Walkerville Art Show 2016

Over the past summer I had been working on a number landscape pieces that aimed to depict the beauty and colour of the mid north region from an elevated point of view. This has involved searching out a number of high vantage points from which I could observe the ‘patchwork’ nature of the vast landscape and the distinct changes in colour as the horizon recedes into the distance. The wonderful thing about such observations is just how dramatically the colours can change depending upon the, weather conditions, time of the day or stage in the seasons. There are just so many unique combinations that can result in so many variations on the same view.

I recently entered one of these pieces (‘Beyond the Track’) into the 2016 Walkerville Art Show and was very pleased to be awarded with ‘Best in Show’. This honor was particularly satisfying as the exhibition included works by a number of local artists whom I have increasingly grown to admire. Likewise, having highly respected artist Andrew Baines as this years judge was certainly an encouraging nod for what I was trying to achieve with this particular piece.

‘The Art of Flower and Garden’ at Burra

 One of the little gems of the mid north of South Australia is the Burra Regional Gallery, which is about half an hour from the Clare. It has been operating successfully for twenty years and is a perfect model of how a community gallery should work. Housed in the towns original telegraph and post office, the presentation space is large enough to provide ample space for the display of a variety of art forms throughout several rooms. The works are always presented in a professional manner, with due consideration for each piece and as a result the gallery often attracts artists from throughout the state and beyond. It has a dedicated team of volunteers who generate a wide variety of exhibitions throughout the year, while ensuring that community involvement remains a high priority.

One of their annual exhibitions is ‘The Art of Flower and Garden’, which is open throughout October and is perfectly timed with the onset of spring. I currently have two paintings on display and there are a wide a variety other works by mostly local artists covering a range of media. Each piece provides a fresh perspective on the joys of the garden, which has historically been a favorite subject matter amongst artists. The exhibition certainly reflects the myriad of visual inspirations that can be found right outside our own backdoor.