiculous and damaging in that the ultimate outcome can be nothing less than failure. I try to explore this idea with most of my paintings, juxtaposing cartoonish characters and landscapes with narratives that are grey and confusing. In doing so, i force viewers, subconsciously trained by story, to search for absolutes, to find meaning.

Artist Statement:

This artwork highlights the plight of birds in our suburban window filled environment. We often build houses with big windows so that we can have a clear view of nature, so that we can feel more at one with the trees and the sky and the animals, and yet a window is still a barrier and a Faustian concept. We get the feeling of openness, of airiness and of freedom, but stare out through that transparent portal long enough and the price soon makes itself clear, as the natural world literally crashes to its doom right in front of our eyes.

Artist Name: IAN MILLAR

Artwork Title: HIMBA BEAUTY

Medium: PENCIL

Size: 56 x 56cm

About the Artist:

AFTER RETIREMENT FROM WORK IN FOREIGN AID, I UNDERTOOK DRAWING CLASSES AT THE BRISBANE INSTITUTE OF ART. I HAVE SINCE CONCENTRATED ON PENCIL DRAWING, MOSTLY IN BLACK AND WHITE. TRAVEL, MUSIC AND POPULAR CULTURE INSPIRE MY ART.

Artist Statement:

MY GRAPHITE DRAWING IS OF WOMEN FROM THE CATTLE-HERDING HIMBA PEOPLE OF NORTHERN NAMIBIA. WHEN I VISITED THEIR VILLAGE, THEY APPEARED SUPERBLY FIT IN THEIR EVERYDAY TRADITIONAL DRESS WITH BRAIDED HAIR, SHINING SKIN EMBELLISHED WITH OCHRE AND ANIMAL FAT, CATTLE-SKIN SKIRTS AND HEADPIECE, AND MUCH JEWELLERY.

Artist Name: SUE MACLEOD-BEERE

Artwork Title: INNER GLOW

Medium: Oil on canvas

Size: 61 x 51cm

About the Artist:

Sue MacLeod-Beere is a contemporary artist based in Sydney.
Her work process starts with a drawing or small painting working directly from the subject where possible with plein air a focus of her practice. The challenge to keep the fresh, first impression and explore the subtleties of the subject to find the story within.
A three times Gallipoli Art Prize finalist also Mosman, KAAF and Ravenswood Art Prize finalist. Winner of the Hunters Hill 2020 Prize and Nora Heysen Prize twice.
Sue has a BA(hons) from Ravensbourne College of Art & Design, UK and won a John Olsen scholarship for Julian Ashton Art School. Her work has been used on the sets of Australian TV shows including ABC’s ‘Wakefield’.

Artist Statement:

Staring into a glowing fireplace, an ancient ritual of pleasure and ease. In this case with the modernity of noodle boxes and a TV remote. Simple comforts on a cold winters night. I used the orange of the flames to warm the surroundings.

Artist Name: JESSICA GUTHRIE

Artwork Title: HOLLY - THE LOST FLOWERS

Medium: Oil on board

Size: 14 x 24cm

About the Artist:

Currently working full time as an artist, primarily as an oil painter, Jessica has been selected as a finalist in several notable art awards including Doug Moran Semi finalist, A.M.E Bale finalist, Gallipoli art prize, and Naked & Nude art prize, amongst others. Jessica regularly exhibits in solo and group shows nationally, and most recently was awarded the winner of the Bluethumb Art Prize still life category.

With a previous career in fashion design and production, and with an emphasis on still life and portraiture, her knowledge and passion for fashion, design, and detail are woven into her artistic sense and subject matter, working collectively to inspire her work with a strong focus on nature and surrounds.

Artist Statement:

Portrait of Holly Ringland - writer, storyteller and tv presenter.
Inspired by Holly’s magic, weaving her stories of the richness of human connection and the land we inhabit in such vibrancy, this small scale painting is an exploration of an unfolding set of ideas capturing Holly in a themed setting, showcasing the floral imagery highlighted in her incredible debut novel & Netflix series “The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart’.

Artist Name: KALINDA WITCHEY

Artwork Title: THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT

Medium: Oil on board

Size: 46 x 61cm

About the Artist:

In 2019 Witchey began her formal studies at Julian Ashton Art School Sydney, where she received a scholarship and studied the fundamentals of academic drawing and painting from life.

She has studied online with Michelle Tully and Krista Schoening through Studio Escalier, Paris and Tobias Hall through Teaching studios, New York.

Witchey continues to attend workshops in person under artist Andrew Bonneau.

In 2023, Witchey was awarded a summer scholarship to study at the Ryder Studio, New Mexico, under artists Tony Ryder, Celeste Ryder, Tobias Hall and John Regar.

Witchey is intrigued by light and colour and loves to paint her chosen subject matter from life.

Artist Statement:

I was inspired to paint this still life after spending time in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The vast desert holds a powerful presence in my mind, as do the skies who never failed to perform.
Both the landscape and the people emanated an unforgettable spiritual energy like nothing I have experienced.

I dream of finding my way back to the land of enchantment.
(Reference:master copy by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo)

Artist Name: PHIL WENT

Artwork Title: ANTIQUE TOYS

Medium: Oil on Copper

Size: 15 x 30cm

About the Artist:

Drawing and painting has always seemed magical, especially being able to capture lighting
and mood. I have always had a fascination with technique and process, and this has
transferred to my art practice with a deep interest in the classical techniques of the study
and application of the skills of drawing and painting.

Artist Statement:

Digging through an old box and found these old toys that spin or roll. I just love how these simple toys can demonstrate such fascinating physical principles. After years of working in Information Technology, these analogue toys are a wonderful change from virtual life.

Artist Name: SASKIA VANDER

Artwork Title: UNDER HER SKIN

Medium: Coloured Pencil on paper

Size: 21 x 14cm

About the Artist:

Saskia Vander is a third-year BFA student at the National Art School, majoring in painting. Her primary mediums of choice are coloured pencil, chalk pastel and oil paint. Saskia focuses on portraiture where she investigates the of unveiling hidden human attributes in an ominous, uncanny way.

Artist Statement:

This mugshot-like composition shows the exposure of a young girl’s lower gums, an area unlikely ever be seen. There is no direct source as why she is positioned like this, however it appears submissive – a forced upside-down smile is forceful, potentially not made by her own hands.

Artist Name: JACQUELINE PAYNE

Artwork Title: THE AUTUMN POPLARS

Medium: Oil on board

Size: 22 x 53cm

About the Artist:

Travel and morning walks inspire me to paint what I see. The ever changing landscape which is affected by light, weather, clouds and colours around me.
I mostly work with palette knife. This allows me to create the layers and textures that are evident in the beautiful landscapes that I live in.

Artist Statement:

The autumn poplars standing like soldiers on a frosty morning, shinning in their beautiful colours.

With my palette knife and thick oil paint, I have recreated this beautiful colourful landscape.

Artist Name: ZORY MCGRATH

Artwork Title: MELBOURNE'S DAWN SYMPHONY

Medium: oil on birch panel

Size: 18 x 47cm

About the Artist:

Zory McGrath adopts a thematic approach to her work, exploring and delving deep into each subject, pursuing derivations of matter and concept.
As a Melbourne-based artist, McGrath finds inspiration in the vibrant energy of urban landscapes, the dynamic interactions of people in bustling crowds, and the rich diversity of various ethnic groups. Her art invites viewers to contemplate the complexities and beauty of human experience within the context of the ever-changing urban environment.

Artist Statement:

"Melbourne's Dawn Symphony" is a painting that captures the serene beauty and vibrant energy of Melbourne city street at dawn. The artwork portrays a moment of transition from darkness to light, as the first rays of the sun illuminate this urban cityscape. The painting aims to evoke a sense of anticipation and possibility, as the city awakens and prepares for the day ahead. It celebrates the unique charm and character of Melbourne, showcasing its dynamic urban landscape and capturing the essence of a new day dawning in the city.

Artist Name: TONI WARE

Artwork Title: EPILOGUE

Medium: Oil on canvas

Size: 43 x 53cm

About the Artist:

Toni Ware is a still life artist who achieves a realism style from a combination of a loose, painterly technique with the application of intense detail to her work. She began painting in earnest in 2022, exploring a range of styles with acrylics and collage, honing her skills with oils in 2023 and now paints exclusively with this medium. Toni paints ceramics and antiques from her personal collection of treasured ornaments and objects she has collected from artisans, thrift and specialty gift shops, family heirlooms and travels in Australia, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. She creates movement and life to these subjects by including cuttings and produce from her garden and that of family and friends. Each of Toni’s painting tells a story of relationships and connections through the personal significance of the subjects she portrays. The capture of light, the sheen on a ceramic, dramatic shadows and fun, pops of colour are often showcased with neutral tones. Toni left a corporate career in 2023 to focus on her art journey. During her recent career as an artist, Toni has exhibited in galleries in Brisbane and has achieved recognition as a finalist in the 2024 Rotary Brisbane Art Prize, a finalist in the 2024 Doyles Art Award and finalist in the Top 20 People’s Choice Award for Bluethumb’s 2023 Art Prize. She lives with her husband and three young, adult children in Brisbane and can also often be found exploring the beaches and headlands of Lennox Head, Northern NSW.

Artist Statement:

Epilogue is a multi-layered piece exploring our ability to reflect, from a place of resolution, our personal history's and past relationships, particularly from the persepctive of post sexual revolution women. Partly inspired by Heather Rose’s novel, "The Museum of Modern Love" where Abramovic and Ulay meet for the first time in 20 years during her "The Artist is Present" perfomance at MoMA, I was pondering not only the emotional rawness of this encounter but also how, like me, most women in our society have lives filled with a rich tapestry of relationships, learnings and wisdom that in previous eras would have been considered scandalous or even forbidden. The vase signifies a memory of another place, time, country and period of growth. I believe we all hold objects that trigger feelings of melancholy as well as triumph. The waterhousia cutting from my garden touches each of the symbolic objects in this painting, signifiying where there is death and decay, life, the beginning of new growth, hope and the various shades that these stages repesent. From one plant and one cutting - each is beautiful in its own way and the contrast of these colours and tones complimenting each other is provided perfectly from nature which is, I believe, a metaphor for my past and who I am today.

Artist Name: DELANEY BEAVIS

Artwork Title: SPRINKLES

Medium: Oil paint on canvas

Size: 51 x 51cm

About the Artist:

As a still life artist working with oil paints, I delight in capturing images in excruciating detail, often exploring how glass warps shapes and colours. My art reflects my own need for control, a theme I hope to convey to viewers.

Artist Statement:

“Sprinkles” captures a whimsical discovery I made at a family Christmas — a tall jar of rainbow sprinkles. This painting proved challenging yet rewarding, each sprinkle demanding individual attention, teaching me about perseverance and the absurdity in my choice of subject matter.

Artist Name: FELICITY BARABARA LEA

Artwork Title: CLAUDE

Medium: oil paint

Size: 30 x 40cm

About the Artist:

My practice centers around the vibrant, expressive world of abstract impasto oil painting. Each piece is an embodiment of my connection to floral muses, capturing their essence in a dance of color, texture, and emotion.

In my work, thick, luscious strokes of oil paint bring to life the bold forms and robust individuality of each flower. These creations are more than just representations; they are an exploration of moments, feelings, and the ever-changing flow of life. I aim to blur the boundaries of a single moment, creating a sense of motion that reflects the dynamic and fleeting nature of emotions.

Through my art, I strive to convey the depth and complexity of human experiences, mirrored in the natural grace and fluidity of flowers in motion.

Artist Statement:

This piece is heavily inspired by Claude Monet's "Water Lilies," drawing from his mastery of capturing the serene beauty of nature. By layering gestural strokes, I create a sense of depth and movement, transforming a tranquil scene into one that feels alive and dynamic.

In my interpretation, I explore the same view but as if it were caught in motion, blurring the lines between reality and impression. The thick, expressive impasto technique brings a tactile quality to the water's surface, reflecting the play of light and shadow in a way that is both vivid and ephemeral.

Through this work, I aim to evoke the sensation of a fleeting moment, inviting viewers to experience the landscape as a living, breathing entity. The bold, rounded forms and vibrant colors convey a sense of energy and emotion, capturing the essence of nature’s constant flux.

Artist Name: SAM SUTTIE

Artwork Title: TINS FOR BIRDS

Medium: Oil

Size: 30 x 25cm

About the Artist:

In recent years the world of spirituality
physics and philosophy in particular has been Sam’s
main driver of inquiry and inspiration.
In her work Sam uses a
framework of objects botanicals and birds to explore our place in the universe.

Artist Statement:

Tins for Birds is commenting on the society and systems designed to create society and often built for their own sake. The system is its own entity. The people in it have long being forgotten.

Artist Name: LAURI SMITH

Artwork Title: HUSBANDS

Medium: Stone, Paint, Pan Pastels

Size: 30 x 20cm

About the Artist:

Lauri's style is predominately surreal, with a significant influence of hyperrealism and magic realism.

She dives into the depths of the subconscious, exploring the intricate relationship between dreams, nightmares, and the waking worlds.

Her pieces are usually inspired by her vivd dreams and visions, with a curiosity about these non-physical entities that come from the subconscious imagination and their connection to reality.

Lauri's art often mimics realism such as her use of silicons and human hair as well as representations re-created in stones and resins.

The process usually begins from an initial inspiration to the drawing, sculpting, mold-making, casting, painting and finishing, these creatures take on a life of their own.

Artist Statement:

'Husbands' is a surreal symbolic portrait inspired by the intricate connection between our waking life and the world of dreams and visions.

Artist Name: DAVID USHER

Artwork Title: THE SEA IS IN FRONT OF ME (TRIPTYCH)

Medium: ceramics

Size: 28 x 32cm

About the Artist:

My arts practice is focused is about finding new ways of making work that respond to the environment through the mediums of clay and paint. Hopefully these works offer the viewer alternative possibilities of how the Australian landscape/seascape can be interpreted.

Artist Statement:

This work titled, 'The Sea is in Front of Me' is a small triptych of ceramic vessels that represents how the sky and water merge when looking out to sea at the horizon, and when it rains upon the sea the swell is transformed into strange hills. this transformation seems to finally link the ocean to the land as the rain looks like a series of grassy knolls, and the sea is somehow gone. The structures along the beach, like the lifeguard towers and flags look like they are positioned on the edge of an enormous green golf course. And then the rain is gone and the sea returns to its endless rush to the shore.

Artist Name: MARK DAVIS

Artwork Title: DEVIL'S HORNS

Medium: Photography

Size: 50 x 50cm

About the Artist:

Mark Davis is a professional photographer known for his captivating and breathtaking images. He specializes in a diverse range of photography, including visible light, invisible light - infrared and 360-degree photography as well as videography.

Mark’s passion for photography began in 1987, and he has spent years honing his craft. He has won numerous awards for his work and has a very successful infrared image exhibition in 2012 at the Tweed Regional Gallery.

Whether you are a photography enthusiast or simply appreciate beautiful images, markd.photography is a must-see website. His work is truly awe-inspiring and will leave you with a new found appreciation for the beauty of the world around us.

Artist Statement:

The symbol of devil's horns, also known as the "sign of the horns" or simply "the horns," holds a fascinating history laden with cultural, religious, and musical significance. Initially, it was a gesture used to ward off evil or to convey protection against curses, seen in various cultures throughout history. However, it gained notoriety in modern times, particularly in Western culture, as a symbol of rock and heavy metal music, embodying rebellion, defiance, and the counter-culture ethos. Despite its association with darkness and mischief, its interpretation varies widely, from a gesture of solidarity among metalheads to an expression of individuality and freedom. Thus, the devil's horns symbol transcends its origins, representing a complex blend of spirituality, music, and personal identity as demonstrated in this image.

Artist Name: KATHERINE EDNEY

Artwork Title: ARIEL AS A GREEN CAT

Medium: Oil on birch panel

Size: 40 x 40cm

About the Artist:

Katherine Edney lives and works in Sydney. She holds a Master of Fine Arts from COFA, UNSW and has been a multi time finalist in the Archibald Prize, Salon des Refusés, Portia Geach Memorial Award, Ravenswood Australian Women's Art Prize, and the Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship, among others.

Artist Statement:

'Ariel as a green cat' is a portrait of my 5 year old daughter, Ariel. I've captured a moment in time of big change; leaving all the innocence and fun of preschool behind, she is about to embark on a new adventure in primary school.

Artist Name: RICK EVERINGHAM

Artwork Title: ON THE ROCKS

Medium: Oil on board

Size: 30 x 30cm

About the Artist:

Born in Sydney in 1945. My first one-man exhibition was in 1970. Since then I have worked continuously as a painter, holding numerous exhibitions in Australia, and internationally in the US, Japan and Italy. I like to create works that remind me that simple beauty is still in existence, wherever I choose to find it.

I have alway loved painting children engrossed in their explorations of things. Early in my career this was a major focus. For the last 33 years I have been exploring Italy, finally living there for 11 years, experiencing its endless supply of beautiful subject matter, but since returning to Australia several years ago I have been focusing again on our wonderful beaches, and again paintings of children.

My work has always been my desire to record a particular feeling I get in particular situations.

Artist Statement:

I have a long series of paintings of children. I am mostly drawn to subjects depicting children essentially doing nothing, engrossed in some undefined activity that requires all their attention. This little boy is totally absorbed in his exploration of things found in rocks.

Artist Name: KATE L. BARRY

Artwork Title: RECEPTACLES

Medium: Oil on canvas, Framed

Size: 34 x 34cm

About the Artist:

Katherine Barry is an expressionistic abstract painter working in Brisbane, Meanjin. Kate’s work is an intuitive response to sensory internal dialogue. Works evoke nostalgia and a profound connection to nature. Acknowledged in esteemed awards: Winner Hawkesbury Art Prize 2023, highly commended Lethbridge Landscape 2024, Milburn Landscape and Clayton Utz prizes.

Artist Statement:

Receptacles signifies a personal unpacking and a shift to inside for me. I enjoyed the contemplation of compositional forms and the interior shapes in domestic objects imagined in an assembled comfort zone. Colours are cosy, warm and embracing, that of a convivial setting clustered with all the senses.

Artist Name: ROBERT DOUMA

Artwork Title: WARPORN ON THE 6 O’CLOCK NEWS

Medium: EtchingEtching on Somerset Paper

Size: 30 x 30cm

About the Artist:

Rob explores conflict, mortality and the human condition in several mediums including sculpture, painting, drawing and printmaking. His concepts are drawn from experiences in the military, international security consultancy, offshore industries and tattooing. This etchings is part of a larger body of work that connected experiences and memories with songs.

Artist Statement:

I eagerly watched the news in the early 80s. The war in Lebanon was so foreign, and exciting. I later joined the army and whilst working in Afghanistan as a Private Security Contractor for the US Army found one of the Rocket Trucks (abandoned) I had seen as a child.

Artist Name: JENNIFER LONG

Artwork Title: ON THE EDGE 1

Medium: Etching and watercolour

Size: 47 x 59cm

About the Artist:

Trained in painting, drawing, ceramics at QCA I studied printmaking at BIA for six years. I etch, paint in oils, watercolour, create 3D assemblages in rice paper, wax, mixed media. With 16 solo exhibitions and group and selected exhibitions over 25 years, I've won 16 awards, giving workshops in mixed media.

Artist Statement:

My work is about memory and place. Collected objects from the landscape, fragments and recurring motifs(totems, nests, towers, boats, tangle, weathered forms) hint at both calm and turbulent narratives. Images in flight, afloat, immersed or scattered are chosen to evoke past and present history.

Artist Name: LAURENCE O'TOOLE

Artwork Title: THE YOUNG PAINTER

Medium: Oil on canvas

Size: 50 x 40cm

About the Artist:

My work deals with the narrative of life, it teases out the story of why we do what we do,
how we connect and why we don’t. I am constantly trying to illustrate the human spirit
and find myself interested in our spirituality, a spirituality that comes from this
existence, our connection and our place in this world. I find myself now concentrating on
what is important in my work, the narrative, the movement, the colour, the core of the
piece and the soul. It’s the meaty issues that affect us all and I try and illustrate these,
all the while , trying to arrive at something beautiful

Artist Statement:

This is a study of a young painter, starting out, as we all did once, the many doors to be opened, the many questions to be answered and the whole world to be changed. It is a reminder of the excitement we all felt at one time and I try and remind myself of this, anytime the days get dark.

Artist Name: GABI MIKA MCNAUGHTON

Artwork Title: EL TORO

Medium: Acrylic on cotton

Size: 61 x 61cm

About the Artist:

Mika-McNaughton is a Queensland based artist. Her practice is driven by her obsession to deliver something to her audience.
"I paint for the enjoyment i get from seeing people responding to a particular work and to satisfy my need to explore the environment we exist in"

Artist Statement:

El Toro is part of a body work where i am exploring the heirlooms family members and ancestors felt worthy of passing down. I feel myself drawn to these objects. Perhaps it's my DNA?
El Toro is from a 1970's collection of ceramic bulls that belonged to my artist Grandmother. Thelma had a rather outlandish dress sense, portrayed in the bold floral background.

Artist Name: BRENDA INGRAM

Artwork Title: LISTENING WITH CURIOSITY

Medium: Acrylic Resin

Size: 13 x 37cm

About the Artist:

My sculptures are about evoking inner amusement, a connection to your own moments of lightness and wonderful abandonment.

Artist Statement:

'Listening with Curiosity' Keep conversations interesting by listening with curiosity.

Artist Name: KAREN BLOOMFIELD

Artwork Title: RAM EWE BAR

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 40 x 40cm

About the Artist:

I believe that my role as an artist is to capture & preserve society in this very moment & to garnish this captured moment with my own filters, wit, emotions & beliefs.

It is in this way I share my vision of how I perceive that simple, mundane, ugly & unexpected things may be viewed to be beautiful or, at the very least, engaging. It is my desire to encourage the growth that comes from seeing more than one viewpoint – in everything.

Artist Statement:

By taking reference from the American deep interior and adding iconic Australian features, my intention is to question Australian autonomy and integrity from American influence.

Artist Name: GV PRASHANTH

Artwork Title: THE JOY OF UNDERWATER

Medium: Oil on wooden board

Size: 60 x 60cm

About the Artist:

As an artist, my passion lies in capturing the playful and surreal world of dogs underwater. My work is a celebration of the boundless joy, freedom, and unique beauty that dogs exhibit when they dive beneath the surface. Each painting is a vibrant exploration of movement, light, and the unexpected elegance that emerges in this submerged environment. I am fascinated by the way water transforms the familiar into the fantastical, creating a dreamlike realm where dogs float, twist, and turn in ways that defy gravity. Through my art, I aim to evoke a sense of wonder and delight, inviting viewers to see these beloved animals from a fresh and enchanting perspective. My goal is to not only highlight the whimsical and joyful nature of dogs but also to convey the profound bond we share with them, a connection that is as deep and fluid as the water itself.

Artist Statement:

This captivating artwork beautifully captures the exuberance and sheer delight of a dog swimming underwater. The golden retriever, with its fur flowing gracefully in the azure water, exudes joy and vitality. The artist masterfully renders the intricate play of light and bubbles, creating a sense of movement and depth that immerses the viewer in the scene. The dog's open-mouthed, happy expression is infectious, radiating a sense of pure, unfiltered joy that resonates with anyone who beholds it. The vibrant blues of the water contrast wonderfully with the warm tones of the dog's fur, highlighting the harmony and dynamism of the moment. This painting not only showcases technical skill in capturing the complexities of underwater environments but also evokes an emotional response, reminding us of the simple pleasures and boundless happiness that dogs bring into our lives. It is a joyful celebration of life, movement, and the special bond between humans and their canine companions.

Artist Name: RUDIGER WASSER

Artwork Title: WOBBLY ESCALATORS

Medium: photograph

Size: 46 x 31cm

About the Artist:

Ballina photographer Rudiger Wasser holds a Master of Visual Arts from the Queensland College of Arts. He has exhibited widely and been a finalist in major Prizes. His main subject areas are architecture, urban, street and landscape, exploring the loss of social space and identity in our environment.

Artist Statement:

Wobbly Escalators aims to achieve a heightened awareness of public space by challenging the viewer’s perception of the built environment through unusual visual perspectives. Familiar places—like escalators in shopping malls—acquire an alienating aesthetic that points to a dystopian aspect of society and modern city living.

Artist Name: HILARY WHITE

Artwork Title: SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING BUTTERED AND SOMETHING BLUE

Medium: Oil

Size: 30 x 30cm

About the Artist:

Hilary is a dentist who started painting in 2022 with Bienarte’s oil painting classes. She then progressed to Bronwyn Searle’s Painting Practice classes. Hilary has fallen in love with oil painting, particularly still lifes. Painting has enriched Hilary’s life immeasurably and has helped her overcome considerable mental health challenges.

Artist Statement:

The artist is a country girl who is a lover of all things home, homegrown and family. This composition draws together the artist’s loves of her kitchen, baking, nostalgic china, her beloved garden and backyard chooks and eggs, and of course, still lifes.

Artist Name: HANNAH AIELLO

Artwork Title: HE’D LIKE TO COME AND MEET US, BUT HE THINKS HE’D BLOW OUR MINDS

Medium: Watercolour on panel

Size: 16 x 16cm

About the Artist:

Specializing in watercolor portraiture, my work captures the essence of human emotion and experience. Through delicate layers of pigment and fluid strokes, I illuminate the intricacies of individuality and connection, inviting viewers to delve into evocative narratives through vibrant hues and subtle nuances.

Artist Statement:

"He'd Like to Come and Meet Us, But He Thinks He'd Blow Our Minds" captures the tension between desire and fear. The subject is partially veiled in shadows, poised on the brink of revelation and the potential for transformative encounters. The artwork invites viewers to contemplate the allure and intimidation of interpersonal connection.

Artist Name: J VALENZUELA DIDI

Artwork Title: RISE

Medium: Oil and acrylic on canvas

Size: 61 x 61cm

About the Artist:

Brisbane artist J Valenzuela Didi draws on the emergence of patterns and geometric shapes to explore common scenes and signposts of modern life. In his paintings, familiar urban landscapes become haunting and alien reminders of the beauty and character of the present-day.

Artist Statement:

I'm intrigued by memory and time. This painting started from a memory of my childhood. We were in the Maldives and my uncle (in his early 20s) needed to climb to the bottom of the well of the family home to fix a blockage. He arose to a hero's welcome from our extended family, all congregated at the mouth of the well. Finding home movie stills I pieced this memory back together in this painting.

Artist Name: ELOUISE ROBERTS

Artwork Title: AUTUMN'S HALO

Medium: Acrylic and watercolour on board

Size: 30 x 30cm

About the Artist:

I paint landscapes of the New England region in New South Wales where I live. I aim to capture the feeling of being in the landscape, when I am awed by the dramatic clouds, quality of light or brilliant colour. My work focuses on capturing the ephemeral effects of time time, weather and seasons on familiar landscapes.

Artist Statement:

'Autumn's Halo' depicts a street in the town where I live. I wanted to capture the striking flash of red made more vivid by late afternoon light and the pale trunks of gum trees against deepening cool shadows.

Artist Name: LINDA DRY-PARKER

Artwork Title: HOT SHOT

Medium: Oil on canvas

Size: 60 x 60cm

About the Artist:

I am attracted to images that appear spontaneously they provide the viewer an opportunity to step inside a different space .slightly surreal and inviting. As a figurative artist I like to escape into this space by using colours and form in unexpected ways , just stepping aside reality .

Artist Statement:

I wanted that summer heat ,stillness, just being . Heated colours ,depecting hot sun. An unreal quality ,both of how we are on the beach , and how we engage with the heat
A Solitary figure seated on the horizon ,giving depth and space on a small canvas . The watcher being watched .

Artist Name: LEIGH SCHOENHEIMER

Artwork Title: WALL CONSTRUCTION #8

Medium: Acrylic and timber assemblage on plywood

Size: 20 x 40cm

About the Artist:

Brisbane artist Leigh Schoenheimer conducts a contemporary art practice, working as a painter and sculptor. Her work is held in public and private collections throughout Australia, and is the subject of an extensive case study in the current Senior Visual Art textbook for QLD – ‘Creative Inquiry’ - Cambridge University Press, 2019.

Artist Statement:

This diptych extends upon my thinking around perception and interpretation; ideas that have occupied my practice for many years. This particular work plays perceptual tricks through the use of repeated shapes, light and shadow, while at the same time setting up a visually dynamic composition across the two panels.

Artist Name: KIRSTY MCINTYRE

Artwork Title: CONVERSATION IN RED

Medium: oil

Size: 40 x 40cm

About the Artist:

I work with brush and palette knife in oils with Australian themed still life subjects and the native birds who visit my outdoor compositions. Described in a review by Peter Haynes in the Canberra Times on 4/11/22; "McIntyre's use of pattern is beautifully controlled. The artist's use of an intense light suffused the overall composition allowing each element to be clearly delineated and hold pictorial autonomy. Light also imbues a sense of McIntyre's capturing a moment in time. The beautifully random compositions filled with freely dispersed floral and other objects have a sense of delicate movement, of the transitoriness of nature and of the innate beauty in that transitoriness."

Artist Statement:

An accidental composition, this trio exuded such a sense of calm and connection on a bad news day that it begged to be captured in oils.

Artist Name: CLEMENT MAC AN T'SAOIR

Artwork Title: ELECTROSTATIC

Medium: Digital Photograph

Size: 24 x 61cm

About the Artist:

Clément is a native of Éire. Born in the early 70’s he is immediately immersed into sectarism, hatred, distrust and violence. In this environment he honed the attributes of tribalism, observation and reactive intuition. Clément photographs elements and scenes which interest and stimulate his curiosity. He is interested in arousing self-awareness and inner confidence through his photographs (raw and manipulated).

Artist Statement:

This piece is an exploration of photographic ICM [intentional camera movement]. Whilst the movement is purposeful and planned, the randomness and slight alterations to the plane of field with the subject enhanced by the directional lighting results in a unique and unrepeatable image. The abstract nature of the image allows the orientation for viewing to be changed making it very organic and multi-dimensional. In addition, the viewer can interpret the image and create a narrative as individual as the image.

Artist Name: MAI NAITO

Artwork Title: WERIFESTERIA

Medium: Digital Photography, Archival Inkjet on Matte Paper

Size: 59 x 42cm

About the Artist:

Mai Naito is a Japanese photographer based in Brisbane. Based on her personal childhood experiences of perceiving natural spaces through the lens of her imagination, she developed an interest in expressing the emotional effects of natural spaces. Through this approach, she encourages audiences to rediscover a deep connection between themselves, their natural environment, and the very moment itself.

Artist Statement:

Werifesteria is inspired by personal childhood experiences of nature and visualises my memories of exploring natural spaces through photography and digital manipulation. By considering the role of photography and painting in depicting nature, and in turn, our experiences and recollections, the work questions the opinion that photography is a mere technological process and a tool for depicting realism devoid of human soul or emotion.

Artist Name: DR SYLVIA DITCHBURN

Artwork Title: WHAT LIES BENEATH

Medium: etching - 2 plate

Size: 23 x 29cm

About the Artist:

My work focuses mostly on landscape. An en plein air painter I studied printmaking in my Dip of Art.

Artist Statement:

'What Lies Beneath' is a two-plate etching showing the items I collected when I was in the field such as feathers and small flowers. I felt this gave depth to the image of the forest and the crackling on the bark an added extra.

Artist Name: TRACEY JONES

Artwork Title: EXPECTATION

Medium: oil on linen

Size: 50 x 50cm

About the Artist:

I am a Sydney based painter. I make paintings that imbed layers of meaning within the visual image. Working within the realist tradition I create work from familiar and often prosaic subject matter, composing it in such a way that allows me to tell new stories.

Artist Statement:

My work ‘Expectation’ offers a closely cropped and detailed perspective of a familiar object to consider notions of memory, connection and absence.
‘Expectation’ engages with motifs that have long fascinated me and appear regularly in my work as tropes to engage the viewers memories, experiences and imagination. The tightly framed composition, choice of subject matter and monochromatic palette evoke a subtle vulnerability enhancing the pensive atmosphere of the image, drawing viewers into the narrative that is embedded within its layers. It challenges us to consider how we store, protect and interpret memories.

Artist Name: KARL DE WAAL

Artwork Title: VACUUMS FOR SALE

Medium: Acrylic paint on canvas

Size: 60 x 60cm

About the Artist:

I love the nitty gritty. The nuts and bolts of life. The things that unify us. The bland the boring, the forgotten, the everyday. These are the things that bind us as a community.

Artist Statement:

I love looking on Facebook Marketplace and seeing what people have to sell. When people take photos of their items for sale the photos reveal the inherent artist in all of us. What I particularly like though is how the platform automatically crops the photograph to fit in a square. It creates a kind of tension. This painting is merely a collage of images of the vacuum cleaners for sale.

Artist Name: NICOLE TOMS

Artwork Title: UNSCRUPULOUS SWINE

Medium: Oil on board

Size: 28 x 35cm

About the Artist:

Nicole is a Blue Mountains based oil painter focussing on metaphorical still lives and portraits. Since graduating with a BFA from the National Art School, she has exhibited in several solo and group exhibitions in Sydney and surrounds. Her work has been selected for various prizes including the Shirley Hannan Portrait Prize as well as the AME Bale.

Artist Statement:

With it's sinister gaze and confrontational stance, the "Unscrupulous Swine" is the embodiment of corruption and degradation. However, underlying this facade, is grief for innocence lost. The child's piggy bank, a symbol of financial promise, the degraded wallpaper alluding to a time of naive ideals. This work is part of a series of psychologically imbued still lives based in the domestic realm.

Artist Name: JASON MCNAMARA

Artwork Title: WEST END LIFE

Medium: Photograph

Size: 48 x 61cm

About the Artist:

Jason's portraiture penetrates the surface of his subjects to reveal hidden depths of their being. His striking images offer unique insight of the personalities he captures. The lens punctures the obvious and probes beneath to bring to the fore a dynamic of internal dialogue which is at once familiar and uniquely rare.

Artist Statement:

In this black and white photographic portrait, two men are captured in a moment of camaraderie at a pub in Brisbane's West End. Seated at their table, a British Bulldog gazes directly into the lens, adding a touch of humor and character. The monochromatic palette emphasizes the timelessness of the scene, highlighting the bond between the men and their loyal companion. This piece celebrates everyday connections and the unique charm found in unexpected moments.

Artist Name: ZOE SERNACK

Artwork Title: NIGHTS SHINING

Medium: Acrylic on board, floating frame

Size: 32 x 32cm

Artist Name: DAVID HENDERSON

Artwork Title: EVENING SWAMP

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 30 x 40cm

About the Artist:

I would describe my approach to painting as essentially classical, that is to say one with an emphasis on order, balance and harmony. The unifying principle in my paintings is always light; light has both the ability to integrate the disparate elements of the picture and to create an all-pervasive mood.

Artist Statement:

I have painted this tidal swamp on many occasions, under differing lights and using a variety of compositional arrangements. This self-contained world is a characteristic feature of a locality with which I have a long and close connection. My ties with this place are now coming to an end, and I wanted to convey the reflective mood associated with this moment of farewell.

Artist Name: ANNA JACOBSON

Artwork Title: GOLDEN THREAD

Medium: Photography

Size: 31 x 41cm

About the Artist:

Anna Jacobson is an award-winning poet and artist. Her art has exhibited in the Olive Cotton, Blake Art Prize, Marie Ellis OAM Drawing Prize, Brisbane Portrait Prize, and Lethbridge Small Scale Prize. She has written three books: How to Knit a Human, Anxious in a Sweet Store, and Amnesia Findings.

Artist Statement:

I dream I am having golden thread painted on my face, body, and the walls of the gallery in an installation by an artist – a young woman unknown to me but who seems familiar. The thread is connected in one long swirling line, glimmering, and glittering.

Artist Name: DARIA SOLAR

Artwork Title: SELF PORTRAIT

Medium: egg tempera / oil

Size: 31 x 23cm

About the Artist:

My art comments on the world of the twenty-first-century.
I am interested in modern technologies and their impact on mankind.
I love science, and follow the latest discoveries.
I am watchfully observing the resurrected space-race.
Computer is my faithful friend that I know, understand, and respect.
My protagonists think by means of algorithms.
For me human is an endangered species.
I like precision, cleanliness and clarity of the message.
I'm not romantic, I'm emphatic.
This is not art from the world of our grandparents,
You are looking at the era of our grandchildren.

Artist Statement:

The piece is my self portrait, inspired by the Dutch style painting by Rogier van der Weyden "Portrait of a Lady", c. 1460. The piece is my attempt at copying the traditional technique, it is egg tempera and oil on a wood panel ground with self-made gesso. The tempera under-painting is still slightly visible when looking at the painting in real, I finished it with numerous layers of oil glazing and sfumatos.

I have pictured myself accompanied by my then rabbit, Sonia, who was an old lady rabbit at the time. She died a while ago. The portrait symbolizes my love for rabbits that I have adopted and brought back to happiness for 20 years. I chose the traditional medium for my love for the old masters and their meticulous attention to detail.

Artist Name: RYAN WILLIAM DAFFURN

Artwork Title: BONE DANCE

Medium: Inks on linen rag paper

Size: 42 x 59cm

About the Artist:

Ryan grew up in the Redlands and started his art studies at an early age. In 2000 he moved to Sydney to complete Fine art studies at the Julian Ashton Art School. He has travelled extensively in Europe for art research and was based for some years in Leipzig, Germany. In 2018 Ryan returned to Brisbane to paint full time. He is currently developing a body of work about the rural, historic township of Hill End, NSW to be exhibited in November 2024.

Artist Statement:

This drawing is part of a series of works about Hill End, NSW. My initial experiences in the region were after living overseas for some years. Arriving there after a particularly dry and harsh season, the carnage that was left was very shocking.

These are found animal bones, which died from natural causes in the bush. They were picked up during slow walks in the area, off-track, while contemplating the landscape.

The arrangement of these fine structures builds up into a fascinating orchestration on the page, which follows a spatial and whimsical journey. The bones were drawn as they were found within the landscape. Local debris falls into the works as context and recognition of the unique creative moment which forged the drawing.

Artist Name: ODESSA MAHONY-DE VRIES

Artwork Title: ROUGH EXTERIOR

Medium: Clay

Size: 50 x 25cm

About the Artist:

Working within abstract painting and sculpture I engage in immediate responses, navigating the interplay of painterly gestures and dynamic compositions to find resolve. Living with a chronic physical disease triggered by stress, I self-regulate by engaging with a making process that is tactile and demands a present state.

Artist Statement:

Constructed using coil and slab building techniques this BRT clay sculpture is an exploration of materiality and the exterior shell we carry. Marrying the relationship of shape, line, and form, this piece has a rough and jagged resolve.

Artist Name: NATASHA RUSCHKA

Artwork Title: TAKING IT SLOW

Medium: Oil

Size: 51 x 51cm

About the Artist:

Natasha Ruschka is an oil painter currently based in Canberra after living most of her life in the western suburbs of Brisbane.

Her artistic journey started as an expat living in the USA in 2016 where she fell in love with outdoor painting and the fast and direct “alla prima” approach to painting with oils.

Natasha’s approach to art is centered around painting as a practice from life, sketches and reference photographs, regularly painting outdoors as well as setting up studio compositions.

She produces pieces that are loose in brushstrokes and fresh in colour with a playful painterly energy. Light and shadow is the inspiration for most pieces as she likes to recreate its atmospheric effects in her paintings ranging from contemporary still life and landscapes that capture the beauty of the Australian country and beaches

Artist Statement:

"Taking It Slow" captures a simple quiet moment with a couple and their dog. On the surface it looks like an everyday scene, but in a fast paced, cost of living crisis world where people work from home and we have at times been locked inside - this scene is a reminder to spend time with those you love, spend money with a small business and get out of the house regularly.

Artist Name: NICOLE DE LA MAR

Artwork Title: MARKET STREET

Medium: Acrylic

Size: 27 x 18cm

About the Artist:

Paint freely and of things that matter to you at that exact moment of time.

Artist Statement:

Early morning, at dawn, as the street livens with light and sound - before the commotion of day to day life. (Ulverston-Cumbria,UK)

Artist Name: SABINE VON GRAZ

Artwork Title: ALICE'S TRIUMPH

Medium: oil and acrylic on canvas

Size: 60 x 60cm

About the Artist:

Central to Sabine's artistic vision is the exploration of the human experience, often through the lens of family dynamics and childhood nostalgia. Her daughter serves as both muse and subject, her youthful spirit and endearing adventures captured in playful and whimsical compositions.

Artist Statement:

In ‘Alice's Triumph’, Sabine reimagines Alice as a symbol of feminine strength, navigating Wonderland with resilience. Through a blend of acrylic and oil, the painting balances femininity and inner strength, challenging traditional gender roles. The work invites viewers to explore themes of identity and empowerment in a whimsical setting.

Artist Name: JODI BOWEN

Artwork Title: THE LONG LUNCH

Medium: White raku. Bisque fired to cone 06. Final fire- cone 04. Underglaze and high gloss and matte finishes.

Size: 10 x 20cm

About the Artist:

Jodi is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Ipswich. With a penchant for humour, she skilfully weaves wit into her creations, inviting viewers to engage with her work on multiple levels.

Jodi’s artistic journey has been marked by two successful solo exhibitions. In June 2021, “Flights of Fancy,” was exhibited at the Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery. Here, Jodi’s whimsical pieces invited viewers to escape reality and explore imaginative realms. Through her use of colour and unexpected juxtapositions, she encouraged contemplation and delight. In August 2021 “Living Vicariously Through Others” was presented at the Ipswich Art Gallery. When illness prevented Jodi from physically venturing out, her connection to the outside world was through social media. Social media posts provided a chance for vicarious experience and the inspiration for creative expression.

Beyond her exhibitions, Jodi is an active participant in the Ipswich Artist Run Initiative. Her commitment to fostering opportunities for local artists underscores her dedication to community building. Whether through her art or her collaborative efforts, Jodi continues to leave an indelible mark on Ipswich’s creative landscape.

Artist Statement:

“The Long Lunch” is a hand-built ceramic creation that invites viewers to partake in a whimsical feast. Crafted with care, this seafood platter playfully combines culinary elements with linguistic wit.

At first glance, one might mistake it for an ordinary seafood spread. However, a closer look reveals a twist: each item is a pun waiting to be savoured. The oysters aren’t just molluscs; they’re also pearls of linguistic humour. The prawns are a a play on “prone” (as in lying down) and the sardines? They’re a nod to “sardonic” wit. As for the chips, no humour there, just the usual fanfare that accompanies a seafood feast.

“The Long Lunch” encourages us to linger, both visually and mentally. It’s a celebration of wordplay, a ceramic banquet where language and art converge.

Artist Name: ALEX SNELLGROVE

Artwork Title: BOILED EGG AND PLIERS

Medium: Oil on canvas

Size: 25 x 25cm

About the Artist:

I have been a painter for 17 years and enjoy figurative subject matter, especially when viewed from an unusual angle and tightly cropped.

Artist Statement:

Im interested in unusual juxtapositions treated gently,as if they are completely normal. I like the simple pairing of two objects that have no relationship with one another, and yet at first glance, they seem to belong together. Their shapes are compatible and the curves echo one another. the light and colours are warm and homely, but there is the element of pain or danger in the metal pliers, especially when placed on a tablecloth next to food. Natural and man-made, nourishing and utilitarian, soft and hard, rounded and sharp.

Artist Name: ANNE SCANLON

Artwork Title: CAN'T SWITCH OFF

Medium: OIL PASTEL

Size: 60 x 60cm

About the Artist:

Anne Scanlon is Brisbane artist drawn to expressing the quirky, the colourful, and joyful moments of her surrounds and imagination. Her use of oil pastel is a dynamic blend of a precise approach with an imprecise medium. Connection to the pastel, the subject, and the viewer, is her motivation.

Artist Statement:

Amidst nostalgia and design, this work is an allegory on our modern addiction to screens. Not so long ago, we viewed screen time as a novelty, and readily accepted time away from it. Increasingly, our dependence on screens has morphed into necessity. There is no longer a way to switch off.

Artist Name: LILIA LARCOS

Artwork Title: FLOATING BUSTER

Medium: Acrylics

Size: 61 x 61cm

About the Artist:

As an artist, I am constantly inspired by the simple joys and playful moments that bring happiness into our lives. My work often explores themes of leisure and contentment, aiming to capture the essence of carefree moments and the warmth they bring. 'Floating Buster' is a reflection of my love for animals and my appreciation for the small pleasures that make life delightful. Through vibrant colours and detailed textures, I strive to create pieces that evoke a sense of joy. I believe art has the power to uplift and inspire, and I hope my paintings bring a smile to those who view them.

Artist Statement:

A splash of summer fun. A laid-back bulldog takes center stage, lounging on a bright yellow floaty as it drifts effortlessly in a shimmering pool. The playful scene captures the essence of relaxation, with Buster's contented expression and the gentle ripples of the water creating a sense of joyful tranquility.

Artist Name: GRAHAM MARCHANT

Artwork Title: ORCHID GLORY

Medium: Oil on Board

Size: 30 x 43cm

About the Artist:

Graham Marchant is based in the Blue Mountains. He relocated to Australia in 1981 from England, where he gained an MA in Fine Art, later achieving a PhD from Newcastle University, NSW, in 2013. He has been the recipient of innumerable awards and artist residencies both internationally and in Australia. He has had twenty-seven one-person exhibitions.

Artist Statement:

Orchid Glory is a painting from a reoccurring theme that I have painted over many years. The delicate flowers epitomise the transient and ephemeral characterises of existence.
The Orchid radiates a universal beauty and whilst there are a multitude of varieties, each always radiates its own distinct splendour

Artist Name: ALIX FAIRBAIRN

Artwork Title: WINTER PROMENADE

Medium: Watercolour

Size: 58 x 40cm

About the Artist:

I am a Sydney based artist with a passion for watercolour. I am drawn to painting busy urban scenes in all their fascinating chaos. I love to lose myself in the minutiae and the process of translating detail onto paper is a form of meditation.

Artist Statement:

This painting depicts a cool, blue wintry morning in Tokyo. Vendors are leisurely opening their shops and stalls while tourists and commuters brave the cold January air. The scene is frenetic with detail but, at the same time there is a calming harmony in the repetition of flags and the endless sea of cool blue paving tiles.

Artist Name: MICHON COLLINS

Artwork Title: FAMILY

Medium: Oil on Board

Size: 33 x 29cm

About the Artist:

Michon Collins is of Filipino and African American heritage. She migrated to Australia with her mother at the age of 5. She lives in Sydney where she works as a nurse and paints. She is like many artists attracted to the beauty of native Australian trees for their colour, sculptural quality and unique ecological contributions. They are quintessentially and undeniably Australian.

Artist Statement:

'Family' captures a collection of native trees crowded together on a hillside. The sunlight falls over them in the same way it does every day. There is also a soft breeze in the background brushing past the leaves. There is a sense of warmth in their togetherness. This painting is a portrait depicting a family who live a most quite existence.

Artist Name: GABRIELLA VEIDT-WIEDMER

Artwork Title: REFLECTIONS

Medium: papercut, paper, scissors

Size: 42 x 26cm

About the Artist:

I’m a Brisbane based artist or observer and collector of quiet things. Art making is a way of holding these moments as witnesses of our time, the passing of time and enduring aspects of life.
The simplicity and clarity of the papercut fascinates me. I enjoy the combination of the creative and craft process. I create the design manly from photographs, sketches and from memory. I prefer to use the scissors, though a knife comes in handy at times.

Artist Statement:

Having collected so many impressions of this city over the years, this paper cut tells one such story.
It portrays a corner in Milton I often cycle past. Today it’s Suncorp Stadion, but it went through many changes. A swamp, graveyard, dump, recreational area. A reflection of past and present, as for instance portrayed by the curlew as a swamp resident eons ago and is still present today.

Artist Name: BRETT SPERLING

Artwork Title: MATCH BOOKLET ON GREEN

Medium: Acrylic on Canvas

Size: 61 x 51cm

About the Artist:

Most of my still life subject matter draws from objects that evoke in me, feelings of past personal experiences and imaginings of other places in other times. I tend to represent objects in isolation, examining them in various mediums and at different scales.

I have been an online finalist in the Lethbridge Small Scale Art Award 2021-23, and a finalist in the EMSLA still life award 2017.

Artist Statement:

Match Booklet on Green is a painting of an old match booklet from a Paris bistro, from a collection of match booklets from all over the world. It conjures up images of smoke filled restaurants and bars in the 70s and 80s.

Artist Name: AMANDA OGILBY

Artwork Title: A MOMENT IN TIME

Medium: Oil on canvas, framed in Oak

Size: 43 x 33cm

About the Artist:

I am a still life and interiors artist, my current body of work exploring a blending of these genres.
I am interested in continuing to add depth to my still life paintings that use light, shadow and abstract marks to depict the larger space, whilst elements remain the focal point.

Artist Statement:

A Moment in Time was inspired by the pure sunshine of a bunch of sunflowers.
Blooms of twisted petals arranged, that captured the light filled moment. Depicting the still life within its immediate environment, the effect intentionally brings the components into focus and ensures the sunflowers are the centrepiece.

Artist Name: ZOE WILLEY

Artwork Title: SUMMER MORNING’S PROMISE (BEACH HOUSE NO.4)

Medium: Oil on birch panel

Size: 30 x 30cm

About the Artist:

Working primarily with oil paint, Zoe employs a gestural style at the intersection of impressionism and realism. This enables her to depict both the tangible and intangible aspects of the moments she captures. Her landscapes explore the relationship between built and natural environments, interwoven with themes of nostalgia and identity.

Artist Statement:

‘Summer Morning’s Promise (Beach House No.4)’ seeks to capture the transient atmosphere of early morning in a subtropical climate. Coastal foliage casts cool shade upon a classic fibro beach shack, whilst dappled sunlight hints at the intensifying heat of the day to come.

Artist Name: JACK VALENTINE

Artwork Title: THE EMISSARIES

Medium: Oil and gold leaf

Size: 42 x 29cm

About the Artist:

My work has always tread the line between realism and surrealism, as I find this particular balancing act the most interesting to achieve. I mostly work in oil and gold leaf, although I draw and make ceramics too. I strive for a high material quality, painting on wood and focusing on details to give my work a luxury look and feel, which feels like the most appropriate use of the gold. The subject matter of a fictional religion of my own making has led to an iconographic style, using a predominantly black and gold pallet, to create elaborate kaleidoscopic and heavily detailed portraits.
I have recently been attempting to simplify the look of my work, limiting my pallet further to make increasingly darker toned portraiture for a more striking result from a distance when viewed against the changing glow of the gold leaf, while also adding a great deal of detail with debossed elements of the portrait, that will only be seen or noticed on a closer view, with the intention of making the work very engaging for the in-person viewer.

Artist Statement:

'The Emissaries' are three priestesses of my fictional religion, the church of mother nature, an ongoing series of work and thought experiment that asked, how would the religious art of the Catholic church evolved if the focus of worship was nature and the planet itself. This artwork is the culmination of a new area of study for me following my solo show at the beginning of the year, I've been striving to make artwork that looks strikingly simple from a distance, but reveals more and more levels of detail for the viewer the closer they get.

Artist Name: CLAIRE LAI

Artwork Title: SUNLIT

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Size: 51 x 61cm

About the Artist:

Claire Lai is an emerging artist based in Southeast Queensland. Her work is based in tonal realism with inspiration from the use of colour and forms by mid-century modernists. She works in oils and pastels and creates images across a range of genres including floral, still-life and figurative.

Artist Statement:

'Sunlit' captures a moment where the energy of colour and the beauty of the natural world collide. The strong sunlight creates intensely saturated and de-saturated areas of colour which dance in a juxtaposition with the softness of the petals’ forms. It was a joyful experience to paint this rose.

Artist Name: AMY JONES

Artwork Title: BINDWEED

Medium: Cotton silk and wool on linen

Size: 25 x 25cm

About the Artist:

Amy Jones’ work is predominantly based on botanical references, both abstract and figurative. She seeks to explore the notion of memory and change over time, creating dreamlike, abstracted gardens. The imagery chosen references personal symbols of remembrance, love, loss and renewal. Jones works primarily in textiles, using a mixture of new and recycled materials. The stitching itself is a process of reflection and meditation

Artist Statement:

Bindweed is part of my “Lost in the Forest” series, that explores the ways we engage with communal green spaces, to enhance our mental wellbeing. It was originally born out of quiet walks in my local cemetery, to escape the drudgery and frustration of domestic life throughout lockdown. Over time, I realised how important these spaces were to me. Watching the way the light changed as it shimmered through the trees became an endless source of inspiration and peaceful contemplation. Bindweed explores the ways that the natural world can be both beautiful and destructive, overwhelming the built environment.

Artist Name: GREG HUGHES

Artwork Title: TILLEYS BRIDGE, RATHDOWNEY

Medium: Watercolour

Size: 29 x 42cm

About the Artist:

Through the medium of watercolour, I aim to capture the effects of light and shadow in various environments.

Artist Statement:

A winter morning light on Tilleys Bridge, leading out of Rathdowney towards fog-shrouded Mount Lindesay.

Artist Name: TRUDI HARLEY

Artwork Title: JUG, SPOON AND DOILY

Medium: Oil on Linen

Size: 30 x 25cm

About the Artist:

My work involves the exploration of what makes a person who they are, often displayed in intricate still life work or in bold portraiture. I have three times been selected as a finalist in the prestigious Portia Geach Memorial Portrait Award. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Art, Honours degree in Visual Arts (First Class), followed by a Master of Arts degree (Visual Art Research) at Federation University.

Artist Statement:

There is a sense of quiet dignity associated with old things, those items we store away and bring out on special occasions, they evoke memories and reconnect us to the past. I reference themes and objects drawn from the everyday, exploring the notion that shared memories and experiences contribute to a sense of belonging and community.

Artist Name: SUSANNE BIANCHI

Artwork Title: THREE TREES UP ON COCKATOO RIDGE

Medium: Mixed Medium

Size: 40 x 40cm

About the Artist:

Susanne paints in a stylized manner to go beyond what meets the eye. She plays with shapes and colours to create a world that's more than reality—a place where emotions and stories take centre stage.
Each brushstroke is intentional, distorting the familiar to capture a deeper essence. Her goal is to elevate the ordinary, inviting viewers to join her in a visual exploration that transcends the everyday.
She draws inspiration from diverse influences, blending tradition with a touch of the avant-garde. Every canvas is an experiment, a space where she can challenge how we see things and embrace the freedom to interpret.
By balancing abstraction with recognition, Susanne wants to immerse viewers in an experience. The stylized forms act as a bridge, connecting the tangible and the intangible, encouraging contemplation and sparking conversations about perception and reality.
In essence, her art is a simple celebration of the transformative power of stylization—a reminder that beauty lies in the subjective, and within each brushstroke, a world of emotions awaits discovery.

Artist Statement:

Susanne often paints Australian fauna to raise awareness as many species are declining and she finds this a disturbing trend.
This piece is a red-tailed black cockatoo also known as Banksman- or Banks' black cockatoo; a large black cockatoo native to Australia.
Adult males have a characteristic pair of bright red panels on the tail that gives the species its name. It is more common in the drier parts of the continent.
Her Black Cockatoo was created using acrylic paint and'for the 'three trees up on Cockatoo Ridge' background she used acrylic, collage paper and mixed media.

Artist Name: MIZZ KIER

Artwork Title: I’M SO BRAVE WHEN NO ONE’S WATCHING - TAKE 1

Medium: Acrylic

Size: 40 x 50cm

About the Artist:

MK is an artist specializing in manga style ink sketching. Her works are influenced by retro comic artists Junji Ito, Toshio Saeki and Frank Frazetta.
She explores the vast complex nuances of human sexuality. Inviting viewers to reflect on the interplay of our own thoughts, desires and personas.

Artist Statement:

This piece in a series of 3, examines the balance between vulnerability and empowerment. Highlights the many layers of human intimacy and thoughts of self.

Artist Name: BRENTON DRECHSLER

Artwork Title: TOP 7

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Size: 50 x 40cm

About the Artist:

As a queer person growing up in Australian heteronormative culture, my lived experiences have generated a sense of ill fit that is ever-present. The ties that have emerged between my queer identity, research, and the materiality of painting have led me to an exploration of how the interconnectedness of practice can generate a sense of belonging and how that also speaks to my sexual identity.

Multiplicities, repetitions, and dualities are all tropes in my work, evoking the back-and-forth nature of being queer. An ever-present non-human alter ego emerges in the form of a green and white stripe, present in each composition, which binds my work together. Other reoccurring motifs, like dark skies, vintage cars, and assorted garments create a narrative that speaks to my queer subjectivity. Upon reflection, I have come to see the act of painting is an important part of orienting and grounding myself within the world.

Artist Statement:

This work has come about from a study I recently made from the tops in my wardrobe. By depicting worn garments from my closet, I am toiling with notions of disclosure and intimacy. My partner and i both wear this garment. It has seen many a gardening day and market visit. It is dirty and warped from too many goes around the washing machine. It is comfortable and familiar. A symbol of our sameness in terms of gender, togetherness and taste. Seeing it in paint immortalises this simple apparel item from this time in our lives, as something to be cherished and remembered.

Artist Name: MEGAN BROADBENT

Artwork Title: NESTING

Medium: Digital print on cotton rag paper

Size: 60 x 48cm

About the Artist:

I am an artist and educator who works across a variety of mediums in response to my experience of the world, with particular focus given to themes of motherhood and identity.

Artist Statement:

My work is an exploration of identity in motherhood. ‘Nesting’ seeks to etch a sense of permanence in a wildly changing time of life, collecting moments and memories together in a complex, fragile structure.

Artist Name: ZYGMUNT LIBUCHA

Artwork Title: NEW NEIGHBOUR

Medium: marble

Size: 55 x 15cm

About the Artist:

I create both, abstract and figurative works, some in marble , some in bronze.

Artist Statement:

This work is in my favorite medium - marble .

Artist Name: EVAN SHIPARD

Artwork Title: MURMURING LOWLY, MURMURING EVER

Medium: Oil on board

Size: 10 x 40cm

About the Artist:

A classically trained artist, Evan has honed his craft for more than twenty years within the dynamic landscape of the film and entertainment industries around the world.

Concerned with history, mythology, beauty, and the human condition his artistic vision is a testament to his dedication to evoke drama and mood, crafted with an eye for detail and draftsmanship.

Inspired by the luminous brushstrokes of the Australian Impressionists, Evan strives to capture the essence of light and emotion in his work, carrying on their legacy with passion and skill.

Exploring various traditional media including oil painting, drawing and print making he develops his work in his studio south of Sydney and en plein air in the landscapes that inspire.

Artist Statement:

‘Murmuring Lowly, Murmuring Ever’ a quote from Edgar Allan Poe’s Dream land. This dream land exists in the Southern Highlands- The Wingecarribee River, fertile home to much wildlife and the lifeblood of the Highlands region. Captured from the Cecil Hoskins Nature Reserve.

Artist Name: CHARLES GRIFFITHS

Artwork Title: SILENT TRAINING

Medium: Digital Photography

Size: 30 x 46cm

About the Artist:

As a photographer, I specialise in capturing life's quiet, unseen moments, revealing the subtle beauty often overlooked. My work focuses on the simplicity and depth of ordinary scenes, guided by my motto: "There's beauty in the obvious." Through my lens, I strive to highlight the extraordinary in everyday life.

Artist Statement:

A boxer’s solitary dedication in a dimly lit gym, fully concentrated on his punching bag. The hanging gloves and intense atmosphere highlight the athlete's unwavering commitment and the silent, relentless pursuit of excellence, showcasing the quiet strength in personal growth and dedication away from the public eye.

Artist Name: BERIC HENDERSON

Artwork Title: THE EMBRACE

Medium: Acrylic on canvas

Size: 60 x 60cm

About the Artist:

Beric Henderson is an Australian artist whose work explores philosophical aspects of creation and our perceptions of nature and the environment, and how these are interconnected but also subject to constant change. He works mainly with painting and drawing and has contributed to >80 exhibitions since 2003.

Artist Statement:

In art the physical embrace between lovers is usually portrayed literally, and yet what about that spiritual or metaphysical connection between soul mates? Recently I explored this question with a refined painting style that evokes energy and interconnectivity, revealing that by abstracting the two embracing forms we witness something extraordinary.

Artist Name: ELISABETH LAWRENCE

Artwork Title: TRAVEL FAR WITH THE WISDOM OF WORDS

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 60 x 60cm

About the Artist:

My paintings develop from simply observing people and how they do life. Sometimes an insignificant behaviour or a small set of words said, or even those not said, are triggers for my visual stories.

Artist Statement:

Words can hurt and words can exhilarate.
We all have the power to choose words that are kind and empowering to both ourselves and others.

Artist Name: NUNZIO

Artwork Title: FORLORN FANTASIES

Medium: Synthetic polymer and UV varnish on cotton canvas

Size: 43 x 33cm

About the Artist:

Inspired by the beauty of human emotion and the complexity of the human mind, Nunzio Miano's paintings are a visual representation of our inner worlds where colors and shapes communicate more than words. His unique style combines bold brushstrokes, vibrant colors, and intricate detail to create captivating and expressive works. Each piece is a unique and personal journey, inviting the viewer to explore their own feelings and thoughts.

Artist Statement:

"Forlorn Fantasies" is a piece that explores the often idealized or romanticized nature of our memories, highlighting the complex relationship between our past and present selves. I aim to explore how place, time and thought shapes our sense of identity, of who we are and who we perceive others believe us to be.

Artist Name: DONOVAN CHRISTIE

Artwork Title: 'RUBBER DUCKY' (STUDY)

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Size: 40 x 30cm

About the Artist:

Donovan’s paintings are a thoughtful sign of the times. His work captures nostalgia within the canvas which engages the audience, captivating them and reminding them of simpler times. These subjects and scenes encourage the viewer to unlock that forgotten memory and remind them to appreciate the small things in life.

Artist Statement:

The iconic Rubber Ducky! This piece is the first study of a larger series. Taking us indoors into the suburban family home, the kitchen/dining room to be specific. Arguably the Holy grail when it comes to kids’ birthdays, a mother’s nightmare at times; the 1980s Women’s Weekly Birthday Cake book!

Artist Name: BARBARA HARKNESS

Artwork Title: HENLEY SWIMMERS

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Size: 30 x 30cm

About the Artist:

From a young age, I've always known that my creativity was a force that guided me.
In my early twenties, I embraced this call to Art as a self-taught oil painter, but my journey took a detour as I delved into the world of graphic design, a realm where I honed my skills and forged a successful career over two decades.

To me, art isn't just about self-expression; it encapsulates the essence of humanity and informs the very fabric of existence. This holistic perspective permeates every facet of
my life, shaping a lifestyle driven by creative exploration and innovation. From interior design, garden design, architecture, painting and writing, I find fulfilment in diverse avenues of expression.

The environment I inhabit and the way I choose to live my life serves as the very foundation upon which my artistic expression rests. Within the confines of my studio, where ideas converge, I find myself immersed in the tangible realities of everyday existence. It is here, that I channel my creativity into the realm of Realism and Surrealism, (my outer and inner worlds)—for the time being anyway. In my artistic practice, I adhere to the principle that to truly innovate and "break the rules," one must first possess a deep understanding and mastery of those very rules. Realism, with its dedication to portraying the world as it is, provides me with a solid framework from which to explore and challenge conventional boundaries. My endeavours in Surrealism are anchored in the power of storytelling through the painting process. Each painting I create has a narrative woven with intricate threads of emotion and meaning. Whilst my Surrealism paintings serve as windows into intricate narratives, my two published books serve as elucidations on the language of art, offering a personalized perspective for clarity and understanding.
Art, to me, is an ongoing journey—a dynamic process through which I engage with and interpret the world around me. Painting is a personal exploration, a reflection of my current state of being and perception. As I continue to evolve and grow, I remain open to the endless possibilities that lie ahead. While I may be rooted in Realism and Surrealism for now, I am keenly aware that artistic expression is fluid and ever-changing. The beauty of this life journey lies in its unpredictability and its ability to surprise and inspire, guiding me towards new horizons of creativity and self-discovery.

In essence, my journey as an artist is a testament to the boundless potential of creativity to shape and enrich my human experience, serving as a conduit for introspection, expression,
and connection.

Artist Statement:

I am always on the lookout for painting inspiration during my daily life. This picture was painted from a morning walk from Henley to Grange in Adelaide. I talked to many of the swimmers as they made their way into the water for their group swim. All of them were seniors, and incredibly friendly. I thought to myself, "Life does get better as we age" if we allow it.

Artist Name: DEBBIE MACK

Artwork Title: POOLSIDE JACARANDA

Medium: Oil on Board, Framed

Size: 51 x 40cm

About the Artist:

I create colourful expressive oil paintings that capture the essence of nature and convey its energy and vitality.
Painting en plein air I am surrounded by the environment that inspires me. My paintings then become a collection of memories and reflect how I feel about a place rather than a geographical representation.

Artist Statement:

The joy of Jacaranda season is discovering the unexpected splashes of colour in our landscape. An early morning visit to a friend’s house revealed this quintessentially Brisbane backyard view, bathed in golden morning light. Soft light, early morning shadows and a perfect harmonious colour palette just had to be painted.

Artist Name: ANNE TAYLOR

Artwork Title: REGARDING TASMANIA

Medium: Mixed Media

Size: 46 x 51cm

About the Artist:

Anne received a BA (Fine Art & Visual Culture) in 2019, she explores the concepts of time & place with her focus on landscape painting. She has a particular interest in exploring and combining different surfaces within the one work and as a mixed media artist employs a variety of mediums in her work.

Artist Statement:

Visually investigating those spaces from the East Coast to the West and in between I have combined the familiar scenes captured from the windows of my home with others that I feel a connection with. From the mountains to the sea, the wild places to the serene, Tasmania offers an overload of vistas.

Artist Name: ROSE WILSON

Artwork Title: STORM RUNNERS

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 42 x 32cm

About the Artist:

I work primarily in oil, using a combination of thick impasto and delicate glazes to create depth and luminosity with my Landscapes and my portraits are more realistic
I paint portraiture and Landscape which are bipolar opposites in their execution. My portraiture usually depict a true likeness of the sitter, whereby my landscapes are a visceral depictions of my connection with the farmland and forest that has been my home for 20 years.

Regardless of my diverse styles and content , whether expressive, abstract, realism or impressionism one element is remains evident in my work, and that is each painting tells a story.
.

Artist Statement:

Moving to the beautiful country side of central highlands was the catalyst that made me delve from portraiture to Landscape, something i had never considered. Her beauty was hypnotic and it didn’t take me long before i fell under her spell. I had no intention of trying to replicate her, I wanted to create a more visceral approach of spontaneity and emotion. With sweeping movement I would splash multiples layers of transparent hues over a thick palleted background. As the thin paint drips down the canvas, it creates it’s own flow, colours and pattern as it weaves its way through the crevices of it's background.

Artist Name: BRUCE WHATLEY

Artwork Title: CONFIDENCE

Medium: Paper mache

Size: 44 x 24cm

About the Artist:

I am a contemporary figure painter who likes to explore the unexpected movement of the human figure. I like to capture the moment before or the moment just after. Much of my work is based on the images of street dancers. Their abrupt movements and energy provides unique opportunities to create interesting compositions and dynamic imagery.

Artist Statement:

I like to experiment with different mediums and push them to their limits. The use of torn gum paper gave this head sculpture an interesting texture and natural colour source while retaining the detail needed to show the model’s expression.

Artist Name: KELLY ANNE SHAW

Artwork Title: PRODUCE TO PAINTING 3

Medium: Hand-crafted recycled paper attached to a canvas board, eucalyptus charcoal & acrylic. Framed

Size: 51 x 41cm

About the Artist:

Kelly Anne Shaw's body of work is a visual diary, cataloguing time spent in her extensive garden and wildlife corridor on Wiradjuri country. Creating intuitively driven, botanical inspired compositions allows Kelly to explore endless possibilities.
"Flora and fauna surprise me, revealing secrets." Kelly Anne Shaw

Artist Statement:

Gritty eucalyptus charcoal sourced from our family fire pit and quality acrylic transform into a meandering, prostrate strawberry plant which is a representation of regenerative produce reclaiming a forgotten green space. I repurposed hand-crafted, recycled paper created by my daughter in this piece, resulting in an object of beauty.

Artist Name: TANIA LUCAS

Artwork Title: COMING HOME

Medium: Acrylic paint on stretched canvas

Size: 61 x 51cm

About the Artist:

Tania Lucas was born and resides in Melbourne, she is a Mother of two. A self taught painter for over 30 years, she is a passionate explorer of paint, colour, texture, genre and self expression.

She is an Acupuncturist and Massage Therapist having practiced for 17 years prior to having children.

Artist Statement:

My painting “Coming Home” was inspired by a chance encounter with a Tawny Frogmouth bird in a tree near my home. I photographed the bird and painted it.

My painting is a combination of reality merged with my own abstract thoughts, conscious, unconscious and feelings related to the bird, our meeting and life.

Artist Name: ISABELLA ZAMMIT

Artwork Title: PERFORMING WITH STUFFED STOCKING BREASTS

Medium: oil on board

Size: 41 x 41cm

About the Artist:

Isabella Zammit is a Meanjin-based emerging artist. Zammit examines the relationship between her own body and Performing Objects, constructing absurd speculative scenes.
Her interdisciplinary process hybridises performance, Performing Objects, GIF making, and painting. Zammit has exhibited in a variety of group shows across Brisbane.

Artist Statement:

This painting contributes to the knowledge and practice of women’s body art — interrogating culturally ascribed notions of women’s bodies by synthesising my body and erotic performing objects. A method that combines painting, performance and documentation exposes disparities and tensions inherent when performing objects intersect with my own eroticised body.

Artist Name: NATALIE LAPARDIN

Artwork Title: SUNFLOWERS ON LAVENDER

Medium: Oil

Size: 35 x 30cm

About the Artist:

Natalie's still life practice is centred on bringing elements of the natural world that resonate with her into her studio. The still life is created as a response to a question, which could be in the composition, light, texture or many other challenges of the realist painter.

Artist Statement:

Sunflowers on Lavender is an exploration of the vitality of the sunflower. It works to capture the
character of these flowers in a way the resonates the the viewer's memory and experience with this beloved flower.

Artist Name: JENNIE RUTZ

Artwork Title: PINCH ME

Medium: Acrylic on Canvas, Oak Float Frame

Size: 51 x 51cm

About the Artist:

I’m searching for meaning in a confusing world. I want to understand life at a deeper level and seek to capture moments in my paintings about feelings I observe but which are difficult to comprehend. My explorations have taken me from Canada to Italy to Australia where I currently reside.

Artist Statement:

When reality seems too good to be true we ask ourselves if we’re dreaming.
This idyllic beach house scene features a man who’s not only handsome but is also participating in the chores by hanging clothes (which are clearly not all his) on the washing line. Pinch me times three.

Artist Name: DITA ANGELES

Artwork Title: IDENTITY COMPOSITION #4

Medium: oil on board

Size: 33 x 27cm

About the Artist:

(b.1982, New Zealand) with a strong background in portraiture, social presentation is a dominant theme that runs throughout Angeles' works, paying close attention to behaviour, ego, identity, and anonymity. Inspired by existential philosophies, with reference to 20th century aesthetics, her paintings depict social issues and personal moments which incorporate the spectacle and self-defeatism of contemporary culture.

Artist Statement:

Two unidentified subjects are formally adorned for presentation while exhibiting socially lubricated body language.
When considering that Identity requires an audience (as opposed to The Self, which is self-perpetuating), by removing the identities from the subjects in a tight crop, what remains is social presentation and behaviour: ironically, the essence of identity - which leaves the viewer free to assign their own by speculation.
This concept is especially pertinent to contemporary life, where expression of identity has become an important cultural issue, however it remains problematic since Identity is sacred to The Self but applied by The Other.

Artist Name: IRINA MITIN

Artwork Title: BLUE SAPPHIRE EUCALYPTUS

Medium: Pigment Ink on Archival Cotton rag

Size: 50 x 40cm

About the Artist:

Inspired and creative photographer with more than 15 years of professional experience in landscape and still-life photography. Skilled in both print and digital media with a strong understanding of equipment and best practices for both platforms. A number of Irina's photographs have been nominated for the Bluethumb ArtPrize, Unearthed Art Prize, International Photography Awards, Photographer of the Year and The Mono Australian Photography Awards.

Irina aims to highlight the intricate details and vibrant colours of flowers, using various techniques to create my botanical art. With every shot, she strives to capture the essence of nature and the world around her.

Artist Statement:

Inspired by nature, it is a fusion of native Australian flora & fauna, unexpected finishes and details. Vibrant hues against a dramatic backdrop capture attention one of a kind look. Meet vivid zebra finches on golden branches of eucalyptus. Intricate details such as butterflies, dragonflies, textured gum nuts and jewels complement the look.

The art composition is so natural, yet the golden and vivid hues and tones make it alluring. Golden leaves shine so brightly you almost hear their jingle. Touch the rough eucalyptus branches or let the tiny birds land on your hand, their colourful wings gently brushing against your palm.

Artist Name: K D DESILVA

Artwork Title: A PLAY OF LIGHT 2

Medium: Acrylics on Canvas

Size: 56 x 43cm

About the Artist:

My second artwork of the Story Bridge series.

Artist Statement:

Another romantic view of the Bridge.

Artist Name: NICOLE MCPHERSON

Artwork Title: LADY DI DRESS UPS

Medium: Acrylic

Size: 61 x 61cm

About the Artist:

Nicole McPherson is an abstract artist, from Brisbane. Her acrylic works are bright, layered and ‘loud’, and predominately about faces and places.
Initially drawn to figurative work, and capturing human expression, she’s morphed from realism to abstract expressionism. This fits well alongside her purely abstract pieces – and you’ll often find a meshing of the two in her works.
Most of her ‘stories in paint’ are inspired by memories and feelings. Whether they’re from the past, or now, she creates pieces that capture a place or emotion she’s experienced.
Leveraging acrylic and mixed media products, her works are generous and showcase colour.

Artist Statement:

A daily mood capture incorporating childhood memories, occasion's and 'the quirky'. Lady Di was a childhood 'influencer' (in the modern day language) and held enormous sway in my childhood makeup - hence the reference to dress ups and blue eye shadow.

Artist Name: EVERT PLOEG

Artwork Title: THE UMPIRES

Medium: oil on linen

Size: 35 x 51cm

About the Artist:

With seven major artworks in The National Portrait Gallery, Ploeg has garnered honours nationally and abroad, including two Archibald People’s Choice Awards. Primarily a portrait painter, he was a finalist in the Inglis Equine Art Prize and won first place in the Ex Arte Equinus IV International Equine Art Competition.

Artist Statement:

I’m attracted to the kinetic energy of the sport of polo, the colour, the smells and the sounds all contribute to the atmosphere of the match. Within my work “Umpires” there is a marriage between the players and their ponies and how they position themselves like chess pieces.

Artist Name: JARED FOUNTAIN

Artwork Title: THE OLD MAN OF VISIONS

Medium: Charcoal on Stonehenge paper

Size: 53 x 61cm

About the Artist:

Jared tends to view himself more as a composer rather than a painter although it is visual language that is composed, not music; and the instruments of my craft are the characters and stories that live within the surface of the canvas. The artwork he makes is a kind of mirror which allows glimpses of spiritual insight into the numinous. Much of the content seeks to explore the inner reality of the imaginal and its relation to waking life, by creating a world, with its own landscape, inhabitants and history, one that also strangely mirrors our own. He currently draws a great deal of inspiration from his local region, and from many of the great masters of the past such as Rembrandt and Titian along with living master Odd Nerdrum and his critique of contemporary art. Jared favours technical craftsmanship with a focus on human pathos centred around narrative and storytelling over originality and conceptual ideas.

Artist Statement:

The drawing "The Old Man of Visions" is inspired by an Algernon Blackwood short story of the same name wherein a seeker of wisdom meets an old man who appears disconnected from ordinary life and is a shamanic figure captivated by terrifying yet dreamy visions of the supernatural and numinous. In the drawing the figure of the old man is being comforted and consoled as by two passers-by whilst in the midst of one of his intense reveries.

Artist Name: JOHN EDWARD PASTORIZA-PINOL

Artwork Title: VIS COMINATORIUM: THE ALCHEMY OF NATURE AND ARTIFICE

Medium: Watercolour on reindeer Vellum

Size: 61 x 47cm

About the Artist:

I am a contemporary visual artist specializing in botanical art. While my work is rooted in this genre, I strive to challenge and break away from its traditional tropes. I have shown my art both nationally and internationally, through solo and group exhibitions held in various private and public galleries.

Artist Statement:

This work is dense with dichotomies; art allusions; compositional devices and adheres stylistically to the traditions of realism. The plinth of common house bricks is deliberate and capricious in character, however, is subdued by a faint drawing of a Baroque scroll based on a 1530 print by Agostino dei Musi.

Artist Name: KAYAN LAI

Artwork Title: FLAVOUR OF BLUE

Medium: Acrylic on Canvas

Size: 30 x 30cm

About the Artist:

Kayan is a Brisbane-based artist whose work delves into social issues and moral dilemmas, using humor and romance through visual metaphors to communicate complex situations. Her ocean paintings employ various colors and brushstrokes to represent thoughts and themes, creating works that are slightly removed from reality and engage viewers in thoughtful reflection. Her award-winning pieces have been showcased at Working Title Brew.Co in 2024, and she is part of the 'Within These Walls' group exhibition at BSAF 2024. A finalist at The Doyles Art Award 2023.

Artist Statement:

The use of blue throughout the artwork is reminiscent of a photographic plate, meticulously recording each cherished moment of their shared life. The painting evokes a sense of nostalgia and appreciation, reminding us of the beauty in everyday interactions. As the artist and her partner have lived together for a long time, this artwork reflects their enduring bond and rekindles the spark of their early days. “Flavour of Blue” serves as a poignant reminder to cherish and recognize the love and connection that often become routine in long-term relationships.

Artist Name: ALIKI YIORKAS

Artwork Title: GREEN BERET

Medium: Print etching

Size: 10 x 10cm

About the Artist:

Aliki Yiorkas is a Sydney based artist who has completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the National Art School (HD) majoring in Printmaking. She has completed a Diploma of Visual Arts at TAFE, St. George College of Fine Arts, and an Architectural Drafting Certificate IV at TAFE, Ultimo. Aliki's practice is material and process driven, and is a hybrid of drawing, print, painting and artists books.

Artist Statement:

The Green Beret explores the notion of British colonialism and the impact on Greek Cypriots. This depiction of Aliki’s husband shows him after he completed the Special Forces in the 1970's. He was trained in guerrilla warfare as Cyprus was a hotbed of revolt and dissension at the time.

Artist Name: LINDA JOYCE

Artwork Title: AN AUSSIE DREAM - 1953

Medium: Acrylic

Size: 41 x 41cm

About the Artist:

I am a Contemporary Realist capturing nostalgic stories of life in Australia back in the day.

Artist Statement:

Remembering the time when we took pride in designing and manufacturing "Australia's Own Car" and enjoying the creativity of brilliant new architects like Harry Seidler.

Artist Name: DANIELLE O'BRIEN

Artwork Title: THE CARRIER

Medium: Oil on canvas board

Size: 50 x 40cm

About the Artist:

My art practice has always been preoccupied with the theme of motherhood, initially looking
up the family tree from the perspective of a daughter, to now seeing from the perspective of
a mother of two teenage boys.
The long and somewhat invisible road of motherhood is rich in pleasure and pain, drama,
conflict, labour and sacrifice. Painting provides an outlet and a means of processing and
transforming what can often feel like a thankless treadmill, to the glory of a hero's journey.

Artist Statement:

This painting depicts a woman perched on the shoulders of a young boy. On her own shoulders rests an old-fashioned yoke balancing two copper buckets, and finally, a horse is strapped to her back.
Neither the boy nor the woman seems to register the impossible weight they carry in this triple role reversal.
The painting explores the notion of lineage. It acknowledges the weight of our ancestors and the burdens and legacies we bequeath our decedents.
The title, The Carrier, points to the mother as the traditional bearer of life, but also encompasses the child as custodian of life going forward. The horse's role as beast of burden is upended as it is unceremoniously relieved of its duties.
This painting is an exploration of family relationships and changing roles across time and generations.

Artist Name: ROBYN MARKEY

Artwork Title: 6AM IN THE GREEN ROOM

Medium: OIL

Size: 53 x 53cm

About the Artist:

I am an oil painter inspired by nature, who looks to celebrate the ordinary moments of life. Whether a flower, still life or sunrise, I seek to take the small, overlooked and mundane and inspire those who view my work to find refuge in the beauty and stillness within it.

Artist Statement:

The Green Room is where I go to meditate each morning. Shadows dance on the walls as the sun rises – a gentle reminder of the transformative influence of light on the human spirit. The room, so ordinary in the full light of day, becomes a place of refuge and restoration.

Artist Name: SCOTT HARTSHORNE

Artwork Title: SPILL(CORYMBIA MACULATA, SPOTTED GUM. FROM LANGHORNE CREEK, SA.)

Medium: Oil on primed canvas

Size: 61 x 61cm

About the Artist:

I am profoundly inspired by the Australian natural environment, as a still life painter it provides most of my subject matter. I strive to portray my sense of wonder while encompassing themes of life and death, ageing, weathering and struggle.
Each painting becomes a meditation, a discipline and a joy.

Artist Statement:

I found this sprig on a tree growing in a churchyard; something about the light on the hanging foliage caught my eye. The name came to me as I painted, a muse on the fall of the curving leaves and the way the seed is scattered from the gum nuts.

Artist Name: ALETA BATES

Artwork Title: DON’T BE MISTAKEN

Medium: Pencil on board

Size: 59 x 42cm

About the Artist:

Using colored pencil, I delve into human existence via objects that embody memories, personal and collective. A 2020 accident led to memory loss and impacted my ability to draw. My art explores the essence of identity stripped of memories. Where do memories reside, both ours and those of us?

Artist Statement:

‘Don’t be mistaken’, explores the essence of human existence through objects laden with memories. Following a 2020 accident causing memory loss, my work delves into the fragility of identity and the significance of memory. This piece invites contemplation on the nature of self, remembrance and our relationship with others.

Artist Name: TOM CHRISTOPHERSEN

Artwork Title: BEFORE THE SUN SETS (THE THIRD DAY)

Medium: Mixed media on watercolour paper

Size: 26 x 15cm

About the Artist:

‘Before The Sun Sets (The Third Day)’ is a figurative study of my own chest, named after the time sensitive deadline given to Ariel by the Sea Witch within ‘The Little Mermaid’ fairytale. As a non-binary person I have been on a complex journey with coming to terms with my physical self and how I would like to be perceived. This study is an attempt to balance the books, so to speak. A composition comprising of both my masculine and feminine attributes, this work is a reminder to and of myself, that nothing is only just one thing and that beauty can always be found when one allows themselves to see it.

Artist Statement:

TOM CHRISTOPHERSEN is a Sydney based, Queer performer and visual artist whom is as petrified of beautiful things and death as much as they are transfixed by them. It is primarily the car-crashing of these two themes which permeate the hyper-realistic, almost surrealistic, often dark portraits and films they make. Tom aims to bring focus back to portraiture that is of a level of detail it demands an intimate level of engagement from the viewer. Working almost exclusively on watercolour paper with watercolour pencil and acrylic, Tom hopes their traditional, technical approach to drawing and painting provide a fresh, immediate offering to portraiture and indeed representation of the self. The figures and themes within Tom’s work are often autobiographical and based on real life experiences.
Tom’s artistic intention has always been to make images that create the necessary disturbances in order to provoke permanent, positive change.
Tom lives and works on the stolen Gadigal lands of the Eora Nation.

Artist Name: DAVID WELLS

Artwork Title: STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS

Medium: Acrylic on Linen

Size: 30 x 30cm

About the Artist:

David Wells is a professional artist and art tutor, specialising in realism and Surrealism, working in Oils, Pastels, Acrylic and Watercolour. He has exhibited extensively, and have been awarded over 30 prizes for his art. His work is held in public and private collections around the world, including Australia, Hong Kong, USA and the UK.

Artist Statement:

It's always been noisy in my head. This year, at 46, I was diagnosed with ADD.

It's like having too many tabs open, all equally fascinating, and finding the one I’m looking for can be challenging.

If I open the wrong mental tab, my mind can get super excited and wander off, which can frustrate those around me.

My wife was the first to suggest my brain might be wired differently, recognising I wasn’t being “lazy” or “selfish” as I was used to hearing. Understanding how my brain works gave me permission to express this through my painting, instead of hiding it.

This work is a family portrait celebrating my neurodivergence, with our child represented by a little sprout.

Artist Name: ISABELLA ALLIS

Artwork Title: THE REDCLIFFE DANCERS

Medium: Oils on braced Board

Size: 50 x 40cm

About the Artist:

Isabella combines her love of dance and art in oil paintings of ballerinas in natural settings.
She has a studio at Chrome Street Studios where she practices as a full-time artist, and where she also finds a lot of joy in teaching art and working with students to develop their skills and define their personal journey in art.

Artist Statement:

After a long afternoon filming a dance scene at Redcliffe, the fully costumed dancers from Shilleena’s Dance Academy relax with their friends in the cool ocean waves

Artist Name: RACHEL DIOSO-VILLA

Artwork Title: STORIES WE BRING HOME

Medium: Acrylic on cradled wood board

Size: 30 x 30cm

About the Artist:

Rachel is an emerging mixed-media artist and criminologist, exploring justice and resilience through art. Her vibrant, narrative-driven works range from abstracts to figurative paintings and convey a sense of hope and optimism in the face of adversity. A finalist in various art prizes, she recently won the 2023 Lethbridge Small Scale Art Award’s People’s Choice Prize.

Artist Statement:

This painting honours a time when my children collected mementos from trips, tucked away to be rediscovered later. Each piece represents a unique family member, sheltered under a dried Leucadendron flower. It is a reminder of our shared bond and the paths we follow, always returning to our Australian home.

Artist Name: SCARLETT CROWLEY

Artwork Title: JILA: LIVING WATER

Medium: Acrylic and pens on canvas

Size: 60 x 45cm

About the Artist:

I am a lover of art. I draw every day in a junk journal, I like to make and create things with my hands - dresses, cooking, music and most of all, art. I cover my walls with colour. I love fashion but I like originality, difference and being true to yourself and your vision. Some of my pieces are more illustrative and realistic, but I like a colourful, magical element, switching my methods and media depending on my mood or the feel of the piece. In this painting I particularly reflected my Indigenous heritage on my father's side - he descends from the Warramunga people. My style is not one thing, I like to branch out and try different mediums and methods of creating meaning through art. This also reflects my love for travel and experiencing life. I was thinking about creating a piece the same day I was playing Subnautica, a game that features cool, glowing underwater creature art. It got me thinking about Dreaming stories, and I knew that Aboriginal people's Connection to Country is reflected in the word for water being ``Jila'' meaning living water.

Artist Statement:

It was only after I painted these water spirits in and I was looking to title the piece, that I looked up water spirits in Aboriginal language and saw the Yawkyawk - which resembled the water spirit characters in my art. Call it fate or cultural connection - Yawyawks are amphibious spirits in Indigenous culture which have been represented in a lot a different artists' works. The story goes they live beneath the surface of freshwater pools and streams. They occasionally rise to surface to sun themselves on the banks - or grow legs and walk through camps when night falls. They call out loudly during the night, traditionally feasting on yams. This appeals to my sense of creativity and humour. Mythical creatures of all types fascinate me - Indigenous creatures and stories of The Dreaming reflect my Indigenous heritage on my father's side. I portray these stories through the fluorescent colours and gliding shapes in my artwork. I also want to weave in the glow of colours from the perspective of swimming underwater.

Artist Name: DELLENE STRONG

Artwork Title: SANDSTONE COUNTRY

Medium: watercolour

Size: 60 x 39cm

About the Artist:

Watercolour best suits my desire to achieve luminosity and flow. My content is always about nature’s gifts, I believe its beauty is unsurpassed. In my artwork I create an interplay between realism and stylisation. Currently I see my work as a way to bring the natural world into our busy lives and ultimately encourage others to see the beauty and energy of our surrounds.

Artist Statement:

This sandstone country is sacred to the Original custodians, it has the most intensive collection of rock engravings than anywhere else on the planet. The light is what catches my eye and is my principal inspiration. I complement this with layering or glazing colour to achieve depth of tonal values to contrast with saved highlights.

Artist Name: LYN GRAHAM

Artwork Title: BURN MORE COAL, ROLL THE DICE

Medium: Acrylic and pen on wooden blocks

Size: 14 x 30cm

About the Artist:

Wherever I go to paint, I am struck by the devastating impact we have had on the country and the plants and animals who share our planet. My work is permeated by the sadness I feel about what has been lost and what is yet to come.

Artist Statement:

The time for denying climate change is long gone yet still we burn fossil fuels. Now we roll the dice, dreading which climate catastrophe will come next – extinctions, floods, fire, sea-level rise, drought, heatwaves, cyclones or coral bleaching. It is not a two-dimensional problem.

Artist Name: MARRILYN STAHMER

Artwork Title: REFLECTIONS

Medium: Oil on canvas

Size: 63 x 53cm

About the Artist:

I’m a self taught Artist with a love for oil paint. In my childhood I had a passion for growing flowers, which has now become the focus of my practice. Representing the rarely seen and playing with light in this process allows me to capture a visual experience

Artist Statement:

My painting, at its core, is bringing a different floral experience to the viewer. A Torch Ginger in a glass vase takes centre stage, we see all its beauty in front of us, enveloping its surroundings, telling its own story, but, what intrigue lies behind.

Artist Name: DE GILLETT COX

Artwork Title: AWE EROSION

Medium: Acrylic

Size: 61 x 51cm

About the Artist:

De Gillett Cox is a full-time professional artist and a Griffith University Honours College QCA Graduate. She is known for her highly intricate paintings which employ complex textures and bold conceptual colours. The secrets of the self-developed techniques De teaches and uses are avidly pursued by artists worldwide.

Artist Statement:

The inherent wealth of the Australian landscape is often brutally exploited for tourism and for minerals. When the awe we feel on engaging with its beauty becomes lessened by our lust for its ore we sadly diminish ourselves, and callously disrespect our First Nations people.

Artist Name: KAREN DYER

Artwork Title: THE HUDDLE

Medium: Oil

Size: 27 x 27cm

About the Artist:

Painting solely in oil and with a primary focus on still life, Karen works to imbue her chosen subjects with a ‘soul’ or spiritual energy despite being considered inanimate objects. Inspiration is drawn from a strong interest in the spiritual aspect of English Folklore, Animism and by recent visits to Asia which provided a glimpse into the world of Shinto and Buddhist beliefs.
Recognition and Recent Exhibitions
2022 - The Percival’s Portrait Prize - finalist
2023 - Revival Art and Design Emerging Artist Prize - Winner of Sponsor’s Prize
2023 - ArtEdit Magazine - Spring Edition - ‘One to Watch’
2023- Neu Neu Exhibition - Red Hill Art Gallery joint Exhibition
2023 -Brisbane Portrait Prize - finalist
2023 - Lethbridge Galley - Small Works 2000 joint Exhibition
2023 - Revival Art and Design - Small Works joint Exhibition
2023 - Aspire Gallery - multiple joint Exhibitions
2024 - Revival Art and Design - Emerging Artist Prize - Finalist
2024 - RQAS Brisbane Landmarks, Landscapes & Personalities finalist

Artist Statement:

Shiny things - I love these Christmas Tree bird decorations and feel that they deserve to be enjoyed all year round. Grouped together they appear to be having a serious conversation - perhaps about who will be at the top of the tree next Christmas?

Artist Name: HELEN BRANCATISANO

Artwork Title: REFLECTION

Medium: monotype oil on BFK Rives

Size: 32 x 17cm

About the Artist:

What interests me is how people navigate their lives, connected to their unique circumstances of place and time, challenged by the constancy of change.

After years of printmaking, I recognised the monotype as the ultimate technique for me, uniting drawing and painting, offering endless possibilities to express my subject matter.

Artist Statement:

This monotype belongs to a body of work exploring landscapes that exist in our minds as we traverse the past, often caught in liminal spaces, sometimes stranded, or waist deep in trouble. A stretch of water means the chance to cross to another place and leave the last landscape behind.

Artist Name: MARK COLLIS

Artwork Title: THERE ARE NO MORE LIFE BUOYS

Medium: Acrylic on canvas

Size: 30 x 30cm

About the Artist:

I am in a period of transition. Constantly. So I find it difficult to describe my work. The only constant, possibly, is colour. But as for everything else, I’m up for the discussion.

Artist Statement:

We eat too much. We watch too much. We talk too much. We ignore too much.
This is part of my series of satires about the collective unconscious. Like moths to the flame.

Artist Name: JAMES STICKLAND

Artwork Title: HANOI HOST

Medium: Oil on polycotton

Size: 40 x 50cm

About the Artist:

Stickland is a portrait finalist in the Lester, Brisbane, Percivals, Doug Moran, Qld Figurative and Winner of best in show for Kenilworth and Immanuel Art Prizes. James started painting 5 years ago to shake the stagnant feeling of life. The excitement of finding a story behind the sitter then exploration on the canvas to bring this to life, always yearning, always learning.

Artist Statement:

Sneaking past guards down a dark 60cm wide tunnel between buildings emerging into a lounge room converted into a make shift Cafe was where we met our host. Mainly beers on the menu. She assured us to cross the railway line and hug the wall whist waiting for the 3pm train to speed past us only centimetres away. Everything was so dodgy but the friendliness and her smile, priceless, a memory we will cherish forever.

Artist Name: GAI SAUNDERS

Artwork Title: DERAILED

Medium: Readymade and found object assemblage on rock and travertine. Framed with acrylic box cover.

Size: 22 x 39cm

About the Artist:

Gai Saunders is a painter and sculptor whose art practice has been shaped by poetry, music, philosophical ideas and current affairs. Figurative in style, real and imagined scenes collide and merge. Material and process driven, Gai combines a range of media to express her ideas.

Artist Statement:

I use the metaphor of a train wreck to illustrate the decline of what we once knew to be true.
A driver may see the problem, but trains can’t stop quickly, and tracks prevent steering.
The deliberate use of a child’s train is a hint that toying with our foundational principles is a risky game to play.

Artist Name: KATHY MACK

Artwork Title: THE MORROCAN CONNECTION

Medium: Oil on Board

Size: 25 x 19cm

About the Artist:

Kathy Mack is a Croatian-born, Australian artist living and working in Brisbane. Her interdisciplinary art practice is centered around concepts that explore the profound effects of migration on individuals. Kathy completed her studies at Queensland College of Art in 2022, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (First Class Honors).

Artist Statement:

My painting, The Morrocan Connection, explores the concept of threshold spaces, a prevalent theme in migration theory. A matrilineal DNA test conducted a few years ago by a family member revealed Morocco as one of the ancestral sites. The painting uses a variety of visual elements to create a dreamlike environment where reality and illusion blend together perceptually, giving concepts of liminality a visual manifestation.

Artist Name: MEL BLING

Artwork Title: THE HOUSING CRISIS- WITH POTATO

Medium: Oils

Size: 40 x 50cm

About the Artist:

Fueled by her passion for all things interesting and quirky, Mel Bling’s art is full of energy and charm. She has a gifted ability to create realistic representations with a playful and whimsical edge, inviting viewers to connect with their innate jest. Her representation of the animal world in human situations is a speciality, allowing you the opportunity to relate to her quirky wildlife easily.

Artist Statement:

The housing crisis is upon us. No longer can we pay off a house in a year, call it a lifetime. Living costs are bearing down on us with immense weight today, and this simple snail and the only home it could afford- the Aussie swag represents the harsh reality that we and our children will face- the inability to possibly even own a home.

Artist Name: LINDA ZUCCO

Artwork Title: SHARING STORIES

Medium: oil on linen

Size: 30 x 30cm

About the Artist:

Linda Zucco constructs intimate streetscapes around architecture, the human figure as well as scooters and old cars. Her strong, simple compositions place beautifully designed buildings and fashion in familiar urban and suburban settings. The forms are inherently appealing and the palette rich but restrained; the moods are nostalgic, and on occasions, whimsical.

Artist Statement:

'Sharing stories' is a conversations between First Nations peoples, settlers and migrant communities.
This painting is part of her Close to home series, she applies her strong sense of shape and rich but restrained palette to familiar Brisbane landmarks and scenes. Here we find women of diverse cultural backgrounds sharing the stories of their peoples.
Linda’s fashion background is evident in the simple, bold compositions, as is her nostalgic instinct in the colour schemes and figures that echo a mid-twentieth century aesthetic.

Artist Name: HELEN KEOGH

Artwork Title: THE BUBBLE OF ONE

Medium: Textiles - embroidery

Size: 11 x 27cm

About the Artist:

Helen Keogh is a visual and textile artist.
After completing a degree in Visual Arts, I went to work for two Community Arts organisations followed by an extensive career in graphic design, publishing, and communications management in both the public and private sector.
Since 2005 I have built my visual and technical skill set through workshops and courses to assist with developing an arts practice and growing as an artist.
In 2018 I opened an online textiles store, Design by Helen Keogh, where I sell my unique handwoven silk pieces and digital print designs. My work has been represented through the Craft ACT shop and at selected markets.

Artist Statement:

Derived from daily walks during Covid lockdowns, this embroidery portrays various experiences of isolation in place and in company. It seeks to represent the contradiction of collective seclusion which played out in structured daily encounters designed to create connection, but which often highlighted the power of self-insulation. The seeming overlay of human figures on or against the landscape stresses the inability of the walkers to enter into the world of exterior reality. The individual mindscape of each of them prohibits attachment and inhibits the imaginative sympathy that enables humans to understand each other. The 'bubble' became a world of one.