LOCAL TREASURE - REGAN PICCONE

from CityLife Magazine Quarter 2 2021

RED SHIELD APPEAL

(née O’Neill)

LOCAL OF HOW MANY YEARS: 44 (I LIVED IN LONDON FOR ONE YEAR AND BRISBANE FOR ONE YEAR) SUBURB YOU LIVE: WHITFIELD FAVOURITE PLACE TO EAT IN CAIRNS: PICCOLO CUCINA FAVOURITE SPOT TO VISIT: PORT DOUGLAS AND TABLELANDS

When did you discover your love

of art? In year eight at Saint Monica’s College, my teacher Mrs Husek really encouraged me and made art fun. I got an ‘A’ for a project and thought that was awesome!

How did you actually start

making and selling your pieces? I was at a 50th birthday party on a boat cruising up the Cairns Inlet and I had painted some wooden salad servers as a gift. There was a lady on board who was a Cairns Art Gallery curator and she asked me if I had any more that she could display in her gallery. I took a pair into the gallery the next day and they sold that day. She asked if I had any paintings which I could take into the gallery so I took one in and it sold that same day. I was 18 and since then I have sold over 4500 paintings in Australia and overseas.

How would you describe your

collections? Colourful, fun and vibrant.

Where do you find your design

inspiration? I love flowers and the colours of the ocean and reef. I am also inspired by other Australian artists such as Ken Done and Tania Heben.

How would you describe your own

personal style? Colourful and happy. I’m obsessed with the Australian brand, Mister Zimi and have been creating handmade earrings to match each outfit. I love coordinating everything!

What goes into creating a piece

(pair of earrings)? I mix different coloured polymer clays to create exactly the right colours, I then cut out various shapes and pieces of clay to create a design on a flat clay slab. I roll it out to a certain thickness and then cut out the earring components. The components are then baked in the oven, sanded and buffed to make them smooth and then I hand paint detail on to them. When I’m happy with the end result, I drill holes through each component and attach the findings and bring the earrings together. It is quite time consuming.

What is your most favourite piece

(painting) and why? My favourite painting is of a striped lounge chair I did many years ago. A local businessman bought it and he hangs it in his office. I have asked him several times if I can buy it back for double what he paid but he won’t part with it. He has bought other paintings from me for his offices in NSW, he’s a great supporter.

How do you want women to feel when wearing one of your pieces?

Like it’s a statement, each piece is unique and special. The best thing is that no one else will be wearing it because they’re all one of a kind.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned as a designer?

Knowing when to stop is so important. You can overwork a painting and completely ruin it. When I hold art classes, I tell students to stop and put their brushes down, it’s good to stop, walk away from your painting and look at it from a distance.

If you could go back and tell yourself one thing before beginning your career what would

it be? Learn how to sew.

In addition to your 100% hand designed creations you also have a soaring career in real estate at RE/MAX Cairns honestly how do

you juggle both? I have a painting studio at home as well as a work bench where I make my earrings which is always set up ready to go. I paint at night time and weekends, working in real estate allows me to have flexible hours which suits me perfectly.

From the likes of Hollywood actress, Eva Mendes to famous international chef Jamie Oliver how did you feel when such famous people take home a piece

of your artworks? I am absolutely thrilled to know that my artwork hang in their homes.

Where can we purchase one

of your pieces? My earrings are available to purchase on my website www.reganoneill.com or you can buy them at Honey Tan & Wax in Shields Street, Divine Beauty in Mossman and The Nest Café in Whitfield.

My paintings are on display at Vivaldis restaurant in Cairns and on my Facebook Page https://www. facebook.com/reganoneillartist

My clothing and gift range are available at https://www.redbubble. com search: regan oneill

CityLife Annual Business Retreat

PROUDLY PRESENTED BY

CAPTURED BY VERONICA - BLUE CLICK PHOTOGRAPHY

Charity Dinner Nets Big Donation For FNQ Hospitals

150 CAIRNS BUSINESS LEADERS CONVERGED ON PORT DOUGLAS AND RAISED MORE THAN $43,000 AT THE INAUGURAL CITYLIFE VIP CHARITY DINNER RECENTLY.

The funds were raised to directly benefit the improvement of health outcomes in Far North Queensland. The dinner featured some of the country’s biggest names, with headline act, global fashion designer to the stars Camilla Franks as she shared her cancer survival story. She was joined by special guests football heavyweight David Gallop and the country’s richest self-made CEO, VitaGroup’s Maxine Horne.

The gala affair marked the first event to be hosted at The Glade Pavilion at the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort Port Douglas since COVID restrictions began in early 2020. The venue came to life with dancers, a live DJ and a high-end fashion show. Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation CEO Tony Williamson presided over the signature charity auction which generated an amazing $40,000 on its own. An exclusive dinner at Camilla Franks’ private home in Sydney for six guests was a key drawcard for one local group who bid a whopping $16,000 for the experience. Mr Williamson was delighted with the event outcome, saying it was an incredible night that produced an incredible outcome and he is hopeful the event becomes an annual event. that supports the healthcare for all of us. It was even better to have the medical fraternity mixing it with the business community and celebrating a great night together,” Mr Williamson said.

CityLife Magazine Directors say they hosted the two day Annual Business Retreat as well as the VIP Charity Dinner to kick off the year on a positive note for the FNQ business community. “Two full days of events full of learning, inspiration and fun was exactly what the doctor ordered for our local business community to get their year off to a flying start. It’s been a tough 12 months for them, so it was great to have everyone together celebrating how fortunate we are in the Tropical North and strategising ways to pivot and maximise growth opportunities in what are very different times. “The Annual Business Retreat was hosted with the guidance of local and national business experts which was very well received by the 35 businesses in attendance. We topped the weekend off with an evening raising money for a cause very close to our hearts in the FNQHF. We couldn’t be happier with the result,” said CityLife Media Pty Ltd, Director, Danae Jones.

Camilla agreed to help the tourism industry while she was here and promote the region as part of her trip to TNQ. “The tourism industry really turned it on for her and showed her such a great time. She brought her family with her and spent five days in the north immersing herself in all that we had to offer. Stunning captured moments of her travels are now starting to appear all over her social media platforms where she is followed by her loyal customers such as Oprah Winfrey, Beyonce, Gwen Stefani and Jennifer Lopez to name but a few of her celebrity clients. Full credit to Danae Jones and Jacqui Nolan for pulling off such a coup for Cairns,” said Mr Williamson.