FOR INSPIRATIONOne Space

Studio One Noosa offers an inspiring, virtual showcase of established and emerging artists where fine art prints and original work are just one mouseclick away. Georgia Beard reveals the creatives behind this online gallery and their vision for presenting local artists to the world.

When Juanita Van Den Bergh and Richard Donelly welcome me into their home studio at Peregian Beach, my gaze is drawn instantly to eruptions of colour and pattern on every wall.

Natural hues coalesce on Juanita’s many canvases, finding synergy in her abstract works. Nature-inspired originals and fine art prints by other local artists decorate the same space – an all-in-one gallery, photography studio and printing workshop.

This is the base of operations for Studio One Noosa, the online hub for showcasing and distributing exclusive collections of local art.

With Richard’s background in photography and printing, the couple launched the online gallery a year ago to provide Juanita’s original artwork broader exposure.

“Within 24 hours of posting our art collection online, we had our first sale,” she said. “That was very encouraging so we took that by the horns and decided we were going to make this happen!”

Juanita’s artistic career followed years of experience renovating houses and designing interiors in Noosa.

When she sought canvases to finish off her homes, she didn’t hunt for the pieces she wanted – she painted them!

Now, her nature-inspired abstracts are the showpieces of Studio One Noosa – and they all come to life in her dining room which doubles as an art studio.

Juanita’s creative approach is rich with improvisation and self-expression. In recent years, her fascination with the chemistry of colour sparked spontaneously after a period hiding in the safety of black and white.

Starting with the background, she drags countless layers of colour over the canvas and encourages different paint opacities. Mixed with chemicals, each movement causes the paint to dissolve, bubble and blend into fluid shapes.

“With the weight of the paint, colours will break through. They might mix with white and turn pastel or they’ll stay true and strong,” she said.

“I’m partial to a few colours such as magenta; a green-gold; a dark, midnight blue; red and an ochre palette.

“White is the main play colour that creates all the different hues within the painting. By layering the paint differently, I get different results.”

When she steps back to see the finished piece, the meaning within the abstract takes shape – a landscape at sunrise; a churning ocean; a garden in bloom.

Every buyer sees something different in her artwork.

Whether they develop an emotional connection or find it suits their tastes, Juanita believes her art should jump out from their space with a dynamic statement.

As the Studio One Noosa collection continues to evolve, Juanita and Richard have created the opportunity for other local artists to offer original works or print reproductions to the world.

The idea surfaced after Juanita exhibited her work in Noosa Open Studios 2022 and discovered local artists were experiencing the same lack of opportunity she had experienced.

“We saw the need for this sort of online presence in Noosa because there didn’t appear to be any on-demand printing or in-house printing on a smaller scale, just for local artists,” Richard said.

When selecting artwork, Juanita and Richard seek pieces that offer a goosebump-inducing experience while allowing a cross-section of styles and subjects to suit everyone’s tastes.

After an interview process, they collaborate with the artist to decide whether they want to offer originals or fine art prints - or both.

Once the artist is on board, the dynamic duo at Studio One Noosa take care of the complete process –professionally photographing the artwork, listing and marketing it online, printing it on archival canvas or cotton rag paper, stretching and framing the prints and organising delivery and tracking.

Richard and Juanita have just launched a selection of fine art prints by three local artists – portrait artist Jeremy Tanner and expressionist painters Colin Passmore and Debra Hutton.

Inspired by his Gamilaraay heritage, Jeremy Tanner draws on creative and photographic practices to capture indigenous identities and natural environments in works such as The Rainbow Serpent, The Diver and his indigenous family series.

Featuring in our Summer 2022 issue, Colin Passmore is renowned for his experimental depictions of outback and coastal scenery. His first wave of print reproductions includes the searing and serene landscapes Australian, Pond Birds and Blossom & Birds on Pond

Debra Hutton evokes the natural wonders of Italian and Australian landscapes.

Currently, her impressionist recreation of memories from Giverny in Monet’s Garden is available as a fine art print.

As Richard and Juanita continue to work with likeminded creatives, established and emerging artists will have the chance to touch the hearts of art enthusiasts everywhere.

Studio One Noosa is set to become a cornerstone of the local art industry and a hub for desirable and accessible art. It is one studio space to watch!