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Artists of Perth

ARTISTS OF perth GABI MILLS & LISA SHEARON Photography by Crib Creative

PREMIUM PUBLISHERS Creator: Mills, Gabi and Shearon, Lisa, authors. Title: Artists of Perth ISBN: 978-0-9946331-1-8 (paperback) Notes: Includes index. Subjects: Artists – Western Australia – Perth Region. Art, Australian – Western Australia – Perth Region. Art museums – Western Australia – Perth Region. Dewey Number: 709.2 Published by Premium Publishers Visit premiumpublishers.com.au Printed by Vanguard Press in Perth, Western Australia

Artists of Perth

preface November 2017

n 2016, we put together our first book - Artists of the Margaret River Region - a labour of love which produced something that I think faintly astonished all those who worked on it. It’s not that we didn’t expect the end product to be as beautiful as it turned out to be; it was the reaction the book engendered by all those who see it. It was a stunning testament to the creative strength of a small part of Western Australia’s south west, but more than that, it took the region’s artists to the world stage when, early in 2017, we found out that our little book had won a gold medal at the annual IPPYs (Independent Publisher Book Awards). Although we didn’t make it to New York to collect the surprisingly heavy gold medals, as first time book publishers, we couldn’t have been more thrilled to produce something that was lauded overseas. So, of course, I thought, let’s do another one. Just like when you have more than one baby, at the beginning of the process you think, yes, this will be EASY. You forget the tears, the pain and hard work because, at the end of it all, you’ve got a beautifully formed creation in your hand. With many of the same creative team in place, namely art director extraordinaire Cally Browning, me as co-author and editor and new addition to the writing team Lisa Shearon, we embarked on another ambitious task: to represent the artists of Perth in book form. We also engaged local photographic agency Crib Creative to capture the artists at work and in their studios, an essential part of the magic of the last book’s success. Artsource WA was our first port of call, and the team happily assisted us in terms of contacting members of their not-for-profit organisation. Artists and galleries began to add their names to the contents list, and, just as before, they began to become familiar to Lisa and I as we interviewed them. As the photographic element of the book began to arrive in my inbox, I was struck once again by how incredibly gifted our state’s creators are, and what a privilege it is to write about them, and represent them in a book. In this book we have multi-skilled artists who populate the city’s urban landscape with extraordinary expressions of their creativity, painters and sculptors whose work demands the viewer to question and investigate, and artists who work with wood, glass, crystals, gems, clay, fabric and paper. Many of the artists cite Perth itself as a key influence in their work, the interplay between the hills, the beach, the river and the ocean playing a strong part in their library of inspiration. Many call Perth home having been born or brought up elsewhere, and many would live nowhere else. The state of art in Perth, judging by this snapshot of practising artists, is extremely healthy, varied and vibrant. I do hope you enjoy reading about the people who make our world more beautiful - it’s been a pleasure to share their work with you. Gabi Mills co-author and editor

Artists of the Perth Margaret River Region

ARTISTS OF PERTH INTRODUCTION 5

Preface - Gabi Mills

Perspective - Bill Castelden

In the beginning - Mechelle Bernhardt

PART ONE - ARTISTS OF PERTH

150 PART TWO - GALLERIES OF PERTH 158

Index of artists

160

Acknowledgements

Perspective

By BILL CASTLEDEN Founder Chairman, Margaret River Region Open Studios, 2013 to 2017

am sure Gabi Mills and Lisa Shearon asked me to write this welcome to Artists of Perth because they know that art is the secret passion that has sustained me through a rather long life, most of which has been spent in Western Australia. Over the last five years this passion impelled me to start, with Jillian Taylor, an annual South West art event, Margaret River Region Open Studios, the seedbed for Premium Publishers’ first book, Artists of the Margaret River Region. I am an incredibly fortunate individual having been steeped in art from an early age, being married to an artist and having a sister and sister-in-law who are both artists in the UK. How come I am writing this? My wife Wendy prevailed on me to buy a house in Fremantle in 1977 in the days when the high security gaol was working and Fremantle was relatively much poorer, the home of artists and Italians. Well-groomed young surgeons and their families all lived in the Western suburbs and yet we chose Fremantle. Inevitably, artists came to form the most important core of our friendships. Many, such as George Haynes, Jane Martin, Giles Hohnen and Eveline Kotai, have become rather senior artistic citizens in Perth and others, sadly, such as our friend and neighbour Brian Mckay, have lived their lives to

Artists of Perth

the full and passed on. The creativity and stimulation that artists provide to society is made manifest when time is spent in their company. I feel blessed to have come to know and love so many of them. Slowly, almost by osmosis, the invitations to gallery openings began to trickle through our letterbox; professional life became hectic, four children grew up and art started to accumulate on our walls. The pleasure provided by these artworks helped to keep me sane. It is hard to describe the inspiration and stimulation that comes from repeated consideration of a piece of art on the wall; there is a kind of magic when seeing some new depth that the artist has managed to convey. As has become clear, visual art has been most absorbing for me, while other people may be more moved by film, performance or theatre. Art is an extremely varied field of endeavour. Great works of art are constantly provoking and the civilising effects of art are too selfevident to warrant any more words from me. Other friends, such as Ted Snell, have become very well-known art academics, and our daughter, Susanna, entered Curtin University and started to climb the greasy pole of academia with a great deal more success than I, as her father, achieved at UWA.

Susanna has married another artist, Bevan Honey, who has had a long-time involvement with the Fremantle Arts Centre, and suddenly our family’s involvement in the Western Australian art scene has flowered and expanded. Wendy and I have been around for long enough to have outlived rather a lot of state governments of differing political hues with differing commitments to supporting the arts. We have known several directors of the Art Gallery of WA and watched Artsource through various iterations. One artist friend said to me, “the times of greatest art development and breakthrough occur when the philistines are in charge”, and so it has been. Over the time of our involvement, art has gone through some tough times with many commercial galleries closing down and artists’ sales plummeting after the great financial meltdown. At times, Western Australians’ cultural focus seems to be most acutely-focussed on glitz and sport and image, but underneath the surface, art does thrive. I predict it will become ever more important as time goes by. Books such as Artists of Perth are another signpost of a thriving art life for Western Australia. Congratulations to Gabi Mills, Lisa Shearon and the photographers from Crib Creative for bringing it to life.

Artists of Perth

in the beginning ... By MECHELLE BERNHARDT Margaret River Region Open Studio Marketing Director 2013-2017

rt is alive and thriving in Western Australia and this book is evidence of that. The second book in a series of successful books by Premium Publishers offers art aficionados the latest snapshot of 60-plus visual artists who live, work and breathe art in Perth. I met Gabi Mills at the Leeuwin Estate launch party of the Margaret River Region Open Studios event. Gabi is a closet artist and accomplished editor of many magazines and I was the Marketing Director of the Open Studio event, so we had lots to talk about. That night we enthusiastically bounced creative ideas non-stop among the loud buzz of 100-plus excited open studio artists and a backdrop collection of the lauded estate’s famous Art Series wine labels, including artworks from artists including John Olsen, Arthur Boyd, Sir Sidney Nolan, Lloyd Rees, Albert Tucker, Fred Williams, Robert Juniper, Clifton Pugh and Imants Tillers. The idea for the first book, Artists of the Margaret River Region, was hatched and created in association with Margaret River Open Studios [MRROS]. MRROS is the biggest annual art event of its kind in Australia, showcasing the local visual arts scene over 16 days to art lovers. The event became successful because

Artists of Perth

it offered people like you and me the rare chance to visit private art studios which may not otherwise be open to the public, where they could meet artists and view their works in progress. Gabi, along with local author Carmen Jenner and an incredible support team of talented creatives, including the photographers of Elements Margaret River, put the first book together. Carmen and Gabi interviewed the burgeoning artistic fraternity and gallery owners, and manifested a brilliant collective of artist stories and pictures in print. The book simultaneously promoted the identity of the usually shy artist behind the artworks and visual arts itself. Not only did art lovers fascinated by the world of art and the artists’ life queue up to buy the book but galleries, schools and artists added it to their art book collection. A gold medal followed, recognising the book as the best Australasian and New Zealand non-fiction title in the 2017 IPPYs. The new title, Artists of Perth, by Gabi Mills and Lisa Shearon with photography by Crib Creative, is a book for all art enthusiasts captivated by the aesthetic visual expression of artists formed from myriad ideas and original perspectives. What would life be without such joy?

Artists of Perth

part one

Artists of Perth 21

Jill says art fulfils a deep yet simple need within her

Above left, Kelp Forest Top, No Man’s Land Above, Aquatic Garden Left, Terestre (work in progress) Below, Terestre

Artists of Perth

Jill Bryant

ith a style strongly influenced by her love of watercolour, Jill Bryant produces artworks comprising multiple layers of washes, forming vibrant yet translucent effects. “Many have commented on the way my art has a calming effect on the viewer,” Jill says. “It has that effect on me while I paint, and my desire is that it has the same effect on the viewer, so I guess I mostly accomplish what I’ve set out to do.” A busy work and family life, tinged with tragedy, meant Jill had to delay devoting

herself full-time to her passion for painting. “I studied as a graphic designer in the early 1980s, but didn’t pursue that career at the time, despite being awarded top marks in my year,” she recalls. “I always loved to draw and paint and always managed to find time to keep a pencil or paintbrush in my hand and progress in my skills.” In 1997, Jill lost her first husband in a tragic accident and – in order to support herself and her young daughter – refreshed her skills as a graphic designer and finished her diploma. “I worked full time for some years so painting was put on hold somewhat, however when I remarried and cut back on work it meant I could devote more time to what I love: painting,” she says.

Jill hired a studio in Perth’s Old Royal George Hotel, close to where she was living at the time. “It was great to be rubbing shoulders with some very talented artists,” she says. “However, the Old Royal George Hotel and that lovely studio space was closed down, and all the artists had to move out and relocate. “So, I turned my daughter’s old bedroom into my new studio space and – until a recent sea change – it did the job.” For many years, Jill focused predominantly on realistic or figurative painting. “However, I wanted to challenge myself with the abstract interpretation of art, so I enrolled in Jane McKay’s Abstract Painting course,” she says. “I was hooked, and ever since then I have mainly focused on that genre. I do still love to venture back to figurative every now and then to keep the skill set sharp.” Thanks to her love of watercolour, Jill has extended her abstract obsession into that medium as well. “I mainly work with acrylic when it comes to canvasses, but I do love the luminosity and luxurious texture of oils too. “I’m not content to stick to one or two mediums.” Inspired by the awesome power yet softness and fluidity of our waters, the vivid and yet delicate hues of our landscape, and the way light is ever-changing the face of these scapes, Jill says art fulfils a deep yet simple need within her. “It enables me to express thoughts and feelings in an artistic piece that brings an inner joy to both me and those who appreciate my art. Art is a release and a gift,” she says. Visit jillbryant.com.au 23

For Fiona, art is in her blood, and is an integral part of her identity

Artists of Perth

Fiona Buchanan

t is the raw, vibrant energy of the natural world that imbues Fiona Buchanan’s work with its expressive realism. “The realism seems to come naturally; the expression is what I work at,” she says. “I try to show energy, adding time and movement to a still work.” Inspired by the raw energy of the ocean, Fiona’s work transports the viewer into the noise and movement, light and colour of nature. “For the last few years, I have been working on trying to capture the feeling of the ocean,” she says. “I find being close to the ocean incredibly inspiring.  “I am inspired by the beauty of the earth, the power and majesty of the natural world, the light and colour, and in particular the crazy energy of the ocean. “There is something about the wild ocean that puts all other thoughts aside and allows me to feel at one with time and place.” Fiona’s artwork also speaks for the environment as a whole: “This earth is so incredibly beautiful, diverse and intricate

and the whole balance is in such danger,” she says. “I use my work to infiltrate the built environment, bringing raw nature back to the mind of the viewer and inspiring the eco-self.” In her artistic career, Fiona has worked in various mediums for a variety of outcomes. “Firstly, you need to come to terms with what you love and what inspires you,” she says. “I have loved working in an artistic collaboration on the large-scale works that I have been involved with. Working in a team allows art of a much greater magnitude to be achieved and it’s always a lot of fun. “Working alone in a studio takes discipline and I think it is important to seek out other artists and to find a network. I started off producing art alone, spent many years working in collaborations, and now am back to working alone. “I try still to produce work I think will be beyond me. This means I have to push myself and try to achieve what seems impossible.” Fiona is particularly fond of drawing to express her passionate creativity. “I like to use media that allows the drawn work to show through and remain a part of the whole,” she says. “I use drawing media with acrylic washes

layer over layer to produce a kind of painted drawing. I also use oils, which are lovely and luxurious to work with. “I love to work in pastel as well. With this medium I can start out with a detailed drawing and progress to a fully realised painting without changing media. Pastels have a lovely expressive quality and a beautiful velvet finish.” A finalist in the Black Swan Prize for Portraiture, Fiona enjoys creating portraits in various media. “I would love to pursue this aspect of my work more fully in the future,” she says. “I have also recently started producing still-life works in oil that I am really enjoying and will be continuing to develop skill in this area. “Still-life is lovely in the way that it can evoke history, love and memory, in the simple beauty of light falling on familiar objects. I also like to include the abstract shapes of shadows and often flowers in these works.” For Fiona, art is in her blood, and is an integral part of her identity. “Being an artist is my comfort zone,” she says. “It feels right and natural, and the work suits the inclinations of my mind.” Fiona is represented by The Studio Gallery in Yallingup. Visit fionabuchanan.com.au 25

“Art is that elusive deep breath that inflates to the very limit of your lungs”

Artists of Perth

Mikaela Castledine

rom a simple single hook, Mikaela Castledine creates whole worlds, both real and imagined, and beasts wild and more familiar. Like the jewel-like yarns that lie around her studio, there’s a thread that runs through Mikaela’s story so far: a talent for creating from the simplest of materials, and from that simplicity, something extraordinary. Brought up in a household where traditional crafts were created – rug-making, weaving, knotting, applique and crocheting – Mikaela and her three siblings decided that “there was nothing for it but to join in”. “My father taught me to crochet when I was nine,” she says. “His mother was a very deft practical crocheter and he enjoyed the challenge of teaching a left-hander, so I took it up.” A hiatus from those early lessons by her father’s side followed until, with children of her own, she decided to pick up the crochet hook again, making beach hats for her kids. “After I’d made about 40 hats for friends, family and complete strangers, I had gained

a good working knowledge of the basics of sculptural crochet; the materials that were best, the tension needed for three dimensions and the way the forms could be manipulated,” she says. The next step was to create small sculptural pieces and, afterwards, major pieces using this simple yet effective technique. Mikaela also works with paper collage, using the medium to build a picture which

“satisfies both my visual and physical impulses”. Her art is, she says, observational and helps her understand the world by making representations of the things she sees. In her hands, crocheted knots turn into all manner of forms – she enjoyed, for instance, exploring the relationship between cats and man after an inspiring trip to Egypt. “Cats are deified, demonised, mummified, protected, eaten, hunted, loved and hated,” she says, explaining the project which saw her produce a series of mummified cat sculptures and an installation of feral cats. Having moved to Perth from the Wheatbelt when she was a young child, the landscape is an important part of Mikaela’s creative life. “I love how simple Perth is to understand,” she says. “There’s the sea, the coastal plain and the hills, where I live. With a lot of bushland, space and wildlife, it’s not only naturally beautiful but having a physical landmark at your back gives such a sense of security and grounding. It gives you a solid place to stand, which is important to me.” Unafraid to tackle what would seem impossible, Mikaela’s most ambitious project so far was a life-sized rhinoceros sculpture. “It was a feat of endurance, made during a difficult period when I was caring for my mother who was suffering from Alzheimer’s,” she says. Despite the sheer scale of the project and the challenge to create such a complex shape out of crochet, the work went on to travel the world, first to Sydney and finally finding a home in San Francisco, snapped up by an American couple. As her style evolves over time, Mikaela is keen to incorporate other mediums such as fibreglass, lighting and ceramics in collaboration with other artists. “Being an artist allows you to fully use the body you’ve been given – you use the skills of your hands, the friction of your fingerprints, the strength in your limbs, the light in your eyes, your tears, your happiness,” she says. “Art is that elusive deep breath that inflates to the very limit of your lungs.” Visit castledine.com.au 27

“One of my favourite quotes is ‘our duty is to delight’. I hope I do that.”

Artists of Perth

Sheryl Chant

“

might have always been an artist,” says Sheryl. An artist with so many facets it’s hard to condense her work into a few hundred words. She’s a sculptor, a creator of treasure from discards and, above all, a collector of ideas and things. Training as a teacher, once qualified it was a path Sheryl has diverged from and returned to in many guises since taking up her first posting in Karratha. “While teaching, I studied art and design at Karratha College,” she says. “I was lucky enough to be accepted into the Curtin country contract to complete the first year of a BA

in visual arts in Karratha. I returned to Perth to complete the course at Curtin majoring in jewellery-making and 3D design.” The broken, the discarded and the incomplete are a source of inspiration to Sheryl. “I have a quiver of broken surfboards waiting to transform into something magical, along with mountains of drift rope, bags of clay and other collections of treasures,” she says. Sheryl often refers to the Socratic quote, “for man to change the world, he must first change himself”. Her work isn’t about worldly, lofty or ambitious visions, she says. It’s about her own self, her transformation and hopes for the future. Her fascination with creating new art from found things has grown to the extent her family has banned her from bringing home

any more driftwood, so she now only collects drift rope. A keen ocean swimmer, she adds to her drift rope collection from morning visits to Mettam’s Pool. “Cecile Williams and her work with Ghost Nets Australia has provided inspiration for me to keep collecting and working with this colourful scourge of our beaches,” she says. An eclectic artist, Sheryl is working on multiple projects across multiple disciplines at any one time. From raku-fired, tear-shaped objects to gargoyle-like tiny pottery heads, it’s hard to pigeon-hole her oeuvre. “It’s great to be a member of two very different art groups – CAAWA – (Ceramic Arts Association of Western Australia) and WAFTA (Western Australian Fibre and Textile Association),” she says. “I feel like I’m continuing a family tradition of textiles with the wonderful earthiness and pliability of paper-clay.” Perhaps above all Sheryl is a playful artist, eternally open to the possibilities presented by the found objects she discovers. “I will discover a treasure and ask ‘what can I do with this?’” she says. “I may store it away for a day or a year or longer until I work out what I can say with the object, what story it will tell and what message it can relay.” Art, education and environment all play an important role in Sheryl’s creative process, and finding beauty in the unexpected, through industrial discards in particular, is a thread that flows through her work. “REmida, a resource of industrial discards for artists, teachers and others, has strongly influenced the direction of my art making, both philosophically and physically,” she says. Combining her experience as a teacher with her skills as an artist, she holds regular workshops for all ages and abilities, as well as leading much-loved community art events. Currently playing with facial expressions, she’s telling the story of not being scared of ‘scary’ emotions through her curious little paperclay heads. “They are so ugly, they make me smile, even if they represent sad faces,” she says. “One of my favourite quotes is ‘our duty is to delight’. I hope I do that.” Visit facebook.com/sherylchantartist and on Instagram @sherylchantartist 29

Jillian and Peteris Ciemitis use the face to imply fragments of narrative 1

Jillian Ciemitis:

1. Exterieur Interieur, 2011, screen print 3. Treasury, 2016, screen print 6. Pinnacles, 2017, screen print 9. Sax, 2008, digital photograph

Peteris Ciemitis: 2. Breath #3, 2010, acrylic on canvas 4. Storm, 2016, ink on paper 5. this tree is (numbered) 23, 2014, ink on paper 7. Black and Blue, 2009, acryllic on canvas 8. Archer, 2010, acrylic on linen. (Winning portrait of the 2010 Black Swan Prize for Portraiture)

Artists of Perth

Jillian and Peteris Ciemitis

ith a field of work orbiting around portraiture, collaborative artists Jillian and Peteris Ciemitis use the face to imply fragments of narrative. Working together, the husband-and-wife team collaborates creatively while simultaneously pursuing individual projects in photography, painting, drawing, printmaking and public art. Both Jillian and Peteris have a profound and lifelong relationship with art, which has been conducted alongside professional careers. “I’ve always been an artist, but, like Kandinsky, who was also a lawyer, and several others, my art practice also parallels a professional career; that of an urban designer,” Peteris explains. “Both are extraordinarily stimulating and creative; only the size of the ‘canvas’ and the number of collaborators change according to the day.” Peteris tackles each of his careers with equal commitment and ambition. For instance, not long after he won the Black Swan Prize for Portraiture, he was also awarded Planner of the Year by the Planning Institute of Australia. “My parallel careers have been a tango; a dance between art and urban design,” he adds.

Jillian Ciemitis, Aperto, 2014, screen print

“My training for each of these has been at Curtin University, and at the Claremont School of Art, respectively.” Jillian initially studied for a Certificate of Visual Art and Design at TAFE, following which she discovered the camera and completed a Bachelor of Contemporary Arts double major in photo media and visual arts at Edith Cowan University. “My interest in photography began to crosspollinate with other media, sometimes using photography in its own right as an art form, and other times using it as source material in printmaking projects and public art,” she explains. “I have always been interested in the observational forms of art, especially portraiture, nature and architecture,” Jillian continues. “Naturally, photography and drawing immediately lend themselves to documenting

the observed world, which has evolved for me to also encompass printmaking.” Jillian admits, however, that photography is her preferred artistic medium: “Although my work includes public art, screenprinting and lino printing, photography is ever-present as the source material, either directly or as a starting point for ideas.” “Equally, I’m interested in painting, and the drawn line,” Peteris continues. “Although I predominantly paint in acrylics, my approach has evolved from watercolour, particularly using thin washes and glazes to develop luminosity. This is why many of my larger paintings are deconstructed into panels, which are individually small enough to allow me to apply washes on a canvas horizontally, and then tilt the canvas vertically for painting heavier, opaque layers of acrylic.” Peter is is increasingly interested in the modern world and what Toffler called “Future Shock”, particularly through works that explore our “Age of Anxiety”. “I’ve been turning my gaze inward, and isolating figures, trees or heads in spatial fields to play with disembodiment and stress. My best-known works, however, have been in portraiture, particularly those that found success in the Archibald and the Black Swan Prize.” Although the couple have individual studios at home, more often than not their collaborative work takes over their living space. “We have formal studio spaces in a highpitched roof, but depending on what we’re working on, we’ll consume decks, the garden, office spaces and, of course, the kitchen and other living areas,” Jillian says. “In fact, there’s barely a space that isn’t used at times for creative production. Thankfully, we’re both ‘in this together’, otherwise the sometimes claustrophobic chaos would be unbearable to someone who’s not sharing the journey.” “We love working from a home-based studio,” Peteris adds. “It gives us instant access to our creative spaces, without having to leave family, or the milieu of the inner neighbourhood where we live.” Visit ciemitis.com 31

Right, Lost Soles Lost at Sea, 2017 Below right, For the LOVE of Sculpture, 2015 Below, Meteor Morphosis, 2016 Bottom right, Take a walk in my shoes before you judge me, 2017

“The best part of the sculpting process is watching your ideas develop and turn into something beautiful”

Artists of Perth

Claire Davenhall

laire Davenhall aims to create works that amuse, delight and uplift – a mission her children are only too happy to help with. “These days, I get a lot of inspiration from my children,” she says. “They love to find delicate, intricate, interesting, unique objects, and will often come and show me their finds, creating stories about the things they’ve found. “We like to go exploring in remote places to make discoveries and learn how things work. My children have exposed me to all sorts of new things I wouldn’t normally take the time to stop and look at intensely: rocks, shells, coral, bones, ants and other things we have to look up and investigate!” Claire knew she wanted to be an artist from a very young age, studying art all the way through school to college and then university. “I have worked in many areas of art and education,” she says. “Some of my early career involved working as a post-production assistant in London, making corporate videos, documentaries and international news broadcasting via the web. Then I became

a commissioned artist with Aberdeen City Council, creating digital video art for the regeneration of Belmont Street. “While living in Aberdeen I also ran video workshops with the Prince’s Trust First Steps programme, working with homeless youth.” Claire graduated from Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art Sculpture in 2000. Qualifying in 2004

as a Specialist College Lecturer in Fine Art Sculpture, Ceramics, Photography and Life Drawing, she also won the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning for Community Public Art Projects, and was nominated for The Protocol National Beacon Award in Art and Design two years running. In 2007, she migrated from the UK to Australia, to focus solely on her career as an artist. “I started by exhibiting at Castaways Sculpture Awards in Rockingham, which is held every year on the foreshore,” Claire says. “My first piece was Bum Prints in the Sand in 2009, and I have been involved in the exhibition every year since.” Nowadays, Claire exhibits at beautiful locations such as Sculpture by the Sea in Cottesloe, Swell Sculpture Festival in Queensland, and Brighton Jetty Classic Sculptures in South Australia. “I love to create interesting, interactive works that get better the nearer you get, and change colour as you move around them,” she says. “I mix my own custom paint, using a special blend of pigment that changes from purple to blue to green. The pigment contains prisms that reflect light in different ways, so, as the sun changes position in the sky, the colour shifts to compensate, showing its full array throughout the day.” Claire’s preferred form of materials is a combination of found objects, fibreglass and resin mixed with specialised pigments, to give the surface a special kind of quality. “The best part of the sculpting process is watching your ideas develop and turn into something beautiful,” she says. “I love discovering new and exciting materials, techniques and processes; you don’t always know what results you’ll get and end up with a little surprise at the end! “I find sculpting is one of the most challenging forms of art as it requires great spatial awareness and problem-solving skills. I listen carefully to the work and I’m able to see all sides of the work simultaneously. I can’t force it or it will break. “If I listen carefully to my sculpture it will share its secrets and will turn into something beautiful.” Visit clairedavenhallvisualartist.wordpress.com 33

His studio is a treasure trove of the result of 25 years of work

Artists of Perth

rob davis

t’s impossible to spend any time around Rob Davis’ work without being immediately transported to that most sensual of countries – India. His oil paintings of the sub continent’s local men and women are magically imbued with all of India’s rich mysticism and colour. Fishermen are a particular theme to which he returns time and again, the fruits of the sea providing a fertile source of inspiration for this one-of-a-kind artist. “For 25 years India has been my inspiration,” says Rob. “Finally the Arabian sea and its fishermen have taken me home.” Rob worked for many years as an art director, having graduated from James Street Art School at the age of 17. “I moved to Melbourne at 19 and worked as an art director before moving to London in 1969 to study at the Royal College of Art in London, receiving an MA under Sir Hugh Casson, who was knighted for designing the 1951 Festival of Britain,” he says. During this period, painting tutors at the prestigious college were Francis Bacon and David Hockney, while Henry Moore

was head of sculpture. Returning to Melbourne after completing the year-long design of ‘British Week’ in Tokyo for the Royal College of Art in 1973, Rob continued to work as an art director for Phillip Adams, and it was only at the ripe old age of 40 that he returned to Perth and threw himself into a career as an oil painter. A frequent visitor to India, he loves to paint en plein air in the country and, apart from a few sculptures and watercolours, painting with oils has been his main focus. In addition to his collection of India-themed works, Rob has also produced stunning Christian-themed paintings and at the time of writing was working on a theme for the Mandorla Art Award 2018, Australia’s most significant thematic Christian art prize. Rob has won several awards, including the open section in the Cossack Art Awards. The awards attracts thousands of people every year to visit Cossack, a ghost town, some 1,600km north of Perth. “The monks of New Norcia asked me to donate my painting of the Indian Holy Family,” he says. Rob was also a finalist in the Doug Moran Portrait Prize, and his works are on display in

WA at John XXIII Catholic School, Archbishop Hickey’s Faith Centre and the New Norcia Monastery. He has also completed the painted chapel murals in Usula Frayne Catholic College (Victoria Park, Perth) and Malangari Catholic College Tamil Nadu, India. He describes his distinctive style as “realism – having pursued surrealism and arrived at orientalism”. His dream-like paintings are packed full of fascinating detail – luxuriant velvet cushions embellished in gold thread, exotic flora and fauna crowding for attention next to a resting fisherman. Despite returning to India’s landscapes and people for inspiration, Rob has also painted his home town of Perth too. “I’ve painted the Swan River many times, Guildford and the countryside, including Bluff Knoll, New Norcia, Cottesloe’s beaches and the ocean,” he says. “I love Perth for the ease of getting around, and the feeling of being far from the madding crowd.” His studio is a treasure trove of the result of 25 years of work, the faces of angels, fruitsellers and Kerala’s fishermen gazing out at onlookers, their essence captured forever by Rob’s talented brushstrokes. Visit artsource.net.au/artist/robdavis 35

Clockwise from below: From Sea to Sky, oil on canvas, 180x160cm Life is a Tapestry, ink on paper, 120x93cm Red Tailed Black Cockatoo Blues, ink on rice paper, 120x73cm

“I’m in touch with my inner self. I’m in the best place I’ve ever been”

Artists of Perth

Ian de Souza

ne of Western Australia’s most renowned and respected artists, Ian de Souza’s work spans all mediums, with water-based colours and inks being his most recognisable. Since the turn of the millennium, Ian has been working with bleeding inks through layers of rice paper, a process he has made his own after being inspired by travels to India, China and south east Asia. “Mine is a highly personal style,” he explains. “Being self-taught, I’m not influenced by anything else other than how I’m responding.” Born in Muar, West Malaysia, Ian lived in Malaya and Singapore under both Japanese occupation and British colonial rule for the first 15 years of his life. He migrated to Australia aged 16 to join a minor seminary college in NSW, where he studied to be missioner. He left the seminary aged 20 and went on to study art at Perth Technical College before travelling widely, painting and performing as a musician all over the world for a large part of his life. He lived in the South of France for 10 years, before settling in Fremantle in 1981.

“I’ve become a lot more expressive in my later years,” he admits. “Now, in my twilight years, I’m turning even further to my eastern heritage, which is exciting. In Asia they work on one layer of rice paper, on felt, and then they press it so it bleeds upwards. “The method of my work bleeds the ink through successive layers of rice paper that I specially import. I am intrigued with the ‘happy accidents’ that occur during this process, drawn from years of training. It is my interpretation of my Eastern heritage. “There’s a lot of philosophy in my work at the moment, because I’m just allowing things to happen. I’m in touch with my inner self. I’m in the best place I’ve ever been.” Ian recalls that after selling his house in the south of France in 1980, he returned to Australia a year later and decided to “give myself two or three years to see if I could make a living from my art”. “I was 43 and worked seven days a week, eight hours a day, and had my first exhibition in June 1983,” he says. “I sold quite a lot of the work and thought, ‘wow, I can make it!’. I had 50 pieces in the exhibition, all based on Fremantle in the 80s, before the America’s Cup.”

When Ian first began painting – from the back of his Suzuki 4x4, in and around Fremantle – he painted exactly what was in front of him, like a camera. “After five, six or seven years of consistent work I started to see there was something between me and the subject: atmosphere, light and movement,” he says. “I went on that journey for 10 years and it went deeper, to the point that I was responding to the subject and what I was looking at. My art became stronger and more abstract.” From the beginning of his artistic career, the obsession to succeed was strong. “It was an amazing journey,” he says. “I was painting furiously, and when you’re working every day of the week you start to progress. I started to see a lot more, and I started to read a lot more into my art. As Dr Richard Coldicott wrote in his essay on Mastering Movement, “the signature of Ian de Souza’s creations may best be described as a dance; each movement traced by a loaded brush that maps like a seasoned conductor’s symphonies developed over three decades of performances.” Visit iandesouza.com.au 37

“I’m open to experimentation and learning new techniques”

Artists of Perth

Stephen Delaney

t’s not often a person emigrates twice in one lifetime, but that’s exactly what Irishborn Stephen Delaney has done – and on opposite sides of the world. After high school and studying business at college, he left Ireland for the United States. It was here he “rediscovered his creative side” and began to paint and draw again. Encouraged to take on some short art courses, he won a scholarship to the Yard School of Art in New Jersey, an event which came as total surprise. “I thought it was my mates pulling a prank on me,” laughs Stephen. Far from it, as it turns out – it was actually the beginning of his professional creative career. Growing his body of work and taking on more courses, he joined a company where he painted murals, learned a vast array of techniques and developed a thorough understanding of paint. After some seven years in the USA, he returned to Ireland to continue his career.

“Things went well and I completed many artistic commissions,” he says. “I reckon I’ve decorated half the pubs in the country.” In 1998 he visited Australia for the first time and fell in love with the country and, in particular, its Indigenous art. “I was very taken with the Aboriginal art – I got the sense of a spiritual connection in it,” he says. Back home he went on to complete a body of work inspired by his baby daughter

and exhibited solo for the first time, all the while maintaining a foothold in the world of decorating as well as fine art. Four years later in 2002, he emigrated again, this time to Australia. Just as he had been as a child, he was fascinated with his new home’s flora and fauna, painting insects, feathers and plants. His first solo exhibition in Australia was in 2011, Nature’s Little Wonders at Monart Gallery, resulting in a successful line of limited edition prints which continue to sell well. His work depicts the magical symmetry present in the dragonfly’s wing, the abstract beauty in a leaf and, in his drawings of faces, an understanding of the simplicity of pencil strokes to relay a baby’s sweet nature. Stephen has become passionately involved in training painting and decorating apprentices, a part of his working life he is particularly proud of. “I feel like I’m making a difference to many lives and inspiring the next generation of painters,” he says. His own artistic skills continue to flourish too, as he works now mainly in acrylic paints. “I’m in the process of doing more mural and large-scale work,” he says. “I’m open to experimentation and learning new techniques. I like to draw quickly, often in continuous lines and have recently developed some of these into a series of face paintings.” Having made Perth his home, it’s clear that the city is a factor in his work too. “It’s such a beautiful place with an ancient history,” he says. “I love that I can be regularly outside in nature, this is where I am in my element and am most inspired. I feel a strong connection here.” In 2017, Stephen completed a large mural project in the new Morley Library with his Painting Pre-Apprenticeship group. “It was a massive undertaking, and I’m really proud of the students and the results we achieved,” he said. In another more unusual commission, he was asked to paint the casket of a friend and workmate who had died. “As difficult as this was, I felt honoured – a very special experience for me,” he says. His work can be seen at the Artisan Store, Fremantle. Visit stephendelaney.com.au and facebook.com/ stephendelaneyartist 39

“I’m more interested in making than creating ‘Art’”

Artists of Perth

Tony Docherty

s one of nine children growing up in the northern Wheatbelt farming community of Mullewa, Tony Docherty would spend hours in the outdoors, collecting wood for the family’s winter fires. Among his haul would be mallee roots, famously tough and notorious for breaking farm equipment. Only after huge swathes were cleared to make way for farming was the inherent grain and beauty of the mallee recognised and seen as something other than firewood. Tony, who works as both a designer/maker and a sculptor, is one artist who saw the roots as an amazing resource and worked to give them a second life. In exhibitions across the south west and Perth, he has created artworks which reveal its amazing colour and grain. “Creating sculptures gives me an outlet to express my internal and external surroundings, while also giving me permission to experiment

with form and process which I can then translate to my furniture and homeware designs,” he says. A mainstay of the creative community in Denmark and the south west for more than a quarter of a century, Tony moved to Perth in 2015. Trading his Denmark workshop for one in Hamilton Hill, he was faced with new creative challenges – challenges he took as an exciting opportunity to adjust process and be influenced by new forms in a built environment. He found himself developing small

sculptures that reflected his new urban environment, adding paint and texture onto the wood to reflect the human structures around him. He describes the shift as a new and exploratory stage, sometimes frightening, but always insightful, as he tried “to exhume my creative mojo which was so embedded in the South West, and reform it here in Fremantle”. Tony’s distinctive, organic forms reflect a deep understanding of the nature of the wood he crafts. He draws a profound beauty out of the negative spaces in the old woods as well as inspiration in the ‘history’ of reclaimed wood. His biggest public commission to date, a 5m totemic public art sculpture in his spiritual home of Denmark, uses old timbers from Albany’s historic first wharf, and is embedded with stone and steel. “It’s a big work relating to the site of where it now stands – an old timber mill. Poetry from a local writer is etched into the steel to reflect on the history and the cultural significance of that place.” Over the years, Tony has collaborated with fellow artists. In Coastal, a collaborative exhibition with metalsmith Chris Lee, he worked with dichotomous materials – metal, wood , granite – and starkly different processes – fire and carving. He recalls it was incredibly challenging, but the combination of their crafts delivered unique and breathtaking creations. “I look back at that work and it was some of my best,” he says. “It was a great process throughout where we took time sketching, photographing, debating and interrogating the meaning of coastal to dwellers on the southern land-fringe. I sold every piece – one went to Switzerland and another to the east and the rest around WA.” The idea of art as a career seems strange to Tony. “I’m more interested in making than creating ‘art’,” he says. “I’m a maker. I use the same tools when I’m creating art as I do when I’m making furniture. It’s just the techniques which may differ. I know I create ‘sculptures’ and I’m successful at this, but I am still inside a country boy who makes things that make sense to me and to the wood I have in my hand.” Visit doco.com.au 41

“I guess I’m a romantic, looking for the beauty in the natural world”

Artists of Perth

Joanne Duffy

oanne Duffy’s art is loose and expressive, depicting the Australian landscape in an expressionist style. Her paintings draw inspiration from her childhood experiences of rural Western Australia, and its rugged landscape. “It’s a cliché, I know, but I can’t help but be influenced and inspired by the natural beauty of Australia,” Joanne says. “My childhood in the Wheatbelt, followed by working in Melbourne and then Perth, have all contributed to the focus I have in my work.” Joanne’s use of colour and sweeping brushmarks create a sense of movement within her paintings, evoking a real sense of Australia’s landscape. “I guess I’m a romantic, looking for the beauty in the natural world; like the beauty in the terror of the weather,” she says. “My driving focus and inspiration keep shifting. In early works, I was in love purely with colour and what paint could do – it was only loosely based on external inspirations. “As time has gone on, my work has had more purpose in what it is representing or communicating; for instance, urban wetlands or urban bush.” Joanne initially trained in graphic design, with a Bachelor of Arts (Design) from Curtin University. “As a child I had a love of drawing, so when it came to choosing a tertiary pathway I considered graphic design,” she says. “The technical aspects of typography, photography and applying design principles appealed to me. Many of these aspects I still use as tools in my practice today.” Joanne’s works are unconstrained by the boundaries of design, but are heavily influenced by its ethos.

“One of my investigative study interests was the interpretation of imagery and symbols. This led me to returning to a different creativity path and expression in the form of painting,” she says. “From a technical point of view, I’m self educated. Art theory books, other artists and pure experimentation all contribute to my painting knowledge.” Although Joanne prefers working in oils, she enjoys dabbling in all mediums. “I love the flexibility of oils, but I change all the time, just to keep up my skills in each medium,” she says. “I might work on some side projects in ink, watercolour and dry mediums such as oil pastel,

charcoal and graphite. The time of year and workload sometimes dictates what I work in.” Joanne sees each project as a challenge – one that she can find a solution to, to communicate an idea, space or scene. “I’m very nostalgic, so it’s also a way of me revisiting wonderful places and times in my life that were special and important,” Joanne says. “There is also a certain amount of compulsion to create and to share with others how I see things. “I’m thankful for what I have achieved in my career to date, but never take any shortlisting, recognition or award for granted. I have a long way to go still and lots more to create.” Visit joanneduffy.com.au 43

lyn is the first to admit that art is her obsession.

Artists of Perth

Lyn Franke

ooking back over her life, there is one image that stands out in artist Lyn Franke’s memory: that of the dramatic West Australian outback. “When I was four, my dad worked on a lead mine, east of Onslow, a coastal town in the Pilbara. My family moved there from Perth – my youngest sister was just six weeks old, I remember – and we lived in a humpy in the middle of nowhere,” she says. “It was literally just a tin shed with hessian bags on the floor and hessian bags for curtains. My main memory of that time is the red dirt against the blue sky; it comes into my mind so often, and I believe it inspires my artwork, even now.” Later in her life, as her artistic career developed, Lyn visited Karijini National Park, the vast wilderness area in the Hamersley Range of Western Australia. “The landscape was stunning. The colours of the landscape and the iron ore mountains were so inspiring.” Lyn is similarly inspired by the Kimberley

region, and regularly visits Phillip Island, just off Australia’s southern coast as well as south west WA. “I have a rockpool series of work, which draws from the ocean, rockpools and seagrasses of Phillip Island,” she says. “I love going there.” As a child, Lyn was continually painting, drawing and stitching, even winning an art competition at the age of nine. “The prize was a tin of Milo,” she laughs. “I’ll never forget that. I didn’t even like Milo! Why didn’t they buy the winner paints or something?” After marrying and having three children, Lyn worked part-time in an office and pursued her love of craftwork in her spare time. “One of my first commissions – about 25 years ago – was painting on a wedding dress,” she recalls. “The next commission was a wild silk suit for a groom, with great big applique flowers on flares!” At the age of 30, Lyn began studying art and design part-time at Carine TAFE, while her children were at school. Drawing on the skills and techniques learnt in her time there, Lyn began producing artworks to exhibit. “My work is a mix of textile and painting,”

she says. “I can’t just keep working the same way. I couldn’t do all textiles, because I like to paint as well.” Her preference is for acrylic paints, which tend to dry quicker. “My newer work is poured inks and paints, getting different effects as they’re drying. These are the landscapes and salt lakes, which benefit from having lots of texture.” Lyn’s artistic career has earned her many art awards, which have been significantly more rewarding than a tin of Milo. With her textiles work, Lyn uses a mix of silk fibres, threads and fine cotton fabrics. “I mix the colours to get different shades, and then I put holes in the fabric, rip it apart, add it to the artwork. It gives a very organic look to the work,” she says. “It’s very tedious but I do enjoy this way of working with textiles.” Lyn is the first to admit that art is her obsession. “I have to do it; it’s a need within me. I also find it very therapeutic,” she says. “If you’re stressed, art is the best thing, because you get totally absorbed by it.” Lyn is represented by Gallery 360, Subiaco and Gallery Aura, Kojonup. Visit lynfranke.com 45

"Art is about the pleasure of the process"

Artists of Perth

Karen Frankel

t is the ‘pleasure of the process’ that drives Karen Frankel’s art. “I pursue art not only for myself, but to bring others to art as well. I want to dispel the myth of art being only for people who are ‘born’ creative,” she says. “Art is about the pleasure of the ‘doing’ and not the end result.” For Karen, art has been a lifelong hobby. Growing up in Zimbabwe with a father who was a professional artist, art was in Karen’s blood. It was not until she moved to Australia in 1984, however, that she began to pursue it

seriously. Even then, it took a mental-health issue in 2000 to steer her firmly onto the path of career artist. “Art was my therapy back into the world.” she says. “That’s also when I started teaching and decided to open my own art school. I wanted to bring people into the joys of creativity.” Karen is adamant that everyone has the ability to learn how to paint and draw; it’s simply a case of learning how to ‘see’ as an artist. She says: “People comment that they can’t draw, so I ask them, ‘has anyone taught you how to see?’ You can’t draw or paint until you know how to observe. “You can’t teach feeling in your painting, and each person responds differently, but you can teach practical ways to look at things so you can respond with art. “My own art practice is integral to demonstrating sound foundation skills which in turn keeps me ‘on my toes’ as an artist.” In Karen’s own artwork, it is the ‘shapes of tone’ that emerge and characterise her work, which is largely inspired by the West Australian landscape. “I’m very much into seeing the light,” she explains. “I see the drama and excitement and the negative shapes. I see the dark under the bush going into the light of the sun, and the

shapes between the branches. “I spend my life squinting my eyes so that I can see the design of darks and lights; that’s what attracts me and that’s what comes out in my paintings,” she says. As an artist, Karen explores unique ways to combine painting and drawing in her pieces. “For a long time I worked only in a tissuepaper collage, with the paper as my paint,” she says. “However, I’ve now discovered a magic connection between observation and markmaking. I try to draw people into my paintings by creating work that is simple and pleasing yet complicated with layers that reveal themselves slowly. “Mixed media allows me a lot of freedom. It enables me to create ‘controlled happy accidents’. It is perfect to create the illusion of depth which draws the viewer into the landscape. “The layers of paper and ink allow for a serendipitous backdrop or a textured foreground. Charcoal, ink and pastels are used to sketch in familiar shapes.” There is a joy about Karen’s work that shines through to the finished product. She believes this is because of the pleasure of the process that she’s so passionate about: “I just smile all the time; I’m fed by it,” she says. Visit karenfrankel.com 47

Right, Hearts Fly Free Far right, Whalesong paper cut Below right, Spirit of Freo

Artists of Perth

“I feel completely contented when creating work”

Anne Gee

iving by the adage to “do something that scares you every day”, Anne Gee creates deceptively simply paper cuttings and organic drawings and paintings inspired by a desire to depict and record memories of rural Western Australia. “Making something from nothing is an exhilarating experience,” Anne explains. “I love creating without anagenda and making works that I love myself. “My latest fascination involves paper-cut art, maps, paper sculpture and the use of vintage books, vintage papers and characters in my work.” Anne says she recently tamed an “old rattler” of a laser-cutting machine, and has loved trying out wooden and acrylic pieces. “Although I can now reproduce archive cuts on my laser machine, I still cut all my original designs by hand with a scalpel blade from paper,” she says. Anne’s childhood days unfolded in the West Australian country seaside town of Albany. “My dad drew with my sister and me and took us on drawing trips on the weekend and out collecting beetles, insects and butterflies that we classified, set and displayed. “I grew up listening to my mother’s Don McLean and Cat Stevens homemade tapes and have vivid memories of the Vincent ode Starry, Starry Night drifting through our house.” Anne was fortunate to bring her two small boys up in the ancient mountains of the Porongurups, where she ran a bed-andbreakfast. “The nature and the patterns of the seasons were certainly an influence on my work,” she says. “I guess a desire to depict and record these memories formed the evolution of my art practice.” As a child, Anne was enchanted by the illustrations of May Gibbs and Beatrix Potter. “I spent hours poring through my parents’

National Geographic magazines and the breath-taking photographs,” she says. “I remember a wary fascination for Salvador Dali’s works; my mother enriched me with her beautiful sense of aesthetics. She could find beauty in just about anything. “My mother has a strong affinity with sea and the ocean. Her mother lived in a lighthouse as a young child, with her father, a harbour master.”

Anne adores the work of John Olsen and Louise Bourgeois, while it was her schoolmate Sue Codee, the well-known West-Australian paper-cutter, who first exposed her to the art of paper-cutting around 2013, exhibiting for the first time at the City of South Perth’s Emerging Artist awards later that year. “That was the first time I felt the inescapable feeling of doubt and fear of my work being judged by others,” she says. “My work won two awards that night and was bought for the City of South Perth’s collection. It is now a public paste-up work at Coles in South Perth, and it still gives me a thrill to see it larger than life every time I go food shopping.” At the time of writing, Anne had enrolled in the Artsource Masterclass in Public Art – an area she hoped to eventually dip into. “I feel completely contented when creating work,” Anne says. “You can lose yourself in time – I will often find I’ve been working for hours without stopping, eating or remembering the outside world exists.” At the time of writing, Anne was one of eight artists selected for the Frenians, Fremantle and Freedom Festival to exibit at Kodogo Gallery in January 2018. Visit annabella67.com 49

“I love the senuousness of paint and the freedom of expression it affords”

Artists of Perth

David Giles

near death experience was the catalyst for the beginning of David Giles’ career in art. “I had always dreamed of being an artist, was always buying art materials, but never found the time or the space to actually start painting,” he says. “When I thought I was going to die, I was racked with regret that I hadn’t followed my dreams. I vowed that if I survived I would throw myself into achieving my dream.” Fortunately, he did indeed survive and now looks back at that life-changing moment in 1993 with a “sense of wonderment” at where the path has led him. Other people also thought it was a wonderful thing – an ABC documentary about how art changes people’s lives included David’s inspiring story. Running two galleries in Fremantle – the David Giles Gallery and Studio 11 – as well as an art school, The Freedom School of Painting, David still finds time to continue his own painting career. “I love the sensuousness of paint and the freedom of expression it affords,” says David, who has won 20 art awards over the years. “My practice is about connecting with the inner child and, through that, the collective unconscious. Painting for me is a spiritual practice, a way of connecting with and nurturing the soul.” He describes his journey so far as an odyssey, coloured by hope, tragedy, triumph, resilience, sadness and joy. David says he’s always rebelled against having a signature style – for him “painting is personal”. At the time of writing, he was working on a series of paintings of seascapes, drawing on both contemporary colour field painting and the romantic landscape traditions the paintings represent. “They’re the culmination of the things I love about painting,” he says, “a sense of light and light emanation, spirituality and a connection with nature.” It’s telling perhaps that the series is entitled Solace, as he hopes the viewer will be led into a “space of hope, acceptance and solace”.

The motifs of dawn or sunset over the ocean are ones he believes he will explore for an indefinite period. “Maybe I’ll keep exploring this motif the way Rothko explored rectangles on rectangles for over 30 years,” he says, “although I’ll be quite old by then.” As one of Fremantle’s prominent artistic characters, both as a practicing artist and promoter of the arts via his two galleries, David loves the city he calls home. “I like the cosmopolitan culture of Fremantle, and know lots of artists here,” he says. “I live half the time in Margaret River and enjoy getting away to the country as well.” As a teacher, David derives particular pleasure from seeing his students succeed,

visiting exhibitions where their work is on show. “I feel very humbled by the acknowledgement and gratitude I receive from students who have gone on to become successful exhibiting artists,” he says. He’s no slouch either when it comes to marketing his own work, with sold work numbering in the many hundreds. “I’m honestly surprised I’ve sold so many paintings,” he says. “I say surprised, because I have no consideration for the buyer. I don’t make paintings to sell. I paint for myself, to explore my own inner psyche. “The fact that some works I have sold are hanging next to the likes of John Olsen and Jason Benjamin makes me very proud.” Visit davidgilesartgallery.com 51

“Nature’s all around us here, and growing up in the country, it peeks its way into my work,”

Artists of Perth

Tracey Harvey

s a child, it seemed much more likely that Tracey Harvey would follow a path in the medical world than as an artist. At high school she focused on “important subjects like science”, but always in the background, like a low, insistent note, a love of art and artistic pursuits lay just waiting to be explored. Qualifying as a physiotherapist, Tracey and her family travelled all over the world, including Cairo and Hong Kong, before ending up in Singapore around 2007. “By then I had a little more free time and, with the help of James Holdsworth, an artist in Singapore, I learned to paint – in oils or nothing, according to James,” laughs Tracey. It was an illuminating experience, as James taught Tracey a very traditional approach to painting, covering the basics and ensuring her foundation skills were really solid. Finding herself back in Perth a few months later, with her husband working overseas and her children happily settled in their new lives,

once again painting called. An exhibition at the University of WA followed, then a website which brought her to the attention of a gallery in New York. “I sent my full portfolio and that really got me kicked off, with an exhibition which was well attended, including 35 of my friends,” she says. Moving from landscape and portraiture under James’ tutellage, Tracey has developed a more semi-abstract approach to her vividly coloured, layered landscapes. “I did an acrylics painting course under Jane McKay which was great, but I didn’t like the medium initially,” she says. “But now I understand how to manipulate the medium, that it dries

quickly, I really enjoy working with it now too.” Tracey paints fast, with music pumping, creating large works on huge canvasses, using ladders to reach the highest points. She is very happy working with clients and understands perhaps better than most that some need help when it comes to elucidating what they want from a work of art. “I’ll bring along a selection of canvasses in different colours and sizes, and even a projector to show my works and how walls will be filled,” says Tracey. Tracey combines her dual passions – art and medicine - by using her exhibitions to support medical charities, such as The Heart Foundation. “I’m raising awareness of a medical condition with each exhibition,” she says. “An exhibition planned for early 2018 entitled Little Pieces of Mew will raise funds for a very rare genetic condition – osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bones in children). There’s no cure but bone density can be improved with new treatments. My god daughter, who’s 12, has it and has suffered multiple fractures already.” Despite the serious nature of the exhibition’s aim, the paintings are extremely uplifting and positive. “The fragility of the condition is referenced back into WA’s own fragile landscapes: the rock cliff faces, the gorges, rock fragments,” she says. Still a sought-after artist in New York, Tracey believes her American collectors love her interpretation of the incredible light found here in WA. “Nature’s all around us here, and growing up in the country, it peeks its way into my work,” she says. Tracey has won the Italian Botticelli Prize, and she draws great pride from knowing that her works hang in a villa in Florence and Palermo, Sicily. Her work can also be found in PAKS Gallery in Schloss Hubertendorf near Vienna. A passionate member of the artistic community in Perth, Tracey continues to draw her inspiration from where science, art and emotion intersect. Her success, she says, has “taken me by surprise” but nevertheless she is looking forward to expanding her reputation in her home country. Visit traceyharveyart.com.au 53

"I appreciate unfamiliar studios, as I have to make it up as I go, inventing new ways of doing things"

Artists of Perth

Graham Hay

aper-clay and compressed-paper sculptor Graham Hay has been “creating” for as long as he can remember – from a small child mucking around in creeks in the bush, to a teenager at high school, and a young adult at teachers’ college. “I only got the idea that I could be an artist full-time after nine months travelling around the world, looking at contemporary art and artists in 1990,” he explains. “I decided to be an artist even if I didn’t get into a university visual-arts course – which I did – and since then I’ve worked as an artist full-time.” Since then, Graham has been compressing and carving, shaping and assembling paper. His largest work to date is a four-tonne spiral in the foyer of the Canberra High Court, with works also appearing at Sculpture by the Sea, the Southbound Festival, Albany Paperartzi and the Northcliffe Sculptural Walk. “I’ve always been very strong minded and done my own thing, so a lot of my early work was just plain ugly!” says Graham. “It probably wouldn’t sit well with the commercial art world or the beautiful, classic artworks seen in museums, but we forget that these are selected in a huge social, historical and intergenerational filtering process. “I’ve been very fortunate that I don’t really need the commercial art system, and just enjoy being paid to share what I do, or meet and make art with other artists around the world.” Working from Robertson Park Artists’ Studio, Graham also travels extensively, relishing foreign surroundings and new experiences. “I appreciate unfamiliar studios, as I have to make it up as I go, inventing new ways of doing things,” he says. Graham enjoys having the freedom to learn about the things that interest him, creatively designing a problem and then solving it. “It’s great to be surrounded by fellow creatives in an open-plan studio with

companions and brilliant adult students, as well as scientists, inventors, writers, politicians and educators,” he says. Graham travels overseas at least twice a year to explore new cultures, meeting with other passionate artists and experts to share ideas in workshops and symposia, exhibit together, and create global projects. The sculptor thrives on international relationships, and the opportunities they bring. “The last few Biennales, particularly the Dublin, Argentinean and Venice ones, have been creatively challenging and rewarding for learning, meeting really interesting people and building confidence,” he says. “While in the US, it’s been mentally satisfying over the last few decades to work

alongside other paper-clay pioneers to consolidate a new body of knowledge and redistribute it to other practitioners, building resources and a global network that will hopefully transform into peak art institutional support.” Graham’s advice to up-and-coming artists is quite simple: spend the hours in the studio, making and creating. “Make, make, make,” he insists. “Make what only you like. If you like making it, you’ll keep making, regardless. “The longer you keep making, the better your work and the more an audience will grow. Eventually you’ll get rewarded, but it’ll be secondary to the enjoyment of making.” Visitgrahamhay.com.au 55

The viewer is taken on an unexpected journey through colour and shape

Artists of Perth

Matt Hayes

f Matt Hayes had lived during the 15th century, he’d be what is commonly known as a Renaissance Man. He has a business degree, is an accredited stockbroker, trades in crypto currencies, and has founded an ASX capital-raising platform and opened a small bar and wine store. He also happens to have a degree in visual arts.

Ask him to describe himself, however, and the answer is simple: “I’ve practised painting and mark-making for most of my life.” From an early age he pursued realism and figurative painting, but since then Matt’s style has continually evolved thanks to one driving force: a desire to explore colour and texture. “This fixation leads to more abstract expressionistic methods where materiality takes the focus away from the subject,” he says. “In more recent years I’ve moved away

from painting any subject at all.” Matt works in a variety of mediums including enamel, ink, varnish, earth pigments and acrylics. “My practice currently entails combining incongruous mediums and pigments through scraping, pouring, flowing, staining and pressing,” he says. His work seems almost galactic in scope, as if dark matters from the universe have merged on his canvasses, creating bold new spacescapes, with shards of strange new light filtering onto the darkness. “I’m working on a couple of themes at two extremes,” he says. “One is of large format, creating moody, dark monochromatic paintings that result from the fluid integration of multiple coloured enamels, inks and mixed mediums. “The second is juxtaposed by a series of large, loud and almost vulgar colour combinations seeking to find an intrinsic harmony and balance among the cacophony of noise.” By experimenting with drip and stain techniques, Matt has created complex chromatic realms that, through controlled chaos, strive for stunning operas of colour that unfold and evolve into narratives of their own. “The viewer is taken on an unexpected journey through colour and shape,” he says. A true innovator with a creative core, Matt cites Rothko and Gerhard Richter as inspirations, masters of large-scale abstraction. “The paintings are highly masculine and the process of making them requires great strength and effort to manipulate large canvasses and heavy quantities of paint, combined with deft movement while working with moving paint,” he says. The resulting physical effort resembles, says Matt, a dance, which in itself is a liberating experience. “Drawing and painting has been a continual pursuit for most of my life,” he says. “I find joy and stillness in the discovery of new forms and colour.” Matt’s long-term aim is to find a larger exhibition space for his imposing work. “My most recent exhibition at PS Art Space in Fremantle included pieces which were 4m x 2m,” he says. Find Matt on Instagram @matthayesart 57

"My inspiration is people, daily tableaux, the pattern of landscapes and crowds"

Artists of Perth

Gabriela Himstedt

traddling two of the great European cultural hubs – Germany and Italy – the young Gabriela Himstedt was able to draw on the long tail of artistic history and culture in her early years. Studying under German artist Torsten Paul in the 1990s for 10 years, she went on to gain a degree in painting, drawing and sculpture from Bremen University in 2011. Her love of travel led her to visit WA, then settle here a year later. “It’s really the end of the world, here in Perth,” says Gabriela. Her long-time tutor had some insight into how her artistic direction may alter thanks to her new home. “He said that my style may change and although I said it wouldn’t, it did,” she says. “The colours are brighter, the nature is amazing, I have never lived so close to the ocean. He said ‘you’ll paint it’, and although I said no, I did. After a year of living here, I painted the ocean.” Unlike the busy urban centres of the European cities which used to be her home, WA offers a more uncluttered environment. “There are fewer crowded places here which allows me to focus on detail, the people, the petals on the flowers.”

Gabriela captures ordinary scenes but from an extraordinary perspective: from above, from her imagination. “My inspiration is people, daily tableaux, the pattern of landscapes and crowds,” she says. “I’m attracted to ‘different’.” After obtaining a residency at Artsource, Gabriela joined a collective of 10 artists in Subiaco – the SubiArtCo Galleries – and became a member of a surrealism group of creators. “I really like painting in a realism style but I like to start something new too, and surrealism is interesting to me at the moment,” she says. Gabriela enjoys coloured pencil drawings and working with oils, and, after launching her colouryourlife.com business and studio, she started offering teaching through art workshops too. Collectors have developed a taste for Gabriela’s work, and despite Perth’s remoteness, her reputation has straddled continents. “I have been commissioned for a number of modern and figurative paintings in Germany and elsewhere, and still exhibit there too, as well as in Western Australia,” she says. Gabriela’s work tends to focus on a theme, with the human in a specific setting a common thread. When interviewed, she was working on “people in stadiums, on jetties, the idea of crowds of people, as well as semi-abstract/ semi-realism portraits of people without faces”. She admits that her work process is ‘slow’ – “I need to think, I need to sketch, I need to focus,” she says. “I love to start with big brushes and knives and an abstract background, then end up with a thin, fine brush.” The recipient of several awards and prizes, Gabriela is eager to apply for such opportunities although she admits to often having itchy feet. “My partner and I own a 4x4 rental company and we love exploring the countryside, seeing the mountains, the trees, the ocean,” she says. But for Gabriela, her passion has always been – and always will be – painting. “I love to take 10 days, to lock the doors and just paint, to just create the work,” she says. “The end point may not always be an exhibition, I just want to create and continue to develop.” Visit gabrielahimstedt-art.com.au 59

"When I’m making art I feel like it’s a way of releasing a part of me that’s otherwise shut ofF"

Artists of Perth

Jessica Holliday

nspired by the natural world, fine artist Jessica Holliday manages to instinctively capture the light, colours, contrasts and scale of wilderness landscapes. Through her work, Jessica expresses both the visual and emotional sense of a place, and the impression it leaves on her as an artist and individual. Her artwork focuses on marking these impressions through exploring the dialogue between the landscape and the soul. A realist, Jessica is inspired by the Heidelberg School – Australia’s first significant art movement – in particular, Arthur Streeton, Tom Roberts and Frederick McCubbin. “I love the way in which they captured the colours, atmosphere and essence of the Australian landscape,” she says. “Modern artists who inspire me in different ways are realist artists Andrew Tischler and Zaria Forman. Zaria’s work directly inspired me to increase the size of my own work, to better portray the scale of the landscapes I draw.” It’s hard to believe that it was only in 2008 that Jessica returned to her painting, after a long absence. “I was going through a mental health issue when an old friend reminded me that I was good at art, and suggested picking it up again,” she says. “For whatever reason, I did. I started going to an art class in Kalamunda, run by local artist Jacqueline Baxter-Cocks, where I experimented with a variety of mediums and eventually settled on pastels. It became a kind of therapy for me. “When I’m making art I feel like it’s a way of releasing a part of me that’s otherwise shut off.” As a child, Jessica’s love of drawing and painting was encouraged by her grandfather, a landscape artist. “We spent a lot of time at our grandparents’ house, and my grandfather always shared his love of art with us, giving us little painting lessons out the back on his patio, and encouraging us to draw and create,” she says. “He’s a huge lifelong inspiration to me. He always encouraged me to draw and paint and to develop the skill that I was born with.”

Another fact that is hard to believe, given the depth of colour and texture in her current works, is that Jessica avoided using colour when she first returned to painting. “I’m one of those weird people who puts restrictions on myself,” she laughs. “When I was in my early 20s and a teenager I refused to do anything in colour. I did everything in black and white because I felt I didn’t have a strong enough understanding of colour. “Then my tutor encouraged me to try using colour and, with her expert guidance, I was able to start creating wonderfully coloured artworks. I went on to say that I couldn’t do landscapes, and focused on figures and birds.” It was a trip to New Zealand, however, that convinced Jessica otherwise. “I’d never seen

landscape like that before and it inspired me to give it a go. I’ve been hooked ever since,” she says. Jessica’s later art has seen her work mainly with pastels and charcoal. “I come mainly from a drawing background. I love pastels because they give me the ability to draw in a painterly fashion,” she says. Although a realist, Jessica uses her artistic licence to inject more colour into the landscape. “I’m passionate about trying to describe through my work not only the sublime beauty of these remote areas, but also the deep connection, rare stillness, and sense of infinity they possess,” she says. “I love creating something from nothing.” Visit jessicaholliday.com.au 61

“It is the drama in the landscape which I am interested in”

Artists of Perth

Magda Joubert

he vibrant paintings of abstract expressionist artist Magda Joubert are inspired by dramatic landscapes, bushwalks and colour. “Nature provides me with a rich source of inspiration,” she says. “I have to spend time in the bush to absorb and get a sense of place.” As a child, Magda was enthralled by art and nature. Her happiest moments were those spent drawing and exploring the eucalyptus bush area on her grandfather’s farm in South Africa. “It was there where I discovered a fossil with a beautiful fern pattern when I was about four years old,” she recalls. “The foundation for the

inspiration of my paintings was formed there.” Dissuaded by her father from studying art – it was seen as a hobby rather than a profession – Magda acquired a teaching degree instead, with art as her main subject. In the early 1990s, Magda and her family moved to a remote mountainous area in Lesotho for her husband’s work. “Lesotho is known as the ‘Kingdom in the Sky’ due to the high altitude and magnificent mountains,” she says. “The amazing views, observation of the local people’s lifestyle, intense climate and ruggedness of the area provided a rich source for work yet to come. “A very good friend asked me what I would do when we returned to civilisation and the answer was study and make art my career!

“Creative expression was still a burning, driving force inside me which at this stage demands to be fulfilled.” In 1997, Magda enrolled full time as a mature student in a Bachelor of Fine Art (Honours) degree. She completed her degree in 2000, majoring in painting. When the family relocated to Perth in 2006, Magda left behind a successful art career and full-time lecturing position at the University of Pretoria. During her first 10 years in Perth, she taught painting and drawing, part-time at School of Art & Design, Central TAFE and at Claremont School of Art. She also obtained a Postgraduate Visual Art diploma in 2007 from Curtin University. “My practice is about paintings and I work mainly in acrylic paint as I prefer the quick drying time and high intensity of the paint colours,” says Magda. “My work method is spontaneous, energetic and bold without too much deliberating about the next mark.” Relocating to Australia contributed to a shift in Magda’s art making. “The focus of my work was mainly large, expressive abstract landscapes or ‘mind sites’ in oil and encaustic,” she says. “The earlier work dealt with an aesthetic archaeology and memory excavation of visual imprints from landscapes in Lesotho and South Africa. When I arrived in Perth, the new unfamiliar landscape was a shock at first but a challenge to find my creative voice.” In 2013, Magda spent a month in Paris and, on her return to Perth, it was as if she was “discovering” the unique landscape of Western Australia for the first time. On closer observation, the ancient land provided a new and exciting source of mark-making and direction to her work. “I am fascinated with the shape and form of wildflowers and the contrast of light, texture and colour in nature,” she says. “It is the drama in the landscape which I am interested in.” Magda works from her studio in an iconic old building in Northbridge, home to the oldest artist-run initiative in WA, Gotham Studios. She is represented by Linton & Kay Galleries. Visit magdajoubert.com 63

"I’m conservation-minded and paint from the heart"

Artists of Perth

Rowena Keall Walsh

he wide, ocean-flecked skies of Augusta provided the backdrop to Rowena Keall Walsh’s childhood, her artist mother nurturing early artistic promise in a studio in the family home’s garden. “Mum had a small studio that dad built in the back garden and she let me have a corner that I could do craft, paint and muck around with clay in. I was very lucky,” says Rowena. After toying with studying fashion and graphic design, Rowena eventually opted to study fine art at Claremont School of Art, majoring in print making and sculpture. She lived in a few different towns and states but she always kept up with her studies enrolling in art courses and trying different mediums.

After meeting her husband and doing a stint travelling Europe, the pair moved to a farm in the WA’s Great Southern, where they raised their children before moving to Perth at the turn of the millennium. Although majoring in sculpture and print making, Rowena ended up loving the nature of oil paints. “I find it a very peaceful medium and feel it communicates better what I want to say in my work,” she says. For somebody who made the WA countryside her home for so long, it’s no surprise that landscape plays a major role in Rowena’s work. Her early work was quite structured, abstract aerial aspects influenced by the farm depicting fence lines, dams, yards and sheds. Then as her environment changed with the move to Perth her style evolved and her work became more organic and

impressionistic. “After moving to Perth I really missed having nature all around me and the importance that it plays in the balance of life,” she says. “A lot of my work now is about the essential role that the presence nature plays in our urban environment.” Rowena usually starts her day by walking either on the beach or in bush – places like Kings Park, Bold Park or her local nature reserve. “Spaces like bush reserves are so important, to be able to hear the birds, observe the splendour of our native plants and be in the peace of the bush. For me it’s like a kind of therapy.” Rowena loves to paint in the open air, often finishing the work in the studio. “It helps me to get to know a place and feel the essence and soul. Being outside engages all the senses which I think adds to the feel of a painting,” she says. Rowena has also taken part in various artist-in-residences, either teaching in schools or being part of an organisation, and has explored the role of the artist as an activist, or environmentalist. “I’m conservation-minded and paint from the heart,” she says. “It’s important to protect what we have for future generations.” She has also worked in Coolgardie with not-for-profit organisation Millennium Kids Inc, painting with local Indigenous children, a fantastic project called Kids on Country. “As artist-in-residence, I work with a botanist, locals and elders to take the kids out of town to paint, and learn about caring for country and local culture.” Rowena has also been invited to be artist-in-residence at Kings Park and, when interviewed, was creating work for an exhibition in 2018. “Perth’s a really beautiful city with incredible natural beauty from the beaches and river to native bush reserves, swamps teeming with life and natural parks,” she says. “I feel that it is something that we should be deeply protective of and promote as a Perth attraction.” Rowena has had 10 solo exhibitions, is part of various private, corporate and public collections, and has won two public art awards. Visit rowenakeallwalsh.com.au 65

"Abstract painting provides me the opportunity to creatively express myself"

top right, After the Rains far left, Untitled (Lake Ballard) left, Residue

Artists of Perth

Jillian Kurz

ears of international travel have imbued abstract artist Jillian Kurz’s work with a depth of meaning that makes it unique. Inspired by the landscapes of the many countries she’s traversed, her work is continually evolving in response to her emotional attachment to her surroundings. “My art is inspired by landscape,” she says. “I often take long walks, which can be just for a day, or I go out hiking for a couple weeks. Being immersed in the landscape is the starting point of research for future bodies of work. I document the research in notes, capturing all details of the landscape, and in some photographs. Back in the studio this is then translated into new works. “I am inspired by colour, shapes, patterns and marks in the landscape. I am also interested in Asian artists and Eastern philosophies – particularly Zen in painting.” Surprisingly, Jillian hasn’t always devoted her life to art; she was in the corporate world for 15 years before seriously considering an art career. It was only then that she began formal art education. “My art career has progressed hugely over the last 10 years,” she says. “I have moved within Australia and overseas with my husband’s work and hence have taken my art practice with me.” In the late 1990s, Jillian studied at TAFE part time – an evening art and design course in the defunct women’s section of Fremantle jail. “It was very atmospheric and at times quite an eerie place to study art but I loved it,” she recalls. Shortly after gaining her Advanced Certificate of Art and Design in 1999, Jillian left Perth to join her husband in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and finally Vietnam – a journey totalling three-and-a-half years. “I used this opportunity to seek out local teachers to learn new art techniques – for instance, in Kuala Lumpur it was batik painting and Chinese brush painting. “A large part of the three years was spent in Vietnam, where I found a delightful teacher who taught me how to paint and draw in

powder charcoal using small bamboo brushes with cotton wadding. It was fascinating. “Even today I find myself going back and revisiting some of those techniques and incorporating them in current work.” After returning to Perth briefly, Jillian and her husband moved to Melbourne for several years, where she completed an Honours Degree in Fine Art (painting) at RMIT University. Then followed a move to Houston in the US. “For 18 months I worked on my own, which was a huge challenge, but I had many outlets for inspiration,” she say. While at university, Jillian’s painting took a dramatic turn from figurative to abstract – still her main path of exploration today as she works in water-based mediums such as acrylics, inks, crayons and pencils. “Abstract painting provides me the

opportunity to creatively express myself and produce work that viewers find interesting,” she explains. “I am invigorated by the challenge of using the mediums in different ways. “It is important for me to be sensitive and subtle with mark-making and the application of pigments, as this allows me to introduce a sense of stillness into my works. “I often use thin layers of acrylic paint or ink washes to create transparency, with each layer being a response to the one before.” Now based in Perth, Jillian works from a light-filled home studio. “I finally returned to Perth in 2011 and it’s great to be settled again, with a good network of artist friends,” she says. “I’m inspired by the innovation and dedication of many WA artists and enjoy visiting some of them in their studios.” Visit jilliankurz.weebly.com 67

Her work is bright, bold and joyful, and often tells a story

Artists of Perth

Mia Laing

hile working as a nanny in London in the mid 1990s, Mia Laing would spend her spare time filling up pages and pages of sketchbooks with watercolour and gouache illustrations. Children’s illustration continued to be her focus during a year at Claremont School of Art before the smell of turps and the fact she was expecting her first child forced her to leave before completing her degree. “I still can’t tolerate the smell of turps,” she says. “Needless to say I try hard to maintain a solvent-free studio now.” Her curtailed further education did not hold Mia back, however, as she continued to create during the time her children napped, with a work zone created in the corner of the playroom.

“After 10 years of fiddling around with illustration techniques, I took a 10-week acrylic portrait painting course at Tresillian in Nedlands and totally fell in love with canvas painting,” she says. A stint under D’hange Yammanee at Claremont School of Art followed, and continued for a further five years, giving Mia the confidence to take the next step: practising full-time and finding a studio space of her own. “It’s my glorified She Shed in the garden at my home in Swanbourne,” she laughs. Her passion for photography gives Mia a wonderful library of reference images so that when she works with oil on canvas, linen and board, the end results are a blend of traditional and contemporary realism. “I work hard with my photography skills to capture beautiful light and strong

composition,” she says. Her work is bright, bold and joyful, and often tells a story. “I love narrative works that capture light and life, and work in many genres, including figurative work, still-life, pet portraits, landscape and underwater art,” she says. “I’ve had collectors describe my work as emotionally uplifting.” The journey which brought Mia to Perth, like so many artists featured in this book, has been one which involves many kilometres. “I was born in Kenya, and moved to Perth aged four,” she says. “My mother is fourthgeneration West Australian and I’ve always felt that the red dirt and turquoise waters are mingling in my veins – I often feel torn between my love of the coast and the inland west.” Mia’s mother’s family have had a big part to play at two iconic landmarks; the heritagelisted Railway Hotel in Barrack Street, Perth, and everybody’s favourite, the Great Southern Flour Mill (Dingo Flour) in North Fremantle. Mia has gathered “an incredible tribe” of professional female artists and peers around her over the years, from emerging to seasoned professionals. “They’re both here in WA and interstate, and they all understand the highs and lows of the artistic life,” she says. The draw of the ocean has exerted a strong influence on Mia and her work. “My husband is an avid sailor and our summers have mostly been enjoyed at Rottnest Island,” she says. “I started taking underwater photos in the tranquil waters of Longreach Bay, after watching my children play and finding the water reflections so mesmerising.” Her pelican and underwater paintings are the result, with other work inspired by road trips around WA. Having begun her life-long love of art creating for children’s books, it’s no surprise that when her children were young their unique perspective on life was a driving force for Mia. “I’m proud to have taught them to notice the simple joys in life, to enjoy the little moments that may go unnoticed if life is too busy, hectic or switched on,” she says. Visit mymiasart.com, facebook.com/mymiasart/ and @mialaing_artist/ 69

“I hope the journey is left up to the viewer to engage and to feel the emotion of my work”

Artists of Perth

Vania Lawson

ike the timeless crash of ocean waves against the shore, the way Vania Lawson creates her evocative landscapes is a cyclical process. “I create layers, then destroy areas as I build the work up, adding an additional level of texture,” she says. Vania builds up multiple translucent layers of colour, alternating between soft brushstrokes and large, sweeping gestures to evoke crashing waves, stormy clouds and shadowed landscapes. As the daughter of a fine artist and art teacher, Vania suspects she was “always on a collision course for an innate love of the arts”. Her ability to encapsulate monumental landscapes on canvasses may lie in her experience as a scenic artist.

“I have a background in theatre scenic art and design, and, over the years of study in that discipline, feel truly grateful for the safety of making mistakes as well as learning to work well both within a team and also alone, to trust myself and my abilities,” she says. Although her grounding as an artist was in a classical, realistic approach to painting after many hours of life drawing, Vania’s own impressionistic style has emerged over the years. For her beautiful, atmospheric swirling seascapes and landscapes, Vania works in acrylics and finishes with waxes. Occasionally, gilt leaf focuses in her paintings, and for the first time in a while she’s returning to her first love – oils. While putting together her 2017 exhibition Nuance at Gallows Gallery, Vania teamed up with sculptor Britt Mikkelsen, creating an entirely new series of work together. “Our work bounces off each other, we work

well together as a united team with a passion for our respective arts,” says Vania. As well as being drawn to Perth’s azure, ever changing coastline, it’s also conversely the hills that have a special place in Vania’s heart. “The hills of Perth influence most of my work,” she says. “I lived in Hovea, opposite a heritage walk trail for 18 years, and the smells and sounds of the hills lifestyle never leaves you.” The sense of – and the beauty of – isolation had its own role in her creative process, but now Vania finds herself in a more urban setting, the continuous background noise of life pushes her to “engage from a different perspective now that I have an inner city studio”. Her work can be found in private collections around the world including Singapore, the UK and California, as well as closer to home. “Having my work selected to be in the collections of St John of God Hospital, Newmont Asia Pacific and Ronald McDonald House made me very proud,” she says. Over the 30 years Vania has been working as an artist, her work has “loosened up”, her painting showing the start of a story, a hint to all the layers beneath, portraying an echo of a memory past. “I hope the journey is left up to the viewer to engage and to feel the emotion of my work,” she says. “If it transports my audience to a happy place or a memory, then I’ve achieved my goal.” Family, loss and the connections between generations are also strong drivers for Vania. “After losing the matriarch of our family, I drew great inspiration from honouring her teachings and guidance that I was lucky to have for all those years. “It’s taught me about layers, patience, embracing your environment and looking beyond what at first glance you see.” Visit vanialawson.com.au 71

... embracing the sense of belonging is one of the central themes to her artistic practice

1 ‘Transplanted’, oil on canvas 2016 2 ‘Allison: He Poroporoaki’, oil on canvas 2016 3. Untitled: 30cm x 30cm, ink on ply, 2017 4. Country: A Place of Hope, 120cm x 120cm, oil and ink on canvas, 2017 Inaugural Royal Art Landscape Award , 2017 5. Tree of Life: Tihei Mauri Ora, 150cm x 125cm, oil and ink on canvas, 2016, Minnawara Award Finalist 6. Taranaki: A Place to Remember, 150cm x 125cm, oil on canvas, 2016, Minnawarra Art Award Finalist 7. Loch Katrine: 30cm x 30cm, oil and ink on ply with black and white photograph, 2017

Artists of Perth

Sue Leeming

or Sue Leeming, the process of accepting Perth as her home and embracing the sense of belonging is one of the central themes to her artistic practice. “It’s my tūrangawaewae, a well-known and powerful Māori concept,” says Sue, who was born in New Plymouth, on New Zealand’s North Island and identifies as a New Zealand Maori as well as of English and Scottish descent. Literally tūranga (standing place), waewae (feet), tūrangawaewae is often translated as “a place to stand”. Like many, Sue lives in a space between cultures, not fully Maori and not fully Pakeha (Maori for white New Zealander).

“Tūrangawaewae are places where we feel especially empowered and connected. They are our foundation, our place in the world, our home,” she says. It’s taken a few years for Sue to feel that way about Perth having left New Zealand in 1998 after graduating with a Fine Arts degree and Post Graduate Diploma in printmaking from the Elam School of Fine Art in Auckland. “I am not from here, this is not my country, but it is where I met my husband and where our children were born. It is our country, our place of belonging in this world. This is our turangawaewae,” says Sue. “I love the open skies and expansive horizons that keep me looking towards the future, and give me the space to breathe and embrace the moment by moment experience of life.” Sue’s work is also informed by a continual

exploration of the sense of loss and accepting a grieving process for home which many emigrants feel. She has always painted and drawn and remembers clearly a formative moment at primary school. “I remember my teacher showing another student how to draw clouds and, to my young eyes, it seemed like magic. One minute there was a blank page and the next a whole new world of possibility appeared before me. I was hooked,” she says. Nowadays she “draws with paint”, enjoying the immediacy of creating images in the moment. “I majored in printmaking and bought a beautiful old Japanese etching press from my university so that I could continue to make prints,” she says. “I always felt that I approached printmaking like a painter, preferring more immediate processes like monotype and lithography.” Sue worked alongside a man with an acquired brain injury as an art aid for four years. It was both challenging and freeing, she says. “I learned very quickly that our internal vision, our capacity to perceive and find expression for that, was extremely potent,” she says. Sue works mostly in oils, but experiments with a variety of mediums. The time it takes for oil paint to dry is not a negative factor for Sue; she uses that time to reflect, and often works on several pieces at the same time. As she continues to work on a larger body of work of abstracted landscapes, she’s exploring the possibilities of the marouflage method (an ancient technique that affixes paintings to a surface such as wood, canvas or a wall). “The marouflaging of surfaces provides an alluring metaphor for immigration, the coming together of cultures and identities, and the inevitable tension of adhesion and resistance within that experience,” she says. “Art is so continually undervalued, you constantly have to fight for the right to be you,” she says. “I hope to always be doing this with more freedom to travel and exhibit regularly and to have the resources to support this habit of mine.” Visit sueleeming.com, or facebook.com/ SueLeemingArtist and on Instagram @sueleemingartist 73

“I create quite a detailed world within each painting, a little cosmos full of colour and life.”

Artists of Perth

Vanessa Liebenberg

ike a precious thread running through one of the fabrics she designed back in her country of birth, South Africa, the theme running through Vanessa Liebenberg’s art is nature. Western Australia’s incredible flora and fauna now provide the inspiration for Vanessa’s work, drawn from her walks in the bush and the vibrant, bright light of that vast sky. It’s impossible not to feel the love this artist has for her new home resonating from her work. Cockatoos chattering, a blue bird perched on a branch, flowers heavily in bloom; nature creeps into her work in all its intricacy and beauty. Although Vanessa may have begun her career designing textiles and fabrics, she now concentrates on painting. “In South Africa, I worked in a mill and had a very hands-on approach to designing the textiles we produced,” she says. “Once I moved here in 2007, I initially felt quite homesick and found that by walking in the countryside it helped me connect to and understand where

I was living. I had always painted and drawn, and began to work on quite large works which involved a lot of intricate work.” It’s very evident from even a cursory look at Vanessa’s work that her textile background seeps into her current work. However, she is also a portrait artist and touching studies of her young son feature frequently in her back catalogue. She admits that she was “frustrated with just using oils” so has embraced mixing mediums. “I missed drawing and screenprinting, so wanted to combine elements of that in my painting,” says Vanessa. Creating each work is a slow process, beginning with a painting of what she saw in the great outdoors.

“I work from photos as well as from life, and when I’m working on a commission, people send me some really great photos of birds and animals,” she says. As well as painting, Vanessa uses a fascinating technique – pyrography – that involves burning wood through a controlled use of heat and drawing with a really hot pen. “I enjoy using an older technique in a contemporary way, mixing with other media to achieve a new end result,” she says. Vanessa enjoys working with laminated plywood, but has also worked on banksia and other backgrounds, and her fascination with botany and botanical art is something she is exploring more and more. As well as completing commissions, winning community art prizes and exhibiting, Vanessa also works within the community, holding workshops at Rockingham’s art centre in screenprinting for disabled people. “For me, working and practising is a huge part of being an artist,” she says. Living in Perth has been a huge part of Vanessa’s development as an artist, and she loves the way the city embraces its creatives. “Councils are very encouraging of artists,” she says. “They really try to help you progress your career and support you.” Vanessa says she loves the way the Perth climate makes it easy to enjoy the great outdoors too. “I can go for a run at sunrise and be inspired by the ocean and the colours at that time of day,” she says. A prolific (if meticulous) artist, Vanessa’s work ethic is impressive. “I get up at 5am and work until I take my son to school, and then work until I pick him up,” she says. “You don’t need to wait for creativity to hit, you just have to work.” As her style evolves over time, Vanessa’s passion for experimenting with media continues. “I create quite a detailed world within each painting, a little cosmos full of colour and life,” she says. Visit vanessaliebenberg.com 75

At the heart of everything Marina does — and has done — are ideas

Artists of Perth

Marina Lommerse

he road which brought Marina Lommerse to Perth is possibly one of the most long and winding of any artist working in the city and for a place which is already famously remote, that’s no small achievement. “My mother, who was brought up in Europe’s cultural centres, had a passion for art and architecture, and this influenced my life’s work,” says Marina. “My interests were cemented by living in remote rural areas within Indigenous communities in Tanzania and northern Canada, surrounded by a home full of art, contemporary design and a social conscience,” she says. “We ended up living in a French Canadian village but I also worked in London before arriving in Western Australia,” says Marina, who now calls Fremantle home. Back in that Canadian village, the young Marina was an avid drawer, building up an appreciation for all things visual, always using her hands. “I studied interior architecture at

university and went on to become a director of a design firm in my early 30s. My art interests were focused in the architectural and spatial realms and continued to deal with composition, colour and texture.” A happy meeting between Marina and a professor of architecture at Curtin University led her to join the academic world. A Masters in design followed and a transition into teaching interior architecture, curating exhibitions, making installations, leading workshops and mentoring artists. “After resigning from Curtin in 2013, I had my first painting exhibition in 2014,” she says. “I loved teaching — and was very good at it —

but decided it was time to refocus on my own creative work.” You’ll find her work in urban settings, for instance murals in Fremantle, as colourful pop-up installations in festivals and exhibitions (The Language of Flowers in PUBLIC2016 Arts Festival Claremont) and watercolours on a more intimate scale. “I like the way watercolour works, the immediacy and surprise you get from colour working with water on a surface,” she says. “I travel a lot and watercolour is a great way to work as it’s light and easy to transport.” One of those travels involved three months in northern Canada living by a lake, developing a new body of work based on the region’s flora and fauna. Perth however is where Marina’s heart currently lies, and she’s a firm believer that the city has plenty of opportunity for art and artists. “There’s a vibrant art scene here if you’re willing to engage,” says Marina. “I use theories of placemaking, community building, as well as naturalists (conservationists, photographers, and artists) as developmental material for my projects.” Marina draws on her virtual library of things she’s seen during her extensive travels to inform her work. “I’m working on using the iconic flora and fauna I encountered in northern Canada and juxtaposing them with West Australian parallels,” she says. “I’d love to take the Language of Flowers project and extend it to a Language of WA wildflowers, and hope to collaborate with other nature-based scientists, artists and cultural specialists.” At the heart of everything Marina does – and has done – are ideas. “As an artist or designer, ideas excite you. I am currently really interested in incorporating my experiences as a teacher and professional designer into a variety of artmaking,” she says. “I feel I have so many different areas of experience and my current goal is to pull them together over the course of the coming decades. I’m on a journey to find my new art world.” Visit marinalommerse.com 77

“As an individual, I am drawn to light, colour and form”

Artists of Perth

Felicia Lowe

he subtle, painterly artworks of Felicia Lowe are testament to her love and appreciation of the beauty of our surroundings, in all its forms. “As an individual, I am drawn to light, colour and form,” she says. “In my teenage years, I was enthralled by Monet, however my enduring admiration is for Hans Heysen and the Heidelberg school.” Additionally, Felicia takes inspiration from Impressionism: “It is the light, colour and movement, particularly of the Australian landscape, flora and fauna, that captures me. “I still can’t believe I can visit my most cherished artwork – Droving into the Light – at the Art Gallery of WA.” Encouraged by her parents to create, Felicia has been drawing, sewing and generally “making stuff” since she was a small child. “I loved colouring in, always putting my pencils – or anything for that matter – in colour order,” she recalls. “Art was my favoured subject at high school, however after completing Year 12, then taking a European gap year that included three months at Glasgow Art School, I decided to apply for Media Design at the WA Institute of Technology [now Curtin University] as a sensible career choice.” While she was enchanted by the photography, animation and jewellery units of the course, the aggressive nature of advertising was not for her. And so, when an opportunity arose to move to Kalgoorlie, Felicia called it a day at WAIT. After working in admin for several mining-related companies, she launched her professional arts practice in July 1999. For close to two decades, Felicia has accumulated numerous awards, with the 2015 Perth Royal Show Art Award being one highlight, along with well over a hundred private and corporate commissions. Her work is held in many private, corporate and government collections throughout WA and Australia. Today, she works from a sizable home

studio on several acres in the picturesque Perth foothills, which she opens annually for the Armadale Hills Open Studio Arts Trail. She has also been a tutor for Military Art Program Australia, taught on board the CMV Astor, and taught adult art classes at Atwell Art Centre in Alfred Cove. Through these varied art-related endeavours, Felicia is able to further her passion in engaging the wider community with the visual arts. “I have always returned to the idea of ‘continuous improvement’, challenging myself to cultivate both my skills and themes,” she says of her artistic style, which can be described as realism with a painterly quality. “I aim to create beautiful artworks, skilfully, that will endure through coming generations.”

Felicia primarily uses acrylic paint on stretched linen or soft pastels on colorfix paper for her artworks, with one of her favourite resources being Carbothello pastel pencils. “However, I really need and desire to return to drawing with graphite; I’ve been promising myself for a while,” she says. For Felicia, being an artist offers her enormous satisfaction as a creator, designer, teacher and maker. “It’s wonderful to be able to create something that others can love and enjoy as much as I do,” she says. “I love sharing the beautiful moments, and reminding others of the wonderful things around us, and how lucky we all really are living in this magnificent country of Australia.” Visit artfulflowe.com 79

“I move between projects and experiments, pursuing a final form”

Above, Seeking Silence, State Theatre Centre of WA, Northbridge.

Artists of Perth

Tim Macfarlane Reid

nspired by the words of Jean Arp – “art should lose itself in nature, should even be mistaken for nature” – Tim Macfarlane Reid’s large-scale outdoor sculptures are evocative of natural forms found in the landscape. The son of a sculptor and a potter, Tim travelled widely as a young man but, “after years of avoiding the artists’ path”, he applied for art school. “In 1992, I joined the National Art School in Sydney and spent the next three years studying there,” says Tim. “I entered thinking I would pursue painting as my discipline. However, an influential lecturer, sculptor Clara Hali, encouraged me to pursue sculpture and I’ve never looked back.” After completing an 18-month art school residency in Central India, Tim returned to WA and established his studio in Fremantle, where he’s been based since 2001.

Primarily a 3D artist, Tim uses a wide range of mediums in his work, creating sinuous, evocative sculptures often found in pristine natural settings, but also in urban hubs too. “In the early 2000s I happened upon Corten steel which was a great medium for an extensive body of work I created over the next 10 years,” says Tim. “This has been complemented with WA timbers, glass inclusions and a variety of other metals.” Tim also began an intensive research and development project exploring composite materials, which would work well for ‘in the round’ organic shapes, a feature of his

work. “This has been a great professional development for me,” he says. A frequent exhibitor in city galleries, the South West and many public spaces and private gardens, Tim particularly loves to see his work having a positive effect on those who see and touch it. He has also exhibited at Sculpture by the Sea numerous times, something he says has been a real catalyst for his art practice and professional growth. “An installation at Jasper Green in Cottesloe sees regular interaction with local kids who climb all over the work,” he says. “Also, the sculpture in the outdoor courtyard at the State Theatre in Northbridge has had a huge audience over the past seven years, and has resulted in commissions for other projects.” Tim describes his style as “biomorphic sculpture” and is fascinated by the negative space in the form, the balance between space and volume. “I have an intuitive approach to my work, responding to shapes found in nature and creating organic or irregular forms,” he says. Perth, as his chosen city of residence, exerts its own special influence on his work. “The water and how it has formed the landscape influences me,” he says. “The location of both the coast and the river confluences has had a big impact on my work – and also the sky. The clarity and the pristine blue, the cloud formations, the distinct sunsets. All of this has influenced me as an artist and thus my work.” Working steadily and consistently in the studio between eight and 10 hours a day, Tim is not an artist who waits for inspiration to hit. “I move between projects and experiments, pursuing a final form,” he says. “This disciplined approach to my art practice is very much a result of my father’s approach to his art.” As he continues to create interactive 3D forms for public spaces, the connection to his audience remains a priority. “I want my work to be a fully engaging aspect of a space, inviting the audience in and not alienating them,” he says. “Working on compositions that have this invitational quality is my motivating force.” Visit timmacfarlanereid.com.au 81

Her work is sublimely colourful, full of movement and verve

Artists of Perth

Narelle Manser-Smith

s a pre-primary teacher, Narelle Manser-Smith was able to revisit on a daily basis her own childhood passion for colour, line, texture and form. “I spent 13 years working with their fresh eyes and enthusiastic attitudes,” she says. “Their observational drawing skills just blew me away.” Her own skills at a similar age were particularly well developed, as she recalls spending time as a child sneaking into an orchard to pick up rotten pears from the ground. “We had so much fun throwing the juicy pears at each other, getting covered and stained,” she says. Back home, she drew her experience on a blackboard, capturing the swinging arm movements and hiding spots behind rocks, impressing those who saw it so much that her natural career path was a foregone conclusion: she would be an artist. Fast forward to the present, and Narelle may have left her schoolteacher days behind her, but the art remains, taking the leap into a

full-time career around 2006. “I stretched out my long-service leave and painted most days until, by August of that year, I had enough work for my solo exhibition,” she says. Her work is sublimely colourful, full of movement and verve, and, she says, free of the formal constructs of arts practice and instruction. “I have chosen very carefully the mentors I have worked with,” she says. “Jan Cross, who runs The Extraordinary Mind Project, helped me hone my ability to see and recreate shape and form while David Giles encouraged me to get lost in the paint and explore where that takes me.”

Working in acrylic, she uses mediums to slow down the drying time, creating layers of glaze and an oil painting-like depth. She works on several paintings at the same time, flipping between representational works and abstract ones. “I love to do both, but I approach them so differently,” she says. “I have noticed that lots of figures have been appearing in my recent works, perhaps reflecting my own consciousness that as a mother with a young family, the journey of life is so precious and flies by so fast. I must be subconsciously trying to capture those moments.” Perth exerts a strong influence on Narelle’s work, the extraordinary quality of light, so fresh and clear, the colours clearly making their mark on her canvasses. “Our beaches are some of the best in the world,” she says having recently worked on a commission of Rottnest Island. “You don’t have to go far for inspiration.” The juxtaposition between the river and the city buildings is also a theme she revisits. “I love being driven over the narrows towards the CBD as the sun is setting,” she says. “That time of day, the gloaming, is so magical as the sun lights up with oranges and pinks through to a vivid aqua. There is something about the Perth sunlight that appears so clean.” An award-winning artist (she received the Melville Art Award for the acrylic section, along with the Judges’ Choice at the Animal Art Awards judged by Robert Juniper, who went on to buy one of her paintings), she’s also a driving force in the community of artists behind SubiARTco. “Working with a team of 10 artists, we’ve created a trail of galleries and working studio spaces, along with artist-run workshops,” she says. Her dream, however, is to have her own gallery where artists could exhibit alongside her own works. “I truly believe that painting is a neverending learning curve. Every time I put brush to canvas, I grow as an artist,” she says. See Narelle’s work at facebook.com/NarelleManser-Smith-Artist 83

(top) Stasis III (2017) Aluminium Exhibited at Sculpture by the Sea Bondi & Cottesloe 2017 (top right) Stasis I (2016), Acrylic Exhibited at Rio Tinto Sculpture by the Sea Winter ExhibitionImage 2 (right) Concealed (2016), Monoprint on Fabriano Rosapina Exhibited at ArtsHUM & On the Map 2017 Mundaring Arts Centre

aliesha's works act as a metaphor for the abstract human mind 84

Artists of Perth

Aliesha Mafrici

f there was ever an example of good things happening when you take a risk, it’s Aliesha Mafrici. In 2016, as an emerging artist specialising in small-scale copper print works, she submitted an application for the Sculpture by the Sea Cottesloe season and, much to her surprise, it was accepted. “It was a university idea that I had,” she says, “and I never dreamed of getting in.” Not only was her work – Immersed – accepted, it was also bought by mining magnate Andrew Forrest for his private collection. And the positive results didn’t end there. “A few months later I got a call to say that I’d been awarded the WA Young Emerging Sculptor Mentorship Scholarship,” says Aliesha. The pathway to such achievements was, in retrospect, perhaps not so surprising. During her studies at Edith Cowan University majoring in Visual Arts, she was awarded the federal government’s New Colombo Plan student mobility grant in 2015, when she was just 19. This allowed her to continue to hone her skills at the Shanghai Publishing and Printing

College, a move which in turn saw her work on show at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou. Since then, she has benefited from a mentorship program under the tutelage of sculptor Jon Tarry and Ron Gomboc, an experience she has put to good use. “They really helped me to understand sculpture and structure,” she says. Aliesha approaches her works thoughtfully, believing they act as a metaphor for the abstract human mind. “The works arise from a tension and operate as a manifestation of the struggle that often dominates the mind when trying to resolve or understand the unknown,” she says. Also in 2016, Aliesha took part in the Sculpture Survey, the Sculpture by the Sea Winter Exhibition, was an artist residency and launched her first solo exhibition at Mundaring Arts Centre. She also contributed work which was exhibited overseas in Shanghai, Beijing and New York. And the lure of exhibiting next to the sea proved irresistible too, after her success in 2016. She exhibited her second large-scale sculpture at Sculpture by the Sea in Cottesloe in 2017, and received a sculptor subsidy from

ALCOA as well as additional funding from the Federal Government’s Catalyst Fund. This time, her work crossed the Nullaboor to reach an even larger audience in Sydney – the piece, entitled Stasis III and made from aluminium, was part of the 2017 Sculpture By The Sea in Bondi. Aliesha hasn’t entirely left her small-scale work behind, and is equally at home creating beautiful etchings on copper. An exhibition in 2017 – Passage Self Strange – was put together with fellow ECU graduate Harrison See at Turner Galleries in a new artistic collective called New State. “The work was a tale of multiple characters interacting within a world of confusion and bewilderment, which is mirrored in its nonlinear exposition,” Aliesha says, adding that New State’s work represented the collaborative debut of two artists who have worked together intensely to experiment with narrative, a theme present in all of her work so far. The results have yielded paintings, prints, and works of text and sculpture, just perhaps the start of a rich field for both Aliesha and Harrison to explore. Visit alieshamafrici.com 85

"there are constantly evolving possibilities to be creative and to deliver surprises"

Artists of Perth

Kim Maple

lifetime of experimentation and exploration has seen artist Kim Maple create a body of work imbued with passion and thoughtful emotion. Training in graphic design at what was then Perth Technical School on James Street in Northbridge, Kim moved to Melbourne with her husband in the mid-1980s, where she obtained an MA in print-making at Monash University. “Perth Tech’s graphic design course involved a lot of painting and drawing – more than any other course at the time,” Kim says. “So I really enjoyed expanding my skill set into print-making, especially as it involved drawing as well.” After a year in Melbourne, a friend saw Kim’s work, and asked her to exhibit at a new gallery she was opening. “It all fell into place,” Kim says. “I wasn’t really ready for an exhibition, but it brought me on in leaps and bounds! If you have a gallery behind you, it’s fantastic.”

While in Melbourne, Kim reignited an interest in long-forgotten pastels, which she’d initially tried and discarded years before. “I loved the colour and vibrancy of pastels,” she says, adding she used them in her first series of exhibited pieces before she moved to mixed media and print-making. Upon the family’s return to Perth in 1994, Kim set up a studio in a sail loft once used during the America’s Cup overlooking the Fremantle harbour and began exhibiting in East Fremantle. Drawing inspiration from new scenery, Kim began experimenting with oils in vibrant water scenes. “It took me five years to be happy with what I was doing, and to progress away from the pastels and into the oils,” she says. “It didn’t happen instantaneously; I had to work my way through my own style until I was happy with it.” It was in the late 1990s that Kim’s work evolved again, taking on a new subject – the great South West forests. “We’d regularly go camping in the Nornalup-Walpole National Forest, where a passion for the trees and our environment was ignited in me after

discovering the old-growth forests were being logged,” she says. “I remember the desire to protect the oldgrowth forests and feeling it was important to make a statement about the destruction that was taking place. Working from a deep passion inside was a turning point, and I enjoyed the challenge of painting the forest in an abstract way to express what I had seen.” Ten years on, Kim has returned to stilllife painting. “I started revisiting still-lifes again pushing abstraction further – I’d tilt the plain and push the design concept and the composition,” she says. “I see still-life in an abstract graphic way.” Kim has a continuing passion for her art practice, although she admits to being a bit more “free, loose and abstract” in her thoughts. “Painting is just in me,” she says. “I’ve never regretted having to go to the studio. It takes me to a different world. I love it and I’m passionate. There are constantly evolving possibilities to be creative and to deliver surprises. There are no rules.” Visit mapleart.net.au 87

Christopher McClelland offers a truly eclectic and unique take on cultural identity.

Artists of Perth

Christopher McClelland

uxtaposing the past with the present, and the wide-open spaces of Australia with the traditional images of Europe, artist Christopher McClelland offers a truly eclectic and unique take on cultural identity. “Over the past 10 years, I have moved into a more traditional and realistic style,” he says. “My most recent works are open-ended narratives which explore cultural identity, blending the whimsical with the atmospheric. “For non-Indigenous Australians, there has always been the question of cultural identity and where we fit. As an Australian of European heritage, I am interested in exploring this theme to the extent that the techniques I have employed in the last five years have been based on traditional classical processes involving the building up of layers through the use of transparent glazes. “I am also fascinated with light and colour. There is a wonderful atmospheric and spiritual dimension to these that I try to evoke in my paintings.” Upon leaving school, Christopher went to the National Gallery Art School, which

became the Victorian College of the Arts during his studies. After graduating, he went to Melbourne University, where he completed a degree in Art Teaching, as well as in Film and Literature. After graduating with a teaching degree, Christopher received an Australia Council grant to work with homeless youth in Brisbane. At the end of the year-long grant, an exhibition

was held of his work at the Brisbane Town Hall. “After that, I juggled my own work as an artist with art teaching. I still do this and have been teaching art at Hale School in Perth since 2002. “The teaching has improved my own art – the critical eye I have had to pass over student work has helped me see how I can improve my own.” Christopher’s art career has evolved steadily and has included exhibitions, both group and solo, in several Australian cities as well as London, Paris, New York and Santa Fe. He is currently represented by Harvison Gallery in North Perth, where he has held several solo and group exhibitions. “I am exhibiting and painting more now than ever,” he says. “I have held four solo exhibitions in the past five years. This has been possible partly because my kids have all grown up and left home, giving me more time, but also because I have been travelling extensively, which has led to a heightened sense of purpose and inspiration.” Over the past few years, Christopher and his partner Cate have visited Italy and France regularly. “I have always felt a strong resonance with the art of the Renaissance and the European cultural traditions. The paintings by the early Renaissance artists such as Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Fra Angelico and Perugino are particularly special to me,” he says. “When we arrive back in Australia I feel like a fish out of water; it’s almost like a cultural identity crisis. I decided to represent this by juxtaposing symbols of the European tradition with representations of Western Australia: space, vast skies and oceans and endless highways cutting through dry, flat scrubland.” For Christopher, art has been a passion for as long as he can remember. “It’s very much a part of who I am as a person. I become very restless if for some reason I can’t paint. It is also a significant part of every culture, civilisation and society and certainly part of what makes us human.” Visit christophermcclellandartist.com 89

Artists of Perth

Clare McFarlane

"I am captivated by colour and pattern in nature . . ."

Artists of Perth

Jane McKay

ane McKay has a lifelong love of art. She began her career as a primary school teacher in Tasmania, pursing different visual creative outlets in her spare time. After moving to Sydney, Jane studied art at Seaforth TAFE, completing a Certificate in Fine Art. “They had a wonderful printmaking teacher, and we also did over nine hours of drawing each week, which really improved my skills,” Jane recalls. “It was around this time that I started exhibiting ceramic works.” After completing her studies at TAFE, Jane moved to Perth, where she studied at Curtin University, completing a Bachelor of Art (Fine Art). “I became interested in painting and sculpture, in particular, but really enjoyed the range of media you can experiment with, such as bronze casting, clay, glass casting and installation art,” she says. Inspired by travel, Jane conveys the colour and pattern of new environments into her artwork. “I love seeing new places and viewing the world from different viewpoints such as in a hot air balloon, underwater or from a light aircraft,” she says. “I am captivated by colour and pattern in nature – such as that seen in plants, rocks, fish, the landscape and also in man-

made objects such as textiles and ceramics.” Jane’s practice focuses mainly on painting – specifically, abstract landscape. “Some works tend more towards realism and some are completely abstract,” she says. “Most of my work to date has been abstract

landscape. On a residency in Thailand in 2017, I was inspired by the local plants and colours, so have developed a new series of works based on a botanical theme arising from the residency. I have also done many public art projects with mosaics and experimented with jewellery, fashion and glassworks.” Jane has a studio-based exhibition each year in Perth, and has previously had solo exhibitions in Kyoto, Los Angeles, Singapore, Sydney and Melbourne. “My work has also been in group exhibitions throughout Australia and in New York and Hong Kong,” she says. Jane enjoys painting on canvas and drawing on paper. “I like to experiment with different techniques such as pouring paint, layering with glazes or using mediums to create interesting effects,” she says. “I love being creative and painting is an enduring form of self-expression. There is always something new to try and the continual problem-solving means you are always learning.” Jane also has a business called Creative Kids Art Club, which aims to give children who love art the opportunity to experiment and create with a wide range of mediums. “It is inspiring working with young artists; they are fearless and enthusiastic; they throw themselves completely into trying new things,” she says. “The works they create are amazing; sometimes a child of four has an amazing use of colour or composition which clearly illustrates their level of inventiveness and creativity.” The classes and holiday programs cater for children aged from four to 14, and are available in over 12 venues in Perth. “We cover drawing, painting, printmaking, clay and sculpture,” Jane says. “We always have drawing in the program as it’s a great art basic and then we concentrate on another media each term. It’s a lot of fun seeing the enthusiasm with which the children approach their art and the wonderful works they create.” Visit janemckay.com.au and creativekidsartclub. com.au 93

“My ‘infinity samplers’ allow me to work very quickly and capture a whole landscape with much nuance”

Artists of Perth

Lyn Merrington

y a quirk of fate, landscape artist Lyn Merrington was born into a street already steeped in art. “I grew up in beautiful Northwood in Sydney, across the road from the grand old man of art in New South Wales, Lloyd Rees,” she says. “He and other artists living in the area, such as George Lawrence and Desiderius Orban, made it seem possible to pursue a career in art.” Thirty years later, Lyn moved to Perth and

immediately became aware of the differences in her new home state. “I found a traditional format did not give the sense of scale one is acutely aware of here. The Western Australian landscape made me feel very human, and very small,” she says. “I began painting small vertical sections of landscape at regular intervals apart, capturing the colours and changing light of the immense sky.” Lyn had studied French to further understand art history and, having lived and taught at a university in France, felt a strong kinship with the European country’s approach to art. “The French term temps means both time

and weather and is the nexus of my practice,” she says. “My ‘infinity samplers’ allow me to work very quickly and capture a whole landscape with much nuance. I usually work in acrylic on canvas panels.” Lyn has painted in this way all over France and at multiple sites in Australia, and continues to develop this particular style of work. “Sometimes the infinity samplers are only a few centimetres wide and very tall, at other times they are wider and only a metre or so high,” says Lyn. “This way of working in small increments allows me to build a work sometimes over one day, sometimes over several days. It also gives me an excuse to watch long-term, and not simply have a snapshot appreciation of the landscape.” In addition to her landscape work, Lyn has also drawn hundreds of pencil and pen portraits in different suburbs, in France and Australia. “I usually do this on public transport. I find this quite intriguing, as the global melting pot is always full of surprises,” she says. Lyn has also explored new directions, working with light sculptures and, now that her children are a little older, is able to devote more time to painting and accepting new commissions. “I have done a couple of ‘Percent for Art’ projects, and think this is a great initiative for artists and for Perth,” she says, referring to the drive to devote a percentage of every new build project in the city to urban art. “One of my public art works is in Currambine Station, entitled 5:24pm 10 Stations, 10 Weeks. The other is in Cockburn central overlooking the plaza – Places of The Community.” Lyn continues to delve deep into art history and hopes to complete her study of Marcel Duchamp, a French-American cubist and surrealist artist. Her experience in drafting and town planning also informs her work on public artworks. Perth, too, exerts its own influence on her work. “I love the atmosphere here and the quality of life. I also love the river and the sea,” she says. Visit lynmerrington.com 95

“My work strives to capture the unseen and ignored beauty in nature that surrounds us every day”

Artists of Perth

Britt Mikkelsen

f you attended Sculpture by the Sea in Bondi in 2017, you may have assumed that Britt Mikkelsen’s work Ocean Lace was as fragile as the lacy coral outcrop it appears to represent. It’s bleached white appearance, parched like a strange oceanic creature’s skeleton, sat on that famous beach, the sun streaming through its hundreds of holes, delicate yet in reality tougher than it seemed. “I discovered the materials I use by trial and error and am now able to deliver this combination of organics and robustness,” says Britt. “The resin I use is designed as an

industrial floor coating which is acid resistant, UV stable and highly scratch resistant, but is able to deliver the forms that I strive for.” Carving hundreds of shapes into clear acrylic shapes, then bending the sheets using heat into organic forms, she coats the acrylic with dozens of thin coats of polyurethane resin. “The results are highly organic, giving my sculptures the appearance of glass even though they are highly robust,” she says. Born in Sydney, Britt and her family moved to Copenhagen when she was young before relocating for a final time to Perth. “As my work is inspired by nature, particularly the ocean, Perth is the perfect place for inspiration,” she says. “We have the most

beautiful beaches as well as dramatic bushland, both of which are a great inspiration to me.” After completing a degree in Fine Art at Curtin University, Britt decided from a young age to pursue a conceptual practice. In the years that followed she explored other artistic avenues, including visual merchandising, theatre design, scenic art and university lecturing. “After the birth of my daughter in 2007, I collaborated with Plumb Artsworkshop to produce public artworks for a few local councils,” she says. It was this move that reignited her passion for sculpture and inspired her to apply for Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe. “After three attempts I was accepted with my piece Ocean Lace, the same piece which I exhibited for the first time at Sculpture by the Sea in Bondi. Being accepted to exhibit there was a huge moment for me.” In addition to acrylics and resins, Britt also uses moulded cement and enjoys ink drawing as well. “I’ve combined the acrylics and resins recently with natural found objects, blurring the lines between the natural and the man-made,” she says. “By creating this conflict, the works question man’s influence over nature, but also nature’s resilience in spite of man.” Inspired by sculptors such as Jean Arp and environmental artists like Andy Goldsworthy, Britt continues to explore organic abstraction with a naturalistic orientation. “My work strives to capture the unseen and ignored beauty in nature that surrounds us every day, which we often overlook due to our busy lives,” she says. “That coexistence of nature and the urban environment is what drives my work. I find my inspiration in these urban settings where little pockets of nature exist.” Britt has collaborated with fellow artist Vania Lawson over the years, their work “complementing each other beautifully”, and has been inspired by the way in which nature forms timber. “The way in which water interacts with timber creates beautiful forms and these are hugely inspirational to me,” she says. “Borers, termites and fire also have their way with timber. I simply strive to highlight this phenomenon through my interactions with timbers.” Visit brittmikkelsen.com.au 97

there's a strong link in Peta's work to the land and the colours of the Australian outback

Artists of Perth

Peta Miller

nspired by the land, Peta Miller sees her art as an easy continuum between contemporary realism and abstraction. “A lot of my work is based on a sense of place, whether it’s the Kimberley, or the Fremantle area where I live,” she says. There’s a strong link in Peta’s work to the land and the colours of the Australian outback. “I’m interested in the close focus of things rather than the visual panorama,” she admits. “A memory is just as real as a visual

photograph,” Peta continues. “Take, for instance, the memory of white cockatoos after the rain. I am trying to capture the essence of that memory in some way – the white against blue sky, the noise, and the smell of the rain, rather than an image caught on camera.” For Peta, art is a continual journey: “As an artist, you’re always unfolding and changing, gathering influences along the way. It’s an evolving process.” Peta has been painting since she was a small child, although she initially pursued a career in social work. Born in Canberra, she moved to Perth in the late 1970s, and was immediately struck by the city’s thriving art scene.

“I found it quite exciting,” Peta recalls, “and I was drawn to the Claremont School of Art, which I attended for five years in the 1980s. “It was a vibrant environment with fabulous teachers who taught artistic skills but also encouraged individuality.” In 2000, Peta left her social work career and devoted herself to her original passion – painting. After juggling teaching with her own art practice for many years, Peta devoted 2017 to painting full-time, including exploring mark making. “I felt limited by just using a brush and have started to consciously look for things that make nice marks, either resting objects in wet ink to make marks on the canvas, scratching into thicker paint, or using handmade stencils. “Those things have to earn their way into your palette,” Peta continues. “I have found new ways of expressing what I want to say, which somehow isn’t manageable with a brush.” Peta also enjoys pushing the boundaries of colour, tone and shape: “They’re probably key things in my images,” she says. “Colour in particular; I tend to push the boundaries of colour. I also simplify shapes and play around with the picture plane as Matisse did, making it 2D rather than 3D.” Peta lives and works by the mantra, ‘miles behind the brush’, taught to her by Australian artist Patrick Carroll. “You can have all the ideas in the world, but it’s really doing the work that counts; working like a worker, treating it like a job,” she says. “You’ll have days when it’s flying and fabulous, but on the other days you still work. If you stay on the journey, you can’t help but get better.” As a heartfelt painter, Peta paints what comes from within, rather than from a commercial perspective: “I’m past worrying what other people think,” she laughs. “I’m confident that if you paint from the heart your art will resonate. “I can’t not paint,” she continues. “It’s my passion, and I’ve got more to say. While I’ve still got more to say, I’ll always be painting.” Peta is represented by the Gunyulgup Gallery, and aims to have regular solo exhibitions at Moores Contemporary Art Building in Fremantle. Visit petamiller.com.au 99

"I am celebrating telling stories through 'stuff'"

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Artists of Perth

Jan mullen

espite a lifetime of creating, it’s only in recent years that Jan Mullen has been able to devote her time and energy to her one great love: making art. “At uni, I delved into sculpture made from combinations of materials and techniques – textiles and ceramics techniques and materials informed my work, alongside flotsam from the ocean.” After qualifying as an art teacher, Jan specialised in textiles and sculpture. “I married and had a family soon after graduating, and life centred around renovating and making,” she says. “I was always creating, but I was rarely making art. “I’d been working with textiles – quilts, in particular – at home, but I wanted to explore them more fully,” she says. “I loved the process of designing and making them; the art and the nurture of them.” Later, employed in a local quilt store, Jan discovered the enormous potential of the quilt-

making industry – a worldwide phenomenon based in the US. “I developed techniques and designs and taught locally, eventually taking my wares to the world stage: the wholesale Quilt Market in Houston,” she says. “It was perfect for me as my skills allowed me to say yes to writing books, to designing fabric and, consequently, teaching in many countries over the years.” Eventually, travel lost its allure, as did the six-month turnaround period to produce something new. “Instead, I focused on skilling and inspiring others locally,” says Jan.

“Years of teaching in my studio culminated in community programs; the ultimate, and my finale in the field, was SalvageSelvedge, a quilt exhibition held in the Moores building, where my students, and others wanting to join in, made beautiful quilts from salvaged fabric with money going to aid a school in Ethiopia that we became closely connected to.” Since easing herself out of working solely in textiles Jan has moved towards creating theme-based artwork rather than techniquebased works. “I’ve essentially started from scratch, researching and developing a theme and making art my major occupation,” she says. Her broad theme is ‘Swan Study’, and the work that has flowed from there is diverse but links back to the birds’ habitats and life ethic as well as their symbolism and use in fairytales. “Feathers, nests, and nurturing have allowed me to work through my experiences of the domestic in a less obvious manner,” she says. Inspired by family and the “stuff” of the past, Jan describes her style as “magpie-like”. “I am enjoying celebrating and telling stories through ‘stuff’. ‘Stuff’ of little value inspires. The work of hands inspires. Little stories and quirks of history inspire. “It is celebrating/telling stories through all sorts of stuff that I am enjoying. “For example, my dad was a builder and I stitch on paint chips and I draw on Laminex samples – sometimes combined with discarded doilies and tablecloths.” For Jan, being an artist keeps her curious. “It keeps me forever learning and questioning and problem solving. Viewing art and making art have equal value in my life. There is always so much to be excited about.” Jan’s decision in 2017 to spend as much time as possible in her North Fremantle studio making art without working to set parameters evolved into thoughts of a yearly showing. As a result, she empties her studio space every December and invites another artist to exhibit their year’s work. “I see ‘The December Gallery’ as my major focus for the foreseeable future, unhindered by anything but self-made pressure,” she says. Visit janmullen.com.au 101

A horse's fate is not its own, but predetermined by its owner, its life a sweepstake of circumstance

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Artists of Perth

Roslyn Nolen

oslyn Nolen is at her most comfortable surrounded by the bush and plenty of space. Raised on a remote wheat and sheep farm in the Mallee region of country Victoria, she was the youngest of 10 children. It’s perhaps no surprise then that she values room to breathe. “My earliest memories always involved creating and exploring within the artistic realm,” she says. “There were endless opportunities to do so living within a vast landscape.” Later on, after completing a fine art degree and a graduate diploma in secondary education, she moved to a remote Aboriginal community – Wirimanu – in Western Australia’s Tanami Desert, an experience which again informed her future work. The daughter of a horse trainer, Roslyn’s equine works are particularly stunning, the spirit of the horses she captures on canvas quite magical. She portrays each horse’s character perfectly, whether at play or facing their own challenges imposed by man. “I recently finished a series of nine paintings, exploring a horse’s passage through the familiar and accepted, brutal and confronting,” says Roslyn. “A horse’s fate is not its own, but predetermined by its owner, its life a sweepstake of circumstance.” She spent time in outback Northern Territory collecting photographs and documenting both domestic and wild horses to reference when putting together the extraordinary series of works. Her connection with the horses portrayed runs deep, and this particular series was sparked by a very special encounter. “It wasn’t until my nephew, Luke Nolen, was given the ride of a lifetime with Black Caviar that I rekindled a connection to my upbringing: living on the land and being surrounded by horses,” she says. Primarily a portrait artist, Roslyn has brought her forensic eye for detail of the anatomy and form of each horse to her work.

“I love engaging the viewer to get a real sense of each individual horse,” she says. “I have such an appreciation for the muscle structure, shape, form and anatomy. I’ll explore the many variants in composition and enjoy depicting the beauty which is so evident in these ever-powerful creatures – it inevitably brings a great sense of connection.” Working generally in mixed media (acrylic paint, ink, graphite and Fineliner), Rosyln is keen to revisit charcoal. “I used the medium extensively in my late 20s with my portrait imagery, and I’d like to explore the use more in my equine work.” When interviewed, Rosyln was tackling a large artwork, with archival Fineliners and an Indian ink overlay. “The subject matter is two rescued Brumbies meeting for the first time,” she says. “It’s about trust, intimacy and connection, a

very powerful first meeting.” She’s also the driving force behind a clothing line – tOZZLEY – where her equine images are screen-printed onto T-shirts. Roslyn also finds inspiration in her four children. “I’ve just completed a series of work depicting them,” she says. “They are wonderful subjects, I’m aware of their nuances and knowing them so well creates easier depictions - not that they enjoy sitting for me,” she laughs. In 2017, she completed her first public art commission in the Midland Shire – something “exciting and new” – and has permanent work in the Yallingup Galleries and Cosmic Studios in Scarborough. “I work in my home studio which is always open to those who wish to visit,” she says. Visit roslynnolen.com.au, @roslyn_nolen_artist facebook.com/Roslyn-Nolen-Visual-Artist 103

"I love the idea of creating something beautiful from something that others may not see as beautiful" 104

Artists of Perth

Margie Oldfield

lifetime’s love affair with nature sees Margie Oldfield producing intricately detailed, patterned and textured artworks that celebrate life in all its forms. “I am inspired by the natural world,” she says. “I don’t even really feel like an artist because I don’t really feel that I create anything new – I just present what has already been created. “We cannot improve on the texture, patterns and detail of nature.” Despite her self-effacing nature, Margie’s artworks are highly regarded and constantly

evolving, as she experiments with new methods and different processes and media. Although she has dabbled in painting and various types of printing, Margie’s love and focus now is gyotaku – a printing method she was privileged to learn from Japanese gyotaku master, Mineo Yamamoto. “Gyotaku is an ancient printing method that creates an exact image of the fish. I have experimented, first with fish, and then with other creatures,” she says. “It might seem a bit macabre to some, but I enjoy making beautiful artworks from dead animals. I have experimented with this ancient printing method and have printed reptiles, fish and even birds.

“Dead fish washed up on the beach are treasures to me,” says Margie. “I love the idea of creating something beautiful from something that others may not see as beautiful. There is extraordinary detail in everything – the scale of a snake, the fin of a fish, the wing of a dragonfly.” For as long as she can remember, Margie has had a passion for, and fascination with, the natural world. She qualified with a double major in botany and zoology, and has worked in a number of different areas, including biology, bird training, recycling, and now art. “At home with young children, I embraced the opportunity to spend my time with the kids in a creative way,” she says. “My first passion was macrophotography and my first exhibition, held when our three kids were one, two and three years old, was a collection of macrophotographs of native wildflowers.” Working from her home studio, Margie feels fortunate to have a room in her house that is filled with paints, paper, dead fish and everything that inspires her. “Having time and space to make art is such a luxury,” she says. “Some days my brain is literally overflowing with ideas of what to create. “I am not very good at sorting those ideas out and ordering them so that I can just do one thing at a time. I often have up to 10 projects on the go at one time. This is probably not the most productive way to work, but I don’t think that there is a right or wrong way to be creative. “I really think that spending some time on creativity is good for our brain. This does not have to be visual art, but can be cooking or music or designing a computer program. “It is important to allow yourself time to let your creative mind start somewhere and not have any idea where it will end up.” Visit margieoldfield.iinet.net.au 105

I enjoy doing murals, and painting outdoors with watercolours and a sketchbook

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Artists of Perth

Irene Osborne

or more than 40 years, Irene Osborne has been quietly building her portfolio of diverse and impressive artworks. In that time, she’s created everything from Australian landscape paintings and corporate commissions to public murals, recycled sculptures and mosaics. “I tend to let the subject tell me how I’m going to depict it if I’m painting for me, and I love painting commissioned art for clients, consulting with them to see their ideas become reality,” she says. As a child, Irene’s family often moved, which impacted on her education. One thing that remained constant, however, was her love of art. “I was always drawing,” she recalls. “I used to draw on the back of jam labels and soap wrappers when I was a child, until someone gave me a sketchbook. When I was 10, Mum and Dad gave me some oil paints for

Christmas, which they couldn’t really afford. Sometimes it ended up on my sheets as I’d sit in bed and paint in the mornings before the rest of the family awoke.” At 16, Irene moved to Perth and soon after took up a position in a photography studio in Victoria Park, learning photography and handcolouring sepia photographs. This knowledge of skin tones has been invaluable for Irene’s portrait and mural painting in the years since. In the evenings, Irene would pursue her love of art at James Street Technical College, participating in a variety of creative

arts classes. Because of her lack of formal education, Irene used her portfolio of art from the technical college to apply to study at Claremont School of Art. “I studied for three years full-time and got my Diploma in Fine Arts. I was in my element. It was the first time I’d been with other ‘likeminded’ creative people,” she says. By now married, Irene then moved to various parts of Australia, depending on where her husband was stationed. The family ended up living in the Pilbara for 12 years from 1987 – a period that had a huge impact on Irene and her art. The dramatic colours and inspiring landscape altered and strengthened the colours of her palette. Irene was actively involved in the art community and was nominated for citizen of the year for her contribution to the arts. She assisted with arts activities and curated exhibitions at the Cossack Art Gallery. She was on local and state government arts advisory panels, including Healthway, and was an arts lecturer Karratha College. Irene’s miningrelated and Pilbara-inspired paintings, found their way into collections worldwide. While in north west WA, Irene joined Artsource, (first known as the Artists Foundation), and began accepting public art commissions. “I did large paintings for the Roebourne police station, and from there I started doing murals. I did my first mural of 48 women of the Lake Grace district in 1998 and, in the two decades since then, my work has appeared in around two dozen towns around WA, including Public Artwork on the Forrest Highway.” Creating an incredibly broad practice of work, Irene finds it difficult to pinpoint which medium she enjoys the most. “I enjoy doing murals, and I like painting outdoors with watercolours and a sketchbook. In the studio, I transfer that into acrylics and oils,” she says. “I love to do portraits, and I enjoy abstracts, because of their use of colour. Then again, watercolours are just magic.” Irene has also won many art awards for her paintings and several awards for her recycled art sculptures, which were exhibited in Rockingham’s Castaway Festival and Cottesloe’s Sculptures by the Sea. Visit ireneosborneartist.com 107

his ability to create art that breaks down barriers and assumptions is one of his strongest talents 2

1. Trio of Trees: The Village at Wellard 2. Trio of Trees: Marquette for The Village at Wellard 3. Enlightened Bicycles: Pearsall Hocking Community Centre 4. Spinifex Lanterns: Kalgoorlie Health Campus 5. Enlightened Gardens: St John of God Midland Public Hospital

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Artists of Perth

Tony Pankiw

hances are, you will have seen a work by Tony Pankiw without perhaps realising it. His large sculptural artworks catch the sun, the glint and sheen of his textured metalwork enhance urban landscapes wherever they are. From Perth to regional Western Australia, Tony’s sculptures have become landmarks in their area, often referencing in their composition elements of their surroundings and the people who live there in innovative, witty ways. Born in WA, Tony’s parents came to Australia from Poland and the Ukraine. After receiving a fine art degree majoring in sculpture with a printmaking elective, Tony continued his studies in Melbourne, again specialising in printmaking. He accepted an artist-in-residence at what is now Charles Darwin University in the Northern Territory, and completed his first collection of site-specific works – screenprints featuring life in the NT. A gifted tutor, Tony lectured in printmaking at Curtin University, became President of

Archway to Learning: Marquette for Hammond Park Primary School

the Printmakers Association of WA and, at the same time, began his career as an artist, winning commissions to create community art projects, such as the Festival of Fire in Cottesloe. It wasn’t until the early 2000s however that his artistic focus turned to sculpture and, thanks to the Western Australia Percent for Art Scheme, his talent for adding to the urban landscape was given a fantastic new canvas to work within. Tony includes multiple techniques in his sculptures, for instance etching to produce a textured surface within one artwork or image. “Text can be etched into the surface of the metal to convey messages to the

audience,” says Tony. “I have a purpose-built screenprinting set-up for printing images onto metal plates which can be deep etched.” This innovative use of cross-over techniques makes Tony’s sculptures engaging on multiple levels. An expert metal-worker, he has a variety of materials at his disposal including natural steel, aluminium, copper, wood, concrete, industrial grade vinyl flooring and, more recently, glass. A recent project saw him working on a series of glass artworks focusing on the multicultural aspects of Katanning for the new Health Service facilities, as well as an external art screen depicting the area’s local history with water jet cut-outs made of aluminium plate. This creates amazing patterning, shadows and light as the sun hits the artworks. Other works in progress include Pingelly Arising, a four metre-high entry statement echoing a phoenix rising at the Pingelly Heath Service. Thanks to the WA State Government’s initiative to ensure one per cent of all construction budgets for new works over $2 million are invested in artwork, Tony has been able to explore different methods of creating art, moving outside the “normal accepted realm of sculpture”. “For me the best outcome of the Percent for Art Scheme is that everyone in Western Australia has the opportunity to experience art, whether it’s in a school, hospital, prison, along the road or on the foreshore,” he says. An innovative artist, Tony rendered several Aboriginal artists’ paintings from the Goldfields to create colourful, vinyl inserts into the Kalgoorlie Health Campus’ flooring. “I interpreted their paintings into the flooring designs, creating welcoming, intriguing location finders for visitors to the campus – and importantly, incorporating local culture,” he says. For many, Tony’s public art may be their first introduction to the discipline, and his ability to create artworks that break down barriers and assumptions is one of his strongest talents. “Recently, a secretary at a primary school said to me that she ‘normally didn’t like art’ but she loved my entry statement outside the school. That made me very satisfied indeed,” he says. Follow Tony on Instagram @tony.pankiw/ 109

johannes' innovative works command the space

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Artists of Perth

Portrait image Attila Csaszar

Johannes Pannekoek

tilising his background in engineering, graphic design and metalwork, Johannes Pannekoek creates eloquent, large-scale, abstract sculptures that have earned him numerous accolades. Incredibly, it was only in 2007 that Johannes started to pursue his interest in visual arts, studying Applied Environmental Arts at Central TAFE. “I made the commitment to transition away from commercial business to pursue my dream of making art in some form,” he says. “It wasn’t until I visited Sculpture by the Sea Cottesloe in 2006, that the seed was sown to pursue the possibility of creating sculpture. Like it does for so many visitors of all ages, this annual exhibition had a life-changing impact on me. It opened my eyes to what was possible and continues to resonate within me.” Three years after his initial visit to Sculpture by the Sea, Johannes exhibited in the 2009 Cottesloe exhibition. At the time of writing, he had had exhibited there four more times, as well as at Bondi in 2012, 2016 and 2017.

“These outdoor exhibitions allowed me to enter the visual arts arena at a mature age, giving me the opportunity as an unknown artist to exhibit for the first time, fast-tracking my career from an emerging artist to an established one, recognised by a number of art buyers and collectors throughout Australia,” he says. Johannes has had numerous public art commissions, with clients including the City of Melville and the Town of Vincent. He adds: “The highlight of my career has come from building an international profile via Sculpture by the Sea and receiving the Aqualand Sculpture Award at the Bondi exhibition in 2016. “The sculpture, aptly titled Change Ahead, was gifted by Aqualand to the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust for permanent public placement at Headland Park, a Sydney Harbour parkland site in Mosman,” he says. Johannes’ studio workshop is in Perth’s Gooseberry Hill, a bushland environment where he has space and equipment to design, fully construct and finish his monumental works. “Having these resources at my immediate disposal allows the freedom for creativity whenever time allows,” he says.

Johannes’ signature steel is Corten, expertly rolled into sensuously sweeping parabolic curves with intimate hollows. His welding is seamless. Working primarily with ferrous and non-ferrous metals, he focuses on a methodology requiring complex mathematical and fabrication processes. “By pushing the boundaries of design and the structural limitations of the material, it makes for some very challenging times during the fabrication process,” he says. “I try to put aside traditional and conditioned design or fabrication methodologies and concentrate on creating an unpredictable 3D form, one that draws you in to follow the path of each line and makes you wander about to discover the origin of each segment. “My objective is to create unique shapes with the aim of presenting several attractive views within the one sculpture.” Indeed, Johannes’ innovative works command the space. Johannes is represented in a number of private, corporate and public collections including the Crown Towers Perth and Sydney Harbour Sculpture Collection. Visit johannespannekoek.com 111

"there is a richness in creating art that I find intoxicating" 112

Artists of Perth

Roger Reading

t was the jungles of Papua New Guinea which triggered an artistic awakening in Roger Reading, after a lifetime of travelling the world in the military and resources industry. “In 2005, I found myself in PNG and joined a small art group who loved painting the flora and fauna of the country,” he says. “When I returned to Perth, I took up lessons and my pursuit of art began in earnest.” It was a pursuit that had been on hold for more than 40 years since his school days in Cambridge, UK. Now enjoying his retirement years to the full, Roger is a full-time artist and continues to travel widely.

“I’ve painted in Tuscany, Prague, Greece and France, and attended a five-week intensive fine art diploma course at the Academy Studios Abroad in Aubais, France, affiliated with the Royal Academy in London,” he says. It’s no surprise perhaps that having visited so many countries at the artistic heart of Europe, Roger is strongly influenced by French impressionists and 18th-century masters of landscapes such as Turner and Constable. Working mostly in oils, he has started to experiment too with acrylics and watercolours, which he loves. “They can be used very differently to express emotion and a sense of place,” he says. Roger also began to use pastels in France, the medium again presenting its own set of challenges and opportunities. “I enjoy all these mediums and have experimented using

textures and paint pouring techniques, as well as using Powertex and similar materials to enhance the process. I love the opportunity to play and become adventurous in art – without being judgemental.” For an artist who draws on landscapes and his surroundings so richly, Roger particularly enjoys working in the open air. “I paint en plein air each week with an eclectic group of artists,” he says. “I use water soluble oils to paint outside as they’re highly versatile while still being of an oil ‘style’, but easy to clean in water.” The group paints at a different location each week, and they share their knowledge and opinions via social media. Roger lists Van Gogh as a strong influence, as well as the Australian Masters and local artists – particularly Durack, Juniper, Nolan, Olsen, and locally, Leanne Pearson, Jana Vodescil and Drewfus Gates. “I was fortunate to have visited the Van Gogh Foundation in Arles where he lived later in his life,” he says. “Viewing the work he completed at that stage has left an indelible impression on me. What interests me about the Masters is that many of them had difficult and sometimes cruel upbringings which drove them to express their emotions in spectacular ways. Creativity emerges from discomfort more than from comfort.” Born in Singapore to British parents, Roger’s early itinerant life leaves him more qualified than most to believe that Perth is a special place to live and work. “I can say with some authority that it doesn’t get any better than this,” he says, “but the remoteness of Perth is an issue, so for me in art there is a need to connect with artists outside Perth from time to time.” Roger sells his art from his home studio and has seen many of the 1,000 or so works he’s created leave with many happy investors over the years. “I may have come to art later in life but for me, my art is more about my own journey as I evolve and change,” he says. “My art is constantly changing as I change. There is a richness in creating art that I find intoxicating.” Visit rogerreadingart.com and facebook.com/roger.reading.71 113

Whatever she creates finds its root in the simple truths of nature

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Artists of Perth

Jeannette Rein

rees, with all their rich symbolism, natural beauty and familiarity as a resource, have exerted a constant presence throughout Jeannette Rein’s artistic career. In the large tin shed at the back of her house, you’ll often find her, angle grinder in hand, sculpting a large piece of timber. “I’ve been a practising artist for over 20 years,” she says, “and in fact still juggle four jobs: artist, teacher, pool lifeguard and swim coach.” Over those two decades, Jeannette has pushed the boundaries of what wood can endure in the name of art. “In the 1990s I laminated bush timber, taking a rough section and slicing it into 4mm wafers of wood, retaining as much information of the tree as possible,” she says.

She drilled holes through the wafers, then laminated them back together to form a patchwork of timber that echoed the form that was to emerge. “I refined this down to create bowl forms, then bird sculptures,” she says. “The drilled holes created a dappled light effect as light shone through the sculpture.” Public art commissions have been a frequent feature of Jeannette’s output, including works for the New Norcia monastery, a large art project for Pinjarra Senior High School and artworks for the St John of God medical mall at the Bunbury Health Campus. “I worked on this in collaboration with Coral Lowry and Malcolm Harris, and my part of the project consisted of five contemporary, wooden laminated birds, suspended from the mall ceiling,” she says. The sculptures vary in size and type of wood selected and Jeannette has imbued each image

with extra meaning. “The birds encapsulate the twin themes of giving hope and triumph of the human spirit, and celebrating new life,” she says. In 2008 Jeannette, with the assistance of a Mid-Career Fellowship Grant from the Department of Culture and the Arts, developed new sculptures based on the concept that wood was like a frozen textile. A two-month residency in 2012 at the Center for Art in Wood in Philadelphia was an important juncture in Jeannette’s career, allowing her to escape the confines of studio work, and introducing her to new techniques and mediums. “I had the time to experiment with wood bleach and milk paints,” she says. A research masters at Federation University followed, where she “felt the need to further develop my concept of how wood can become translucent, and the fraying of timber”. “I keep coming back to the idea that if you take the material to the edge it selfdestructs, yet along that edge of nothingness is a dynamic pattern of resolution that holds everything together,” she says. Jeannette completed her research masters in 2016 and, in the process, developed new techniques using banksia timber and leaf skeletons. Her work appears to take the process of evolution to another stage, creating strange new forms which somehow are still familiar, retaining the echo of the original base material. Eternally curious, she enjoys experimenting with new mediums too. “I have been experimenting with leaf skeleton in the making of a fabric, which has been a real buzz,” she says. Whatever she creates finds its root in the simple truths of nature. As Dr Phillip McNamara says, “Jeannette’s work inhabits a niche all of its own”. “I’m inspired by the ebb and flow of my natural environment,” she says. “Nature, landscape, the elements in continual flux, are a constant inspiration to me. I have this desire to create sculptural forms that capture the complexity of light and energy, giving atmosphere and presence to each object in the material world.” Visit artsource.net.au/artist/jeannetterein 115

"I think as an artist you take inspiration from everywhere”

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Artists of Perth

Susan Respinger

he adjective that springs to mind when you see Susan Respinger’s work is ‘playful’. There’s a real sense of joie de vivre around what she creates, whether it’s a colourful mural filled with crazy, half-familiar creatures getting up to all sorts in the space, a delicate graphite of a beloved pet or person, or an acrylic on canvas of a tree canopy with the sun shining through it. Before Susan took the plunge and dedicated herself full time to a career as an artist in 2014 – encouraged greatly by her husband – she had studied art, design and fashion and worked in the world of couture hairdressing. “The more work I got out there, the more people started to commission me, and things have been steadily snowballing into a proper paying job since then,” she says. Susan uses a wide variety of mediums to create her vibrant works, experimenting with different approaches to fulfil her vision; she uses house and aerosol paints for murals, but also enjoys graphite pencil portraiture

and acrylic on canvas paintings, and has experimented with watercolour pencils. Having suffered with bouts of depression throughout her life, Susan’s approach is to focus on the light rather than the shadows in general. “I can’t stand artwork that draws attention to the darkness in the world,” she says. “I prefer work that brightens my day and helps me to stay positive and motivated.” Susan has a love of pencil drawings and delights in pouring as much detail into a work as possible. Her animal drawings in particular are packed with incredible detail; each frond or follicle of fur and hair seems to have been replicated perfectly. “With my portraiture and other graphite drawing work I really love getting as much detail as I can into it and making it as realistic as possible, but I also love creating fun cartoon characters,” she says. Susan, who moved to Perth from Sydney when she was 14, described the transition to the west as a “huge culture shock”. “I didn’t like it at first because I was so used to the fast-paced city lifestyle and wasn’t very outdoorsy, but now I really appreciate all the natural beauty we have here,” she says.

The city, countryside and its people have gone on to exert their own influence on her work, particularly her murals. She is rightfully proud of one she designed for a house in New Zealand which “reflects the landscape and animals around it”. “Many of my mural cartoon characters are directly influenced by certain individuals who I’ve met while working on a piece,” she says. “If I feel like they are one of the well-known characters from the area, I’ll create a character based on them.” Perhaps one of Susan’s most well-known murals is at One40William, a huge project which began with a commission to paint five enormous walls. “Once I’d finished the first commission of five walls, it got such a huge response from so many of the people who worked in the building that they asked me to come back and paint another 11 walls for them,” she says. Inspired by a wide range of influences from nature and pop art, Susan continues to paint from the heart. “I think as an artist you take inspiration from everywhere, even your dreams or the way the light hits something, or the way some colours look side by side. All of that can inspire a piece,” she says. Visit susanrespinger.com 117

“Details of natural systems, like temperate reefs or seagrass meadows, fascinate me”

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Artists of Perth

Angela Rossen

elebrating the beauty and fragility of the natural world, Angela Rossen’s canvasses create an immersive experience. “Details of natural systems, like temperate reefs or seagrass meadows, fascinate me,” Angela says. “I like to weave them into large fields to create a rise and fall of emphasis for the delight of the viewer.” While Angela predominantly paints, she returns periodically to printmaking and ceramics, with applied design for particular projects where repetition of a motif is necessary to communicate an idea. “I enjoy the solitary crafting of an artwork in the calm of the studio and work concurrently on a number of pieces at any time,” she explains. From 2011 to 2016, Angela held the position of Artist in Residence with the Oceans Institute at the University of Western Australia, working in the lab and field with scientists across a range of areas in marine research. “This broadened and deepened my understanding of the natural world,” she says. “Like artists, biologists spend time in nature

observing and recording methodically. “While I spend a lot of time in the ocean, I work between my Hilton studio and workshop at the UWA School of the Biological Sciences, where I hold the position of Honorary Research Associate, and work with plant and animal biologists in the lab and field.” Angela has been “making and doing” since

childhood. “The transition from school to art school and a career as an artist was a natural progression,” she says. “I have always been an artist and can’t imagine anything else I would rather do. “As children, my brother and I were free to explore the waterways, woodlands and wetlands near our home. When I think back now, I marvel at how lucky we were. Nature has always been my starting point. My work, which is figurative, is focused on Australian plants and animals, country, coastal and marine environments.” Angela studied painting under David Gregson at what is now Curtin University. “He would dazzle us with his luscious colour mixing and paint application,” she recalls. “The interaction of complementary opposite colours fascinated me as a child and since no one else seemed to see the phenomenon, I assumed that I had imagined it “When David placed his bright colour cards against each other, so that the complementary opposites shimmered, I realised that this was a shared world. He was an inspirational teacher, equally passionate about colour and form.” Angela painted in oil for a period after graduation, and then watercolour, enjoying the layering of transparent glazes. “The change to acrylic paint was a turning point in my studio practice. Acrylic allows for speed, textured gestural marks, as well as the transparency of watercolour.” Angela has maintained a busy studio practice, travelling to draw and paint in the landscape, exhibiting regularly and undertaking commissions for corporate, private and institutional entities. In addition to her studio opus, Angela sets aside time to work with schools and community groups throughout WA on environmental projects. “Our extraordinary biodiversity is under stress from human impacts,” she says. “My workshops and projects engage children’s curiosity with the wonder of nature and the need to conserve and protect fragile ecosystems.” Visit angelarossen.com 119

"I’m enthralled by the prospect of not knowing how the colours are going to turn out"

Above, Blue Lagoon 2, Right, Salt Lakes 1 detail Below left, Fragments Below right, Salt Lakes 4 detail Far right, Pilbra Soil detail.

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Artists of Perth

Carol Rowling

nspired by the splendour of the vast Australian landscape, contemporary abstract and conceptual artist Carol Rowling creates rich, textural artworks using mixed media, acrylic and ochre collected on her trips to the Kimberley and Pilbara regions of WA. “The richness of colour and texture that the ochre provides not only lends to the layers of paint and tone, but to the layering of time in which these granules have been formed over the centuries, giving these works a strong presence and place,” she says. “My inspiration comes from the grandeur of the vast Australian landscape over which I fly on a regular basis. The colours, textures and rugged formations constantly amaze me.” Born in Melbourne, Carol studied Art and Design at the Carine College of TAFE and the Claremont School of Art from 1991 to 1995. “After working in administrative roles and raising a family I decided to pursue my art in a more serious manner, and have been a practising artist for over 25 years,” she explains. “I have gone from being an emerging artist to being invited to exhibit internationally with Trevisan International Art, in the Atenao Gallery in Madrid, Spain, the Kenny Gallery in Galway, Ireland, the Galleria De’Marchi, Bologna, Italy, Estense Castle, Ferrara, Italy, La Galleria Royal Arcade, Pall Mall, London and the Florence Biennale, Italy.” In Australia, Carol has exhibited in numerous group shows, including the Metamorphoses Gallery in Willetton, the Turner Gallery in William Street, Perth, the Beth Hulme Gallery in Melbourne, and the Global Gallery in Paddington, Sydney. A solo exhibition was held at the Perth Concert Hall in St Georges Terrace. Like many artists learning their craft, Carol began by painting still-lives such as flowers and street scenes with traditional watercolours, before moving on to landscapes using acrylics and oils. Later, she began experimenting with powertools carving into canvas to create texture and depth. “I enjoyed the spontaneity this process gave me and the unexpected shapes and tones that

occurred,” she recalls. “As Picasso once said: ‘In order to create, you must destroy.’ My landscapes are now aerial in style because of looking down from above.” Carol finds great joy in creating artworks that she has seen in the landscape and abstracting them to her own interpretation. “I think one of the challenges that I face – and which gives me much enjoyment, particularly with the powertool – is deciding what order I put the painted canvasses in to

achieve the best effect,” she says. “I commence the indentation process and observe how the various shades of colour reveal themselves beneath the blade. I’m enthralled by the prospect of not knowing how the colours are going to turn out, some seem to combine better than others and that, to me, is the challenge.” Carol currently works out of Robertson Park Artists’ Studio in Fitzgerald Street, North Perth. Visit carolrowling.com.au 121

“My art is a way of making sense of the world and my place in it”

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Artists of Perth

Olivia Samec

ultidisciplinary artist Olivia Samec brings a deeply thoughtful approach to her work, which explores the concept of gender representation throughout history. She painted a portrait for the Archibald Prize of her niece, bestselling author and blogger Constance Hall, and was catapulted onto the world stage as a result of the worldwide media interest in her subject. The painting, capturing Hall in a typically uninhibited pose, baby on hip, struck a chord with many who saw it, depicting a ‘real woman’ exuding power and grace contrary to popular depictions. “The portrait fits into my Venus Project, a lifetime discourse on how gender is represented over time,” she says. Olivia was also highly commended for her 2015 Black Swan Portrait Prize entry and shortlisted for the Doug Moran Portrait Prize for her painting of her father, Ernst Samec Architect, Migrant, Survivor. It was an emotional experience and a marker in time.

Sadly, it was followed by a series of selfportraits as she searched for meaning through the heartbreak of losing both parents in one year. In addition to exploring the nature of humanity through her portraits, Olivia is also driven to create by nature. Her Australian Land and Sea exhibitions have been largely inspired by the experience of swimming with whale sharks at Ningaloo. Her whale shark paintings have been sold around the world and have also been printed onto glass for large and small scale corporate commissioned gifts of Western Australia’s marine emblem. Olivia spent her twenties living in remote Aboriginal communities in the central Australian desert and Arnhem Land, totally immersed in the culture.

“I feel a strong personal commitment to respect and honour our Indigenous first nation Aboriginal Australians, their culture and country,” she says. “The collaborative two-way learning art projects with Noongar artist Kerry Stack are a way of doing this. As we learn from each other, we are reconciliation in action.” Olivia’s Outback to Oceans series of paintings tackles two of Australia’s most dangerous elements: fire and water. “They are diametrically opposed forces yet also so quintessentially Australian,” she says. “Fire has shaped the Australian continent and culture since the beginning of time, and it’s also played a significant role in my life. Olivia’s expressive paintings, imbued with deep personal resonance, are designed to leave the onlooker with a positive experience and can be found in Conchi Chamizo’s popular Zone wellbeing books, prints and cards, at Yogaveda Wellness, and in her colour-in publications. “My paintings and installations are designed to capture an experience that has a deep sensory impact and leaves a lasting impression,” she says. Olivia has created public artworks and lists exhibiting several times at Sculpture by the Sea as a career highlight. Her most ambitious installation was an underwater dive trail of mermaids created with her husband James Moe after six months of research and preparations. “I love the epic scale working on largescale work for Sculpture by the Sea,” she says. “From a crazy idea, it takes a whole team of expertise to research, plan, design, trial, debate, manufacture and install.” The recipient of a Churchill Fellowship award, Olivia is looking forward to travelling to New York, London and Europe to further her artistic journey. “While I would like to pursue my work with whale sharks, I hope to realise more of the ideas I have banked up: I’m looking forward to collaborations which continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible, and continue to build towards reconciliation. “My art is a way of making sense of the world and my place in it,” she says. For purchase or commission, please contact the artist at oliviasamec.com 123

“I create unique pieces because there’s nothing I’m bound to other than experimenting...”

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Artists of Perth

David Spencer

escribing his style as “emotively abstract”, David Spencer creates unique artworks spanning various disciplines. Refusing to be bound to one creative style, David continually pushes the boundaries of experimentation and exploration. “I’ve never been interested in becoming known for a particular style,” he says. “I create unique pieces because there’s nothing I’m bound to other than experimenting, so I can keep pushing and trying new things. “You see it in nearly all artists as they progress in their careers; their style changes and becomes more adventurous and refined. “If anything, I’m becoming more confident in painting – and more confident in knowing when to stop.” David’s paintings reference urban life and the modern industrial world, while acknowledging nature’s beauty and surprise. He juxtaposes simple compositions with areas of layering and detail, relishing the “happy mistakes” made along the way. “I use nearly all mediums in my paintings,” he explains. “I usually define the composition in charcoal first, fill with acrylics, then add oils, and finesse with spraypaint, enamels, and anything I can get my hands on really.” Having been practising since 2004, David considers himself a “mid-career artist”. “I only became comfortable in calling myself an artist a few years ago. I honestly felt like I needed to earn it; like a trade, if you will. “I needed to prove to myself that I could commit, develop my art and continue to exhibit and show how far I’ve come.” After studying Special Art for five years in high school, David achieved his Fine Art Diploma at Perth TAFE. “Everything has humble beginnings,” he says. “I always wanted to become an artist,

but I didn’t have a story to tell. So, after my studies, I travelled as far as my dollar would take me. I absorbed the greater world; its colours and textures. I created memories from special places and experiences, all of which sit in waiting for the next canvas to be stretched.” Although David has worked from different studios over the years, he’s now settled in a friend’s empty building in White Gum Valley. “It’s close to my home, so when inspiration strikes, it’s only a quick drive to my paintbrushes. I’ve tried painting at home, but I’m too distracted.” David says he’s constantly adjusting to an ever-changing art market. “I’m trying to find new ways to get my art out there and hunt for exciting opportunities,” he says. When interviewed for this book, he had

just successfully tendered for a Percent for Art commission, which was to see him working with metal fabricators to create a sculpture, and had myriad collaborations and solo exhibitions looming, as well as private commissions and an exciting year-long art project with the Kings Square redevelopment in Fremantle. David has a long list of artists and mentors who influence him, including Brett Whitely, Albert Tucker, John Olsen, Macro Pariani, Joan Miro, Jean Michel Basquiat and Paddy Bedford. Travel continues to inspire him, and influence his unique, inspiring artworks: “I love being creative and able to respond to the urge to paint with confidence and commitment. And it makes me happy!” Visit spencertive.com 125

modernism has played a part in his evolution as an artist

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Artists of Perth

John Stribling

ohn Stribling’s work retains echoes of his previous career as a graphic artist, when he created many artworks for advertising studios, publications and promotional material. The vivid colour palette he uses and uncomplicated style make his works accessible and dynamic. “I took up full-time painting and exhibiting in 2002, and create my artworks in my Mount Hawthorn studio,” says John. At the time of writing, John was enjoying a hiatus from his painting career, using the time to catalogue and photograph his artworks prior to 2002. “I produce all the photography used as reference materials for my paintings,” he says. “I like to use the full range of the colour wheel, although I do tend towards the blues/greens of the palette. I avoid the use of black in my painting because I believe there is no such thing as pure black in nature.” John’s aim with his works was to produce individualistic works which didn’t particularly reference any one source, however he admits that modernism has played a part in his evolution as an artist.

“My influences from art history have been drawn in particular from Gaugin and the Fauves, and I also have an appreciation of pop artists from the 1950s and ’60s, comic book art and published illustrations.” Born in Subiaco, John has always lived in Western Australia but has travelled extensively through Asia, Europe and the USA.

“I love Perth’s leisurely-paced lifestyle, meeting and socialising with people,” he says. “The beaches – I’m a long-time surfer – bushland, cityscapes and towns of the South West region have been an inspiration to me.” John has received many local awards and is very happy he has been able to pursue a career as a full-time artist in what can be a notoriously unforgiving path to choose. “My proudest moment was winning first place in the Victoria Park Awards in 2003,” he says. “It was my first big win and the judge was John Stringer, a man I greatly admired for his art knowledge as the then curator of the Kerry Stokes collection.” Painting mostly on canvas, his distinctive style sets John’s work apart from most. “The technique of the simple colour box style is what I used because nobody at the time in the beginning of my art journey was using it,” he says. “I would hope that anyone seeing my art would recognise it as mine, though through the years I have used several patterning methods to break up large areas of solid colour.” He concentrates on depicting beauty as the main theme of his work, which, he believes can be found even in the “ugliest of situations”. “The bulk of my work included people’s activities and figures in the landscape, but after visiting galleries in Europe I was particularly taken by the portrayal of the human condition.” For John, the future continues to be as bright as his palette. “I’d like to continue producing artworks and perhaps find a gallery to represent my art without restricting me to any particular theme,” he says. Visit johnstribling.com.au 127

“feelings merge and become a reflection of experience”

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Artists of Perth

Belinda Tibay

or Belinda Tibay, the line between individual and artist is a blurred one. She views art as an integral element of her identity. “I think the definition of artist as a career is a misleading one,” she says. “Being ‘an artist’ was an integration within me before birth. This is who I am. My earliest memories are of collecting scraps of fabric and other discarded things like matchboxes and creating objects from these. “I would often win awards at school for art

projects and other creative endeavours.” Belinda initially studied commercial floristry, working briefly in the industry, but soon found it creatively confining – although she continues to decorate her home with floral arrangements to the present day. Then, while living on 100 acres of rainforest in Queensland, she explored jewellery-making, selling her handmade creations to local galleries. Eventually, however, it was visual art that captured her creative soul. “I’ve also explored music and dance at different times during my life, but have always come back to visual art,” she adds. Beginning with a Bachelor of Art from the

University of Northern Rivers Lismore, NSW, Belinda went on to complete a Diploma in Art Education. “At the present time I am expanding my areas of enquiry while immersing my curiosity with engagement in a Masters in Design and Art at Curtin University,” Belinda explains. As the founder of ARTistic Musings art classes, Belinda is able to share her passion and talent for visual art with students local to Fremantle. “My studio is situated at my abode, or should I say my abode has become my studio, and I currently have a studio space at Curtin also,” she says. Belinda describes her art as a particularly personal response to the natural environment, landscape, structure of the earth and manmade marks. “My interests began in the process of markmaking with the layering of medium similar to that of the evolution of the earth and art process,” she says. “Although my artwork still is processbased, over time it has evolved into an internal reflective journey. Through the love of books, thought and process mingle within that which is me as the discovery of something more is born, like an alchemist in her den.” Currently exploring painting in the expanded field, Belinda is also fond of oil paint on linen, as well as the medium of photography to collect memories. She draws inspiration from artists such as Anselm Kiefer, the contemporary installations of Mariko Mori, Olafur Eliasson and Bill Viola, and the writing and lectures of Timothy Morton. “Time, memory and place – where people gather, such as the beach at sunset – and how such a visit embodies the collective and singular experience, simultaneously occupy my fascinations also,” she says. Through her art, Belinda captures atmospheric feelings evoked from a deep space within. “I do not see the process of ‘being an artist’ as separate from anything else I do,” she says. “I love the soothing quiet of contemplation and the merging of materials upon materials as feelings merge and become a reflection of experience.” Visit belindatibay.com.au 129

the forest continues to exert its own special power over her work

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Artists of Perth

Monique Tippett

childhood spent “banging around with hammers and sharp tools” in her grandfather’s back shed was a precursor for Monique Tippett’s future career as an artist working primarily with timber as her canvas. “The artist’s life didn’t really start until around the birth of my first child,” she says. “I began making hand-decorated timber artwork and homewares, selling them at markets around town.” Monique joined the Australian School of Fine Wood in Dwellingup in 2000, completing a two-year diploma and moving her family to the beautiful forested region about 100km from Perth shortly afterwards. “It was a whirlwind tree change, a big leap of faith,” she says. “I realised that although making and selling high-end fine furniture wasn’t my path, visual art was my future.” Living in the forest has clearly worked its magic. As an established, award-winning artist, Monique continues to put timber first in the majority of her works, whether it’s a public art commission or a collection for an exhibition. “I use species that are endemic to Western

Australia, as this brings a real connection to my themes and subject matter – the forests of the South West,” she says. Keen to explore the richness of timber in all its forms, when interviewed for this book, Monique was playing around with bark forms, using timber veneer that’s stripped up then reglued over forms in a vacuum press. “There’s lots of potential with this method and I’m excited to see where it takes me,” she says. Monique also explores other mediums laid on top of her timber canvas: “I apply acrylic paint and inks to the surface, and I’ll apply layers of lacquer in geometric and linear patterns which are reflective, creating a real sense of movement over the surface as you move past the works.” She adds that she has rediscovered the joys of “getting messy” with Balga resin. Monique also uses gold, silver and copper leaf, as well as graphite and charcoal and flame, to scorch a surface. “This creates an intriguing, organic chequered pattern across the surface, a direct response to fire in the landscape,” she says. “Every summer, fire is never far from my mind – it’s part of the forest and some of my works are quite dark because of it. Dark but powerful and beautiful, like the forest itself.”

Living in the forest, half way between Perth and the South West, Monique believes she straddles both the urban and rural worlds. “The forest is my place, and it spans a large area from Perth to the south coast,” she says. “I do sometimes miss the vibrancy and convenience of the city, but a glance over the dam at the last line of sunlight creeping up to crown the canopy on a nearby hill soon dispels any longing I may have for the big city.” Monique is not immune to the city exerting an influence on her work when appropriate, however. One of her works, completed with Pavel Perina – Embraced, in the Perth Children’s Hospital – was a direct response to the views of Kings Park through the wall of windows in the Northern Winter Garden where the sculpture stands. Mostly, however, the forest continues to exert its own special power over her work. “When I was a kid I was fascinated by hollow logs and cracks in trees that you could hide in or walk through,” she says. “I imagined them as magic portals to other worlds and I got lost in stepping through them in flights of imagination. “I feel like I’m going to look for some portals to step through.” Visit moniquetippett.com 131

For Joie, art is a reflection of both the artist and the viewer

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Artists of Perth

Joie Villeneuve

oie Villeneuve describes art as her “soul work”, a deep calling inspired by beauty, poetry, love, silence and the sound within silence. “I’m inspired by so many things in the natural world as well as the imagined worlds beyond physical reality; the esoteric,” Joie explains. “Researching a bird, a plant or tree and what’s happening inside of me at that exact moment in time could send me up a staircase of inspiration that lasts years.” For Joie, art is a reflection of both the artist and the viewer. “Your reaction and response shows you where you are and who you are,” she says. “Art provides solitude and meaning in a noisy world. It blocks the noise out by delving into the process of making art and imbibing in another realm. “It creates a space that allows for and brings some tranquillity and quiet so I can get in touch with what wants to come through me.” Joie believes she has always been an artist, making the decision after graduating from art school to devote her energy to creating. “It came to me as an opportunity that I could make ‘functional fine craft’ to make ends meet, instead of an unrelated job, and do my ‘soul work’ in my own time, for myself, without expectation of making a living from it,” she says. Joie works from a renovated studio behind her home in Wembley, which thrills and inspires her. “It is by far the best space I’ve ever had the opportunity to create from,” she beams. “It has the best natural light, a garden out the French doors, crisp white walls, excellent lighting and organisation. It’s a dream come true!” Joie considers herself a lifelong learner, constantly studying and researching to evolve her understanding and viewpoint. She earned a BFA degree from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1991, and has had regular

exhibitions both in Australia and the US. Her work has progressed and evolved over the decades, from feminist political statements in the 1990s to expressing a multi-dimensional inner experience through mixed media. “There is a growing sense that the older I get, the more introspective, sincere and honest the work is becoming,” she says. “Personal symbols, iconography and metaphors are popping up more and more in the work and there is this calmness coupled with an inner sound permeating the surface. “At the moment, I can’t stay away from the fact that light and sculptural doors and openings are wanting to merge with the painted surface. It makes sense because right now my life as I experience it is not contained within one nice neat square or rectangle. It’s interesting to see the symbols and metaphors spilling out from the flat surface.” Although widely viewed as a mixed-media artist, Joie feels like a painter at heart. “I see, feel and think like a painter. I do enjoy working with mixed media and combining that with paint. In fact, they are all needed at the moment to express where I’m at: painting, printmaking, sculpture, sewing, wood, wire, metal, found and natural objects.” Joie considers it a great responsibility to be

an artist. “One reason I make art is to express something inside more deeply and fully in a way that words just can’t come close to,” she says. “I truly believe art has the power to touch the deepest parts of ourselves. It has the power to make great change within our world.” Visit joiev.com or facebook.com/atelierdejoie/ 133

“Fantastic realism is my signature work, which allows me to tell the story and express my ideas and beliefs in an interesting and creative way” 134

Artists of Perth

Jana Vodesil-Baruffi

rom her childhood in Czechoslovakia, through her studies as an interior designer, and into her present artistic career in Western Australia, Jana Vodesil-Baruffi has been continually painting and creating. Emigrating to WA in 1981, Jana’s first exhibition was held in 1984, followed by many group exhibitions and participation in various art awards. “In 1988 I won first prize in both the City of Melville Art Award and the Bicentennial Art Award in York. In 1989, I held a large solo exhibition at the Gomboc Gallery,” she says. Following these achievements, Jana began her business – Jana’s Interiors – painting murals and trompe l’oeils, and creating marbling, stone and other decorative finishes in some of the most prestigious residential and commercial buildings in Perth, Singapore and Europe. In 2001, she became a freelance artist, sharing her knowledge through teaching, and, in 2005, she held another solo exhibition. In 2006 she won the City of Canning Art Award, becoming a finalist in the Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award, as well as the People’s Choice Award in the Black Swan Portrait Prize. That same year, Jana held a solo exhibition called Life, Death and in Between and, in 2008, held another solo exhibition at Linton and Kay Fine Art Gallery. “In 2009, I took a year to paint and exhibit in Italy, where I had a solo exhibition in Arezzo and participated in several group exhibitions,” she says. “A year later I participated in a group exhibition in New York and held another solo exhibition in Fremantle.” In 2011, Jana began the greatest portraiture project ever undertaken in WA. She took on a challenge to paint the portraits of 50 outstanding women of Western Australia, with the object to complete the portraits within a year and then to exhibit them around WA in celebration of the enormous contribution made by the subjects to our society. Titled Permanent Impressions, the project was also a fundraiser for The Leukaemia Foundation. The portraits were immortalised in

an award-winning book of the same name. In 2014, Jana launched the Contemporary Australian Surrealists movement. The movement held four group exhibitions of its members, in 2014, 2015 and 2016 in Perth, and in Melbourne in 2017. “I am a member of WA Portrait Group and participated in three collective exhibitions in January 2015, 2016 and 2017,” she adds. In November 2017, she won the $50,000 Black Swan Prize for Portraiture for her work Black Swan, a confronting double-portrait of her neighbour, Paige Antoinette Heal. Jana’s artistic work can be divided into three categories: fantastic realism, portraits, and visual dairies, which includes the paintings from her extensive travels. “Fantastic realism is my signature work,

which allows me to tell the story and express my ideas and beliefs in an interesting and creative way,” she says. When interviewed, Jana, who works from both her studio in Willetton and the Metamorphosis Art Gallery in the suburb’s Yampi Way, was working on two new collections: her fantastic realism paintings inspired by the book Half the Sky, which she hopes will bring attention to the modern slavery and oppression of women and girls in the developing world, and a series of paintings and impressions from her travels in the Kimberley region. “When I paint I am truly happy and at peace,” she says. Visit janavodesil.com and metamorphosisartgallery.com 135

Art Images

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Artists of Perth

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“The abstract geometric forms that emerge are imbued with the mathematics of the universe.” 138

Artists of Perth

Virginia Ward

irginia Ward had one of the most valuable childhoods for an artist, embarking on a tour of every European cathedral, art gallery and museum at the age of 10. Always in the art room at school, her teachers were in agreement: she must go to art school. A diploma at Claremont Technical College majoring in sculpture with a focus on metalwork and casting followed and, during this time, Virginia began to explore the potential of materials while also receiving a grounding in the casting process. She completed a degree in sculpture at Curtin University, further stoking her passion for creation and form. A year in London found her working in Anthony Gormley’s studio, using the offcuts given by him, Anish Kapor and others to make her work, War Toys: A World Series. “I created countries and continents, constructed then covered with the lead offcuts apparently riveted like an old armoured tank with wheels,” she says. A talent for fossicking - and creating something new out of the old - continued during her Masters at the Victorian College of Art. “Melbourne was full of factory offcuts and discards, colourful plastic bobbins to make giant snakes, taking the grills off bar heaters to make a Beefeater costume,” she says. “So many wonderful things I used to explore the meaning of materials and the power of multiplicity.” Back in Perth, Virginia wrote the sculpture program for Curtin’s online course, on the Model and the Multiple, and her work ended up being used in the secondary school’s curriculum. As a caretaker at the Old Peninsula Hotel (with the added bonus of studios), she picked through old junkyards, packed with treasure. “There was stuff from the war, as well as 1950s hairdryers that looked like something out of The Jetsons, Victoriana and art deco-style object d’art.” Using these components and organic materials, she created plaster piece moulds and then wax multiples to create conglomerated forms.

“I cast these in bronze and initially built quasi-symbolic meaning into them. But paring back, I moved away from any representational reference and was left with fragments of an unrealised object, an archaeologicalstyle ‘bronze lump’. It had a new identity, undecipherable relics of a post-apocalyptic world, where objects had randomly melted together creating no particular meaning, a mish-mash of iconography.” At her studio in Mosman Park, Virginia continues to work with discards and offcuts. “These materials have no value, and signify no thing,” she says. “Through using these materials, I am able to explore the emergence of this no thing as some thing in time and space.” One project exemplified this exploration of the ‘no thing’, with Not Chairs, as well as Not Instruments and Not Frames. “Offcuts from the chair factory arrive rough, some are distorted and are not finished,” says

Virginia. “The abstract geometric forms that emerge are imbued with the mathematics of the universe.” Similarly, offcuts from a luthier (a stringed instrument maker, Scott Wise) are even more abstract and baroque, an echo of the music they’ll never play, while the picture framer’s offcuts are “full of rhetoric”. A doctoral project entitled Art With Meaning saw Virginia rework art from charity shops, adding words and other forms, signing her name next to the original artist’s signature, and returning the work to the shops. “Art With Meaning is a conceptual work, the object is no longer the outcome,” she says. “It is performative, a story told of what the artist and I did.” Much of Virginia’s work can be seen at the Art Gallery of WA and in private collections, and she was the second WA artist to exhibit in the Sydney Biennale. Visit virginiaward.net 139

norm can't imagine life without creativity so it's no surprise his entire working life has been dedicated to this task

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Artists of Perth

Norm Wilson

rowing up along the wild coastline of New Zealand, it was perhaps inevitable that Norm Wilson would draw on this dramatic landscape for inspiration once he fully gave himself to his art. “I lived in a small seaside village north of Wellington between rolling hills and seas,” says Norm. “This is where my affinity with trees, hills and the ocean springs from.” Arriving in Australia in his early 20s to visit friends in Perth, like so many he had “no intention of staying” but did just that, and has since lived in Western Australia for most of his life. Now based in Mandurah, Norm happily splits his time between painting in plein air, to capture the freshness of a scene, and in the studio from his own reference of photos, including many images of clouds and sky. He says he cannot imagine life without creativity, so it’s no surprise his entire working life has been dedicated to this task. “I have worked in the creative industry all my life, first as a visualiser, graphic designer, art director

and photographic art director,” says Norm. After a successful career in marketing, co-founding one of Perth’s most respected advertising agencies, it’s only since 2007 that he has returned to his love of painting. It’s been a gilded return in many ways, with his recurring themes of the marine coastline winning many admirers from the very first time he exhibited his work in 2010. “I had a solo exhibition in Margaret River in 2013 and the resulting sales encouraged me to exhibit more,” he says. “I have won and been a finalist in many art awards, that is always very satisfying.”

The technique he uses to bring his meticulously created impressionistic paintings to life reflects an approach that David Hockney describes when explaining how the image on canvas is adapted from reality. “As David says, ‘I’ll take an image and chop it up and move it closer and I’ll take a telephoto image of the view in the background and pull it closer to give much more of a feeling of being in the space’,” says Norm. Applying the discipline he employed as a graphic artist, his work reflects this rigour, with hard lines and a vibrant colour palette mostly in acrylic and occasionally oils. Meanwhile his photographic art director’s eye helps capture the best out of any landscape, especially the quality and strength of shadows which give light and colour to all his paintings. “I first up-design my painting and begin with a carefully worked out image on paper and then sketch out the composition in charcoal on to the canvas,” he says. “Then I do an underpainting in burnt sienna covering the whole canvas. I allow myself creative licence to alter parts of the landscape to make sure it is pleasing to the eye.” Norm admits his style evolves with each painting, bringing out a slight difference in technique in each one. He says his primary aim is to create engaging work. “Rick Amor is one of my favourite Australian artists and his print work inspires me to try and develop my skills in that area,” says Norm. “Both Edward Hopper and Jeffrey Smart are painters that also inspire me, their paintings are so engaging.” A finalist in the Perth Royal Art Prize with his work Living the Dream, Naval Base Australia Day 2017, Norm exhibits regularly in group exhibitions. “Although my main subject focus is the south west of WA ,which I’m passionate about, I’d like to explore the Great Southern region and the north west too,” he says. Visit facebook.com/pg/normwilsonart 141

“It’s very seductive. Glass seems to bring together two of my great loves: printmaking and typography”

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Jill Yelland

espite a lifetime of creativity, it is only since 2003 that acclaimed glass designer and serigrapher Jill Yelland has pursued her vocation. Born in WA to a mining and pastoralist family, Jill studied graphic design at Curtin University, then WAIT, before completing her Masters at the prestigious School of Design in Basel, Switzerland. After working in Melbourne and overseas, Jill returned to Perth, setting up her own graphic design business, alongside lecturing and making screenprints for the mining industry. The turning point in her career came in 2003, when Jill “discovered” glass at the National Glass Conference, and was exposed for the first time to renowned glass artists from Europe, US and Australia. “It’s very seductive. Glass seems to bring together two of my great loves: printmaking and typography,” Jill says. “With my printmaking, I always wanted to

focus on colour, texture and depth. With glass, I found it was easier to achieve this, and tell the story. Glass pulled the elements of graphic and printmaking together.” Encouraged by her success with the medium, Jill embarked on one-day workshops – both in Perth and interstate – before heading to Portland, Oregon, for the biannual Bullseye Glass international kiln-glass conference. So inspired was Jill by this celebration of kiln-formed glass that she attends regularly, relishing the opportunity to be at the forefront of innovations in the field, and to swap ideas with the best in the industry. “There have been huge changes just in the years that I’ve been working with glass,” Jill explains. “Driven by people who want to paint with glass, Bullseye have developed powdered glass, which I’ve loved experimenting with. “It’s quite a bit lighter, but you can mix colours. You can even mix it with a gel and get really sculptural finishes on the top and on the back of the glass.” In 2013, Jill was invited to attend a kilnformed glass residency, led by Richard Parrish and Steve Klein, at the famous Pilchuck School

of Glass, Stanwood, Washington State. She’s also studied with some of the world’s best and most renowned glass artists, in Europe, US and Australia, including Narcissus Quagliata from Mexico, Rudi Gritsch from Austria, Bob Leatherbarrow from Canada, Judi Elliott from Australia, Judy Tuwaletstiwa from the USA and Cristina Zanotti from Germany. Despite her international influences, it’s the outback that inspires Jill’s work. “My mother’s family were on the land in the Kimberley and in the Murchison,” she says. “All I wanted to do when I first graduated was get to Europe, but I keep coming back now. “Because of that, I use a lot of reds and bold colours in my work, which is where I’m happiest.” At the time of writing, Jill was developing a Gondwana series, although she admitted it was still a kernel of an idea. Research is a huge part of Jill’s work – something that was instilled in her when she studied in Switzerland. “If you’ve got a more in-depth knowledge you can dismiss the junk mentally and move on to the next level,” she says. Visit designmergers.com.au 143

There’s a beauty in the geometric, obtuse angles Alister’s work displays

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Alister Yiap

f you’ve been lucky enough to take the elevator up to the Crystal Club floor in Perth’s Crown Towers hotel, you’ll have seen the giant mirror installations that give the luxury space its name. Encroaching crystals gradually growing over the surface of the glass fracture and reflect light in a beautiful way – they seem almost organic. Created by Alister Yiap, who moved to Perth with his family at the age of two, it’s an example of his work that mines the rich inspiration of fine and precious metals, gemstones and mathematics. “I work across a few different disciplines and a broad range of mediums, but typically work in the area of jewellery, object design and

installations with a broad range of materials including precious and semi-precious gemstones and steel,” he says. Alister is an artist who adorns even the most unlikely objects in shimmering materials. “After working on the Cow Parade in Perth, where I covered a cow completely in metallic silver and gold mosaic facets, I put forward a proposal for The Big Splash, carrying out the same patterning on a dolphin, appropriately named Silver Surfer,” says Alister. An innovative creator, Alister is keen to add to his skillset – 2017 saw him enrolling in a sculpture welding course, as well as a resin workshop “just for the kicks”. There’s a beauty in the geometric, obtuse angles Alister’s work displays, as crystalline patterns merge and jut against each other. “It’s a strong signature of my design style,” he says. “I’m always pushing the boundaries of

geometry to create designs and artworks.” Perhaps this freedom to explore mathematically challenging directions is, in part, down to Perth’s geographical isolation. “I feel that the isolation of Perth is a bonus; we have no preconceptions or traditions which prohibit the exploration of ideas and forms,” he says. The city’s modern tradition of investing in urban artworks ensures there’s a great opportunity for artists like Alister to directly impact the landscape of the CBD. “There is a huge potential for growth,” he says. “There are opportunities to shape the physical landscape of the city through art, thanks to the mix of modern and heritagelisted architecture, a dialogue’s created around the striking contrast.” In addition to his larger-scale work, Alister is also a much-coveted jewellery designer – his work can be found in the Art Gallery of WA and the Fremantle Arts Centre, among others. He was awarded the WA Young Achievers Award in the Art and Fashion Category and was a top 10 finalist for the Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards. “I also won the commission to design the Keys to the City for the City of Perth, which was a very prestigious honour,” he says, Although Alister believes his style has remained fairly constant, what has changed over the years is the scale of his works. Having created jewellery lines for the fashion runway, his work now embraces public art. “My use of materials and scale has expanded,” he says. “There’s a definite level of refinement which perhaps isn’t obvious from the outside but in terms of my process and understanding of standards integrated into my work, I’m more confident about my designs.” Alister’s inspiration always returns to geometry and its ancient laws and challenges. “I love geometric lines and how they can translate into seamless shapes,” he says. “I’m often trying to standardise measurements and understand the structures behind a curve.” New materials and processes are always on his mind too. “I’m looking to explore this idea of mathematics behind design, or creating visual movment, optical illusions or perceived 3D form,” he says. Visit alisteryiap.com.au 145

He says he has gone for a wild ride while holding the reins of intuition

This page: 1. Beetle Paridice; 2. Breakaway; 3. Underground Rider; 4. Leisure; 5. Seeking Knowledge; 6. Margaret River; 7. Farmer’s Son; 8. the Actress. Opposite page: 9. Len with sculpture of Betty; 10. The Inspiration Grid; 11. Native Garden

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Len Zuks

ll his life, Len Zuks has been compelled by mysterious forces to paint and sculpt. He says he has gone for a wild ride while holding the reins of intuition. The result is the most personally satisfying spectrum of work, from the young naive exponent struggling to discover and master the processes, to being sublimely and effortlessly creative in both metal and pigment. Len exhibited in the Venice Biennale 2017 and saw this as an approval and reward of his lifelong efforts. Art is the thread weaving Len’s life together. Meeting like-minds from many countries, the lessons from failures and the growth of wisdom through these trials have made his sculptures and paintings the fruit of his endeavours, resulting in a bourgeoning contentment of having done it his way. Len has left tangible footprints in many countries. The exchange of cultures and ideas in associated workshops and exhibitions in national museums and galleries such as Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, China, Latvia and Italy indicated to him that, despite the diversity of

culture, countries, languages and distance, the drive, ambition, products and style are the same for all artists. The compulsion and need to make tangible and inspired thought through capable and responsive hands is of the same magnitude for all the creative people Len has met. He has discovered the honour of being part of this international troupe. As the Australian President of MEADOWS (Mediterranean Endeavours Advancing Development of Worldwide Sustainability), Len has been instrumental in inviting artists to join this movement including children whose work was hung in Sochi and Barcelona exhibitions. Being a contributing member of MEADOWS gives him immediate access to exhibit in most countries; the latest being in Miami, USA. Len says being part of this international organisation shows acceptance as an artist and a person. Carl Jung once said that, “you will never be totally happy as an adult unless you bring into your adult life joyous things you did as a child”. Len’s family was not well off and he was pushed to make his own fun. He would go to the local tip and find disregarded objects and fashion them into exciting things.

As an adult artist he goes to industrial bins and accesses disregarded steel and gives it a new regard through inspiration and manual effort. The resultant sculptures are all over the world. Such was the seamless move from joyous childhood to ridiculously content artist of today. Over many years, Len has won numerous awards in both painting and sculpture, including the inaugural Gomboc Gallery Sculpture award. In WA, Len has exhibited at Stafford Studios, Red Umbrella, Gomboc Gallery and Margaret River Gallery. Len has also been commissioned to create a number of public sculptures, including those at Karratha Airport, Ascot Waters, Boddington, Marradong, Wandering and Point Samson and a series of sculptures for the Byford Street Art Project. Len was born in Dwellingup to a Latvian father and Ukrainian mother. As an artist and sculptor, Len has met with much success and acclaim over many years in his chosen discipline. He was honoured with a Chancellor’s Medal for services to the University of Western Australia and is also an Honorary Fellow in Physics at the University of Western Australia. Visit lenzuks.com 147

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David Giles Art Galleries

aybe because David Giles is an artist himself, the last thing you’ll feel when when you visit either of his galleries – The David Giles Art Gallery or Studio Eleven – is intimidated or unwelcome. “Gallery staff, who are all volunteer artists, are great and very knowledgeable about our artists and art in general,” says David. “We try not to be aloof and offer a friendly and inviting space for people to enjoy engaging with our artists’ works.” The David Giles Art Gallery has been showcasing local artists’ work since 2010 and, at the time of writing, was exhibiting the work of 20 Western Australian artists including Ben Sherar, Greg Isaac, Olena Bloomfield, George Hayward, Gai Harley, Eric Dossetter, Lynne Tinley and Britt March, as well as David himself. Studio Eleven meanwhile is part of the City of Fremantle Bathers Beach Arts Precinct. “There are eight artists in residence with

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“We try not to be aloof and offer a friendly and inviting space for people to enjoy engaging with our artists’ works.”

each resident having a room to work in and display and sell their art,” says David. The artists in residence are Ross Calnan, Ingrid Holm, Karen Neville, Alyssa Kanitsch, Liz Cooper, Carol-Ann Huging, Gai Harley and David himself. There’s also the chance to hone your artistic skills as Studio Eleven is home to David’s art school, the Freedom School of Painting. “I run eight-week art classes which are open to everyone from complete beginners to exhibiting artists,” he says. “There’s a focus on connecting with the students’ inner creative self and authentic expression. Literally hundreds of participants have gone on to become exhibiting artists with dozens becoming award-winning artists. One of my current students won her first award just recently at the South Perth Art Awards.” As it is a retail gallery, the team at David Giles Art Gallery change things around every

month, replacing works that have been sold with new pieces. “Visitors can expect to see a wide variety of work with a big range of prices catering to every budget,” says David. “We have many first-time art buyers and in fact have started many people on the path to becoming art collectors, with many buyers returning to buy more work.” This is in no small part thanks to the fact that the gallery stocks affordable art, with many large works under $1,000 and smaller works from as little as $200. “As the gallery is staffed by the artists, visitors can also expect to meet one of the artists and talk to them about their work,” says David. Studio Eleven displays new work every week, and also has a wide range of price points, with jewellery and craft items also available for sale. Visitors can again expect to meet the artists and often see them working, which adds to the

experience of investing in art, making it a much more personal interaction than is perhaps often the case at galleries. David, who enjoys mentoring all his artists and providing opportunities to further their careers, is pleased to see his businesses grow and thrive. “We continue to sell more and more to interstate and overseas visitors,” he says. “Art galleries are unique spaces, but running one is like any other business. I don’t enjoy doing my GST, but it’s all work that has to be done. Many visitors to art galleries are artists and we accept that as part of the community service an art gallery provides. We have many return visitors who love to come and see the latest offerings.” THE DAVID GILES ART GALLERY, 49B High St, Fremantle and STUDIO ELEVEN ART GALLERY, 11 Captains Lane, Fremantle. Visit davidgilesartgallery.com 151

jahroc Galleries

t’s almost as if the site of Jahroc Galleries, at the entrance to the Margaret River township, was always meant to be a gallery. Originally established as one in the 1980s by a local collective of artists, the current incarnation still enjoys its prime position near the river, with the beautiful karri forest as its backdrop. In a wonderful example of the area’s artistic continuity, some of those original artists who opened the gallery were still exhibiting their work at Jahroc nearly four decades later. The gallery is owned by Lara and Gary Bennett and Joanne and David Paris, who bought the property in 2002 and made extensive renovations, adding a contemporary central pavilion and creating a massive space with three separate gallery areas, plus outdoor sculpture gardens. The Jahroc team have been in the furniture and art gallery business for three decades (in Perth, York and Margaret River), and the

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JAHROC IS WIDELY KNOWN FOR ITS DIVERSE ART REPRESENTATION AND ITS CUTTING EDGE FURNITURE DESIGNS

passion continues with new artists selectively added to their stable and an ever evolving furniture design catalogue constantly hitting the gallery floor. “We present a diverse collection in our galleries, made up of local Margaret River, Perth, regional Western Australian and Eastern States artists,” says Joanne. “We’re constantly changing the paintings, artworks and furniture on display creating an exciting and dynamic experience for first-time and repeat clientele. Many who visit our gallery are international travellers, and this broad Australian representation is very appealing.” On average, the Jahroc team curates six major exhibitions a year in their central pavilion, while, at the same time, all their artists are showcased in the remaining areas of the gallery. “We have an advantage in enjoying such a large professional gallery space – it’s a great bonus for all our artists who enjoy year-round exposure,” says Joanne. Never afraid to try new approaches to introducing art to their visitors, their unique

collaborative exhibitions of designer furniture and art have proved highly successful. They have teamed with artists such as Shaun Atkinson and Larry Mitchell showcasing iconic areas such as the Margaret River region, West Kimberley and the Abrolhos Islands. “Yes, the landscape has changed considerably,” says Joanne. “In particular the winter months were often very quiet but these days, we don’t have a quiet time at all. The tourism industry here is flourishing with a full calendar of events in all seasons. “Our visitors enjoy being able to peruse the diverse showcase of locally made designer furniture and artworks from our large stable of artists all in one location, an important consideration when they may only be in the region for a short stay.” The changing face of art in the region is reflected in the type of works that prove popular with Jahroc’s clients. “Our clientele has developed a much wider appreciation across all artistic genres,” says Joanne. “Seascapes reigned supreme for many

years and, while still popular, clients now appreciate a broader collection.” Many art buyers are, she adds, extremely well educated and demand high quality, professional artworks. Jahroc Galleries is also well known for its unique collection of one-off furniture designs made by their own Jahroc Furniture team, owners Gary and David. “Our unique furniture is displayed alongside artworks in the gallery, making it easy for our clients to visualise how these could work in their own home,” says Joanne. Jahroc Galleries is a one-stop gallery destination in the Margaret River region with many of their clients describing their visit as a “feast for the soul” says Joanne. “Our goal is to give every visitor an awesome experience that will keep them pondering long after they leave and we are constantly driven to achieve this,” she says. JAHROC GALLERY, 83 Bussell Hwy, Maragret River. Visit jahroc.com.au 153

Gallery Intro

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Index Artists Jillt Bryant.......................................................................................................................................................... 22 Fiona Buchanan............................................................................................................................................ 24 Mikaela Castledine..................................................................................................................................... 26 Sheryl Chant.................................................................................................................................................... 28 Jillian & Peteris Ciemitis........................................................................................................................ 30 Claire Davenhall............................................................................................................................................ 32 Rob Davis........................................................................................................................................................... 34 Ian de Souza.................................................................................................................................................... 36 Stephen Delaney.......................................................................................................................................... 38 Tony Docherty................................................................................................................................................40 Joanne Duffy.................................................................................................................................................... 42 Lyn Franke.........................................................................................................................................................44 Karen Frankel..................................................................................................................................................46 Anne Gee............................................................................................................................................................ 48 David Giles........................................................................................................................................................ 50 Tracey Harvey................................................................................................................................................. 52 Graham Hay..................................................................................................................................................... 54 Matt Hayes....................................................................................................................................................... 56 Gabriela Himstedt...................................................................................................................................... 58 Jessica Holliday.............................................................................................................................................60 Magda Joubert............................................................................................................................................... 62 Rowena Keall Walsh..................................................................................................................................64 Jillian Kurz.......................................................................................................................................................... 66 Mia Laing............................................................................................................................................................ 68 Vania Lawson.................................................................................................................................................. 70 Sue Leeming.................................................................................................................................................... 72 Vanessa Liebenberg.................................................................................................................................. 74 Marina Lommerse...................................................................................................................................... 76 Felicia Lowe...................................................................................................................................................... 78 Tim Macfarlane Reid................................................................................................................................80 Aliesha Mafrici............................................................................................................................................... 82 Narelle Manser-Smith............................................................................................................................. 84 Kim Maple.......................................................................................................................................................... 86

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Christopher McClelland......................................................................................................................... 88 Clare McFarlane...........................................................................................................................................90 Jane McKay....................................................................................................................................................... 92 Lyn Merrington..............................................................................................................................................94 Britt Mikkelsen...............................................................................................................................................96 Peta Miller......................................................................................................................................................... 98 Jan Mullen.......................................................................................................................................................100 Roslyn Nolan................................................................................................................................................ 102 Margie Oldfield........................................................................................................................................... 104 Irene Osborne.............................................................................................................................................. 106 Tony Pankiw.................................................................................................................................................. 108 Johannes Pannekoek.............................................................................................................................. 110 Roger Reading..............................................................................................................................................112 Jeannette Rein..............................................................................................................................................114 Susan Respinger.........................................................................................................................................116 Angela Rossen..............................................................................................................................................118 Carol Rowling............................................................................................................................................... 120 Olivia Samec................................................................................................................................................. 122 David Spencer............................................................................................................................................. 124 John Stribling................................................................................................................................................ 126 Bellinda Tibay.............................................................................................................................................. 128 Monique Tippett........................................................................................................................................ 130 Joie Villeneuve............................................................................................................................................. 132 Jana Vodesil-Baruffi................................................................................................................................ 134 Virginia Ward................................................................................................................................................ 138 Norm Wilson................................................................................................................................................ 140 Jill Yelland........................................................................................................................................................ 142 Alister Yiap..................................................................................................................................................... 144 Len Zuks........................................................................................................................................................... 146

Galleries David Giles Art Galleries..................................................................................................................... 150 Jahroc Galleries...........................................................................................................................................152

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acknowledgements It feels like time has zipped past in an instant since the last time I wrote a page of acknowledgements in October 2016, and many of those I’ll mention are the same as those I thanked profusely after the first book, Artists of the Margaret River Region. This book has presented its own special challenges, often to the same people who astonished me with their efforts last time around, so forgive me as I once again doff my cap at the following people who stepped up to do it all over again. To Cally Browning, art director, owner of Primo Dog, courageous sailor - for her endless patience in the face of sometimes overwhelming stress levels. For her many late nights when that pile of work never seemed to diminish, no matter how many hours she toiled in front of her big computer screen. Please never decide to pursue a new career, or if you do, at least leave a forwarding address. To Lisa Shearon, co-author, for your gallows humour, excellent T-shirt game and eagerness to be part of something which just a few months ago seemed like a pipe dream, conjured up over a pot of green tea in a cafe in Northbridge. To the photographic team at Crib Creative - Sebastian Mrugalski and Chris Buccilli - for producing some truly beautiful portraits and studio images which elevate the book to something approaching a work of art in itself. The number of times the artists commented on how painless the photographic part of the experience was, I’m certain, thanks to you two and your friendly attitudes. To Steve Larcombe of Vanguard Press, for believing in me and giving me the chance to showcase Perth’s artists - and as a result, allowing us to keep the printing of the book (and indeed its entire genesis and production) based solely here in Western Australia. Perhaps most importantly, thank you to this particular collection of artists from the city I now call home. I’ve loved getting to know all your individual skills, achievements and aspirations for the future. The images of your work which populate the book’s pages make me wish I could spend the children’s inheritance on your paintings, sculptures, glassware and installations. Finally to Matthew, the ever-loyal, so tolerant of my ups and downs Mr Mills, and the children who occasionally saw me popping my head above the parapet - Henry, Felix, Sam, Daisy and Oliver. You’re my favourite half dozen people in the whole world. Thank you all for helping me bring this beautiful book into the world. Gabi Mills, co-author and editor

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notes

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Discover over 60 artists and galleries in Artists of Perth. The book captures these creators at work in their studios and homes, and reveals their inspirations, achievements and aspirations for the future.

ISBN 978-0-9946331-1-8

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