BOOKSHELF

ART SCENE

with Fiona Bateman @fionabatemanart

1Nicholas Osmond, Moree, New South Wales. Paul Keating as Stockman I just love Nick Osmond’s paintings. So many people ask, ‘Who did that?’ as they walk past his work in my house and stop to take a better look. His bold colours and distinct, broad brushwork make his portraits wonderfully identifiable and often give a haunting insight into the subject, whether it be HRH Elizabeth II or Miss Piggy. @nicholasosmond @akbellingergallery

2Anh Nguyen, Thirroul, New South Wales. Cloudy Summer Day Anh Nguyen captures fleeting moments of domesticity in her home town of Thirroul. ‘My motifs revolve around daily rhythms, human activity and small moments.’ Light is portrayed so beautifully in Anh’s work, allowing us to glimpse into her world at a precise moment in time. @msanhpaints @studiodirect_michaelreid

3Amy Clarke, Eumundi, Queensland. Moreton View Amy Clarke’s country childhood instilled strong memories and ties to the earth and, she says, while her work may now seem more abstract, the landscape is always there: ‘It is my belief that the directness of a simple childhood and our daily engagement with nature laid the foundations of me being an artist.’ @amyclarkeartist @coolartgallery @walchagallery @studiodirect_michaelreid

4Sam Field, Bream Creek, Tasmania. The Future Sam Field lives in a dairy farming community at the bottom of the east coast of Tasmania where he creates works that deal with race, identity, masculinity and the landscape. Field is ‘endlessly fascinated by the Australian narrative’, and paints in order to understand his place within it. @sam eldartista @akbellingergallery

Artworks Nicholas Osmond Paul Keating 2021 65 x 90 cm; Anh Nguyen Cloudy Summer Day 2021 oil on board 30 x 35 cm; Amy Clarke Moreton View 2020 acrylic on canvas 63 x 53 cm; Sam Field The Future 2020 oil on board 110 x 120 cm.

5John Bokor, Thirroul, New South Wales. Afternoon Rose Just as there is a Yves Klein blue, there should be a John Bokor pink. John captures the fleeting light and daily joy in every breakfast table and cocktail hour. We all want to sit at his table. Bokor has said, ‘It is the shared experience of the human condition that I try to invest in my work and what I admire most in the work of others.’ @johnbokor @kingstreetgallery @edwinacorlette @nicholasthompsongallery

6Mark Nodea, Warmun, Gija Country, Western Australia. Fish Hole ‘I do love my art: it is my life.’ Mark Nodea grew up in Warmun and continues to paint in the way his elders taught him. Nodea spent his childhood at Texas Downs Station where he was taken into the bush and taught Gija law, language and culture. These beautiful paintings make me feel as if I have been taken up to the clouds and shown Nodea’s beloved Country below. @shortstgallery

7Rachel Doller, Tatura, Victoria. Swimming Pool Graphic designer and artist Rachel Doller was inspired to paint by the escape she found in swimming during lockdown. ‘My mixed media works are generally created from a bird’s eye view and they feature colours from blow-up floaty things, green grass, crisp light, sharp shadows and blue skies.’ @rachel.doller @dookie_artists_tree

8Clare Purser, Scenic Rim Region, Queensland. Looking Towards Welcome Bay Purser will head off on a day of plein air painting, to paint this landscape of soaring forested mountains and the lush green valley below. Purser explains, ‘I’m attracted to the changing landscape during the different seasons. The colours can be rich and deep after the summer rain and the shadows are really sharp and hard. Winter brings softer light and hues of ochre and subdued greens.’ @clarepurserstudio @walchagallery @gabba_art @packgallerystudio @purplenoongallery

Artworks John Bokor Afternoon Rose 2020 oil on board 60 x 70 cm; Mark Nodea Fish Hole 2020 ochre and PVA xative on canvas 80 x 80 cm; Rachel Doller Swimming Pool Study 8 2021 acrylic, oil pastel and cutout paper on paper 45 x 45 cm; Clare Purser Looking Towards Welcome Bay 2020 gouache on paper 30 x 40 cm.