OUT OF THE BLUE : BEN FENNESSY

Out of the Blue : Ben Fennessy - Recent Paintings and Prints 3 April - 21 April

Opening Launch - Friday 5 April 4pm-6pm

The ‘Out of the Blue’ exhibition at F Project Gallery was a serendipitous, unexpected opportunity to show paintings and glass prints from the last few years. I’m rather taken with the colour blue. Given I live on the coast, that’s not surprising, as the sky and sea are in constant view.

The environment of South-West Victoria is a great source of artistic inspiration. Having lived in the bush and on the coast, in Wadawurrung Country, and now in the shadow of Koroitj/Tower Hill, on Gundjitmara land, for most of my life, these wild and beautiful vistas have seeped into my soul. This body of work is a small sample of my passion for place. I am particularly focused on the play of light on the horizon and the changes that the weather and seasons bring … and blue hues.

Each of the works in this show have some shades of blue in them, ranging from a full-on blue blast of ultramarine in Winter Cloud, a wash of cerulean in Escarpment Budj Bim, a sweep Prussian blue in Blue Rain and a tiny brush stroke of indigo in Seascapeorama.

Ben Fennessy is an established painter, printmaker and art educator. He studied painting and drawing at the National Gallery School, Melbourne, and the Victorian College of the Arts and has been a practising artist for over fifty-five years.  He has exhibited widely throughout Australia and his work is in collections here and overseas. Ben is a member of the South-West Printmakers group who exhibit annually at the F Project Gallery in Warrnambool. Ben has been selected for the Geelong Acquisitive Print Awards, Geelong Gallery in 2005, 2017 and 2023.

Ben draws inspiration for his abstract landscape paintings and prints from the local beautiful natural environment, where light and shadows, sun and rain, can change the colour, feeling and tone in moments. These vivid colours express his interpretation of the inherent drama of the Australian environment, however at the root of his work is the influence of the English tradition of landscape painting, the pastoral and romantic landscapes of the original ‘pale stale males’, Gainsborough, Constable and Turner.

Vessels: 13 - 31 March

MARCH 13 - MARCH 31 2024

Opening Friday 15th March 6pm.

Four Camperdown women, Merrian Dennis, Dannie Dupleix, Carol Eagle and Monique Pope meet weekly at Peacock Hall; an old Sunday School hall built in the 1930’s. The four women work individually on their own projects, share different perspectives and enjoy discussing and debating ideas.

In the 'Vessels' collective exhibition, Dennis, Dupleix, Eagle, and Pope embark on an artistic odyssey. Through painting, sculpture and textiles, using a vast array of media, they redefine vessels in distinct ways. They forge a dialogue that celebrates the multiplicity of perspectives. The exhibition is a harmonious fusion, showcasing the richness of individual interpretations. Carol and Dannie have produced an explosion of colour contrasted with Merrian and Monique’s subdued tones.

Inside the Inside by Jane Curtis

Since I was a young girl, l have always been attracted by objects that speak of history and far off places. Born in the Mallee, with a mother who is French/Welsh, l loved to go to Melbourne and breathe in the smell of my grandparents house, her parents. The fascination with their furniture and belongings has stayed with me throughout my adult life. Possessions have a sentimentalism that l feel fills a void in my story.

My artwork then leads into this scenario almost every time. I do enjoy skyscapes and outdoors but I absolutely adore inside landscapes.

Firstly I do a Gouache painting to get acquainted with my subject. Then l like to paint with Acrylic and give the same subject a different expression. I am not tied to capturing exactly what is true and correct but my interpretation of what l see.

I realise how important painting is for my sense of equilibrium in this world and therefore the role it plays in so many people’s lives both as artists and viewers.

I like to think l don’t take myself too seriously but l am serious about being able to have self expression for myself and the greater community.

Connections (Group Show)

Jan Stickland, Sandra Batten, Johanna Wade, Sharryn Trease, Jenny Grenfell

A group exhibition consisting primarily of experimental printmaking exploring themes of urban and rural environment and the human condition. Techniques including monoprints, collagraphs, various forms of etching including photo gravure, and salt etching, linocuts, drawing ,collage and basket making are evident in the work of the group.

Inspired and Fired- South West Potters

December 13 2023 - Janaury 7 2024

Opening Saturday December 16, 5 - 7pm

Nathan Pye
Param Ratnam
Natalie Ryan
Georgina Sambell
Tara Shackell
Chris Small
Sid Sprague
Jude Stewart
Barry Tate
Iori Tate
Megan Cullum
Ken Sadler

Sarah Austin
Louise Coffey
Mick Conlan
Delia Crabbe
Belinda Hartwich
Chris Inglis
Diana Kraft
Erin Sonego
Jenni Larsen
Alicia McVilly
Molly Melican
Leon Melis

Eccentric- Bobbie Cox

Bobbie is a self taught artist, having retired some time ago from her day job as a social worker. The day job took her all over Western Australia, especially the Pilbara region, Queensland and Victoria. Bobbie is influenced by Indian, other Asian, and indigenous art.

Subject matter comes from nature, myths and fairy tales. Her work reflects her status as a fifth generation Australian of European descent.

Paintings are acrylic on canvas. #16 & #21 are acrylic paint and mixed media.

Whether it be the Kimberly, central Australia, Kakadu, or south-west Victoria there is a commonality that connects it all.

Birds.

An integral part of our survival, culture and economy, birds are our companions.

Bird, the exhibition, is a collection of thoughts and observations about the intersection between humanity’s industrial advancement and the natural environment.

Contemplation of a world with birds and a world without.

Existence without existence.

Bird.

‘Of Sand and Sea’ is a joint exhibition responding to the universal connection between coast and ocean in all forms – of reef, beach, tidal zones and dune systems.

Our relationship with water and the natural coastal environment brings cultural and spiritual connection, energises our well being, and the desire to nurture all that calls the marine ecosystem home.

Globally oceans are home to a currently known 228,450 marine species with over 90% of species yet to be discovered. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).

Green or living shorelines stabilise coastlines and inter-tidal zones, and directly impact ocean quality and health. Reliance on the resource and industrial pressures are placing strain on Australian reefs and oceans requiring conscious thought of use and restoration.

‘We are in reach of a whole new relationship with the ocean, a wiser, more sustainable relationship. The choice lies with us.’ (David Attenborough)

Erna’s art practice consists of oil paint, applied through the use of rags and liquin to create luminosity and texture. Finished art works change colour, depth, mood and movement in different light, reflecting the natural cycles of the water environment and are hard to photograph.

Kristy’s art practice consists of kiln and alternatively fired clay, using glaze and mixed media technique to represent elements of the coastal environment. Works and firing techniques use sustainable practices and reduced reliance on energy and materials in production.

20th September - 15th October

ARTOLESCENCE returns in 2023! Art students from Emmanuel, Brauer and Warrnambool Colleges exhibit their work as part of the youth showcase.

Exhibiting students are listed below:

Artolescence exhibition launches as part of Youth Fest

BRAUER COLLEGE

Zahlee Liddle year 10
Thomas Cram year 9
Sahara Clough-Beauchamp year 9
Macy Porter year 10
Maya Ebery
Sol Paul year 10
Chelsea Crawley Walsh year 10
Jessica Cooper year 10
Sol Keane Ryan year 10
Jackson McNaughton year 9
Ryan Murcott year 9
Logan Gavin year 9
Lachlan Speed year 9
Dakota Fedley year 9
Tahlia James year 10
Janie Holloway year 10
Tara Neal year 10
Dominik Graziano year 12
Frankie Bourke year 10
Rubie Corran year 9
Izaiah Jarvis year 9
Mia Carter year 9
Evie Ford year 9
Jermaine Ferguson year 10
Joseph Nickl year 9
Grace Hoffman year 9
Charlotte Condon year 8

EMMANUEL COLLEGE

Frankie Bant year 11
Nikayla Purcell year 11
Macey Cook year 11
Ariana Matthews year 11
Lily O’Brien year 12
Kiri Hawkes year 12
Ruby McKenna year 12
Joseph Holscher year 12
Ava Wolff year 12
Grace Biggs year 11
Taleah Matthews year 11

WARRNAMBOOL COLLEGE

Year 10 class
Casey Rohan year 9
Mia Coetze year 9
Aysha Holloway year 9
Nara Rohan year 9
Arlie Kelson year 8
Kai Smith year 9
Kiannah Anderson year 8
Laura Bray year 7
Ebony Rogers year 8
Grace Demartin year 7
Zete Austin year 7
Angus Nicolson year 8
Gem Mcintosh year 7
Daphne Myroniuk year 7
Photo 1A Class year 9
Molly Watson year 9
Ryley Wickenton year 8
Eliza Byron year 8
Grace Uebergang year 8
Ruby Jeanes year 8
Charlotte Polkinghorne year 9
Hayley Dalton year 9
Jindara Alberts year 9

Ocean Dance by David Goebel & Rory Carter

Dave and I share a passion for drawing and painting, and creativity in general. Together, over the years, we have steadily been nurturing and growing Dave’s practice; exploring mediums such as Printmaking & Ceramics, and sharing his work with the public, including his solo show ‘Rhythm’ held at the Portland Arts Centre.

My own art practice forms a resource/platform to push and expand Dave’s artistic repertoire. This is evident in the production of Dave’s canvas paintings, whereby Dave was encouraged to make the leap into large-scale works. Dave’s willingness and ability to step into new artistic experiments, is inspiring and joyous to watch. Although, I don’t interfere with Dave’s image making, I feel it’s somewhat a collaborative process.

The ‘Ocean Dance’ exhibition features a new body of work, where I cross the threshold from observing to actively drawing and painting on the same works with Dave. Throughout the development of these works, I have learnt a lot from Dave. Particularly with the series of large-scale paintings. Dave has such a calm approach to his art making, quite often he would re-assure me during a painting session, ‘relax Rory…’ he would say. Dave took, the un-needed seriousness out of these works, and helped me ‘let go’ in some way. The last couple of artworks for me felt so nice to paint with Dave, just jamming on the canvas, watching these joyous, quirky narratives appear.

28 June-23 July
To be opened by Michael Toms, from Warrnambool Astronomy Nights
on Friday 30 June 6-8pm

Eleven South West Printmakers Des Bunyon, Delia Crabbe, Sue Ferrari, Ben Fennessy, Britt Gow, Jean Gleeson, Jodie Honan, Marion Manifold, Liza McCosh, Ruby Richardson, Maree Stewart have chosen the inspiration of “Sky” as the theme for this latest exhibition at The F Project Gallery, simply called ‘Sky’. The exhibition opens on Friday 30 June and continues until 23 July.

Printmaking techniques include monoprints, etchings, woodcuts and linoprints. This artform of original printmaking is often confused with the process of copies made from original works such as paintings, also referred to as prints. The artist printmaker creates an original artwork, sometimes a unique state, where only one print is made, or sometimes a print is available in limited editions created from etching plates, wood blocks or lino blocks.

As is always the case with a group collaboration, the interpretations and the printmaking techniques are varied and create a wonderful exhibition.

Des Bunyon
The sky as in ' blue sky 'is an illusion created by a combination of sunlight and air molecules.We humans have created a myriad of stories that reflect our interaction with the sky. We have gods and deities from every culture that come from the sky or reside somewhere beyond the outer reaches of the atmosphere where sky becomes outer space. We observed how birds could fly freely and unencumbered in the sky and sought to do likewise. We used its existence in our cultural responses through artisitic expression both literary, visual and musically. I chose to look at metaphorical references such as' Head in the Clouds ',Pie in the Sky ' ' Ladder to the Sky ' and ' Black Cloud 'etc We have populated the sky with many superheroes such as Superman. The sky is like the observing self that is always there, making room for both difficult and enlightening thoughts and feelings.

  1. Head in the Clouds 1/5 | Etching | 250x320 | $195

  2. Imagine- Above us only Sky 1/5 | Etching |250x320 | $195

  3. Pie in the Sky 1/5 | Etching |250x320 | $195

  4. Look! Up in the Sky! 1/5 | Etching & Collage | 250x320 | $195 | SOLD

  5. Ladder to the Sky 1/5 | Etching | 250x320 | $195

  6. Black Cloud 1/5 | Etching | 250x320 | $195

Marion Manifold
The Lonely Sea and the Sky works are inspired by John Masefield’s poem “Sea-Fever” (below) which reminds me of Warrnambool’s foundation and legacy from pioneering early settlers, and the hardships and sometimes desolate joy of those who arrived by sailing ship.

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
John Masefield’s "Sea-Fever"

7. The Lonely Sea and the Sky 6 | Linocut & Wash | 560x760 | $400
8. The Lonely Sea and the Sky 3 | Linocut & Wash | 360x560 | $300
9. The Lonely Sea and the Sky 2 | Linocut & Wash | 360x560 | $300 | SOLD
10. The Lonely Sea and the Sky 1 | Linocut & Wash | 360x560 | $300
11. The Lonely Sea and the Sky 7 | Linocut & Wash | 560x760 | $400

Maree Stewart
I pause to notice and contemplate the wondrousness of everything that comes to us through the sky enabling the existence of life. From drifting into imaginings the Sky Wanderer emerges from the vastness of the sky and commences its journey…

12. Sky Wanderer- Artists Proofs | Set of nine collagraphs | 300x210 each | NFS
13. Sky Wanderer | Photocopied Zines (x3, more available to order) | $10

Jodie Honan
Across Gunditjmara Country in south-west Victoria, sky fills half the world, cohabiting with the volcanic country and the celestial and atmospheric bodies. This series of small collages use past lino prints reconfigured into distilled skyscapes to capture the massiveness of volcanic hills against the vast sky.

14 - 28

All prints are linocut print collage on Somerset 300gsm and all $50

14. Pair of Shadowy Hills- Day Sky | SOLD
15. Bumpy Hill- Day Sky
16. Small Shadowy Hill- Day Sky
17. Side of Shadowy Hill- Day Sky | SOLD
18. Big Shadowy Hill- Day Sky
19. Shadowy Hill- Day Sky
20. Big Hill- Day Sky
21. Pair of Hills- Day Sky
22. Blue Moon | SOLD
23. Two Hills and Meteor Shower- Night Sky
24. Shadowy Range and Blue Moon- Night Sky
25. Small Range with Meteors- Night Sky
26. Shady Hill and Blue Moon
27. Hill and Meteor Shower- Night Sky | SOLD
28. Shadowy Range- Night Sky | SOLD

Ruby Richardson
A cloud collectors atlas combines images collected while cloud watching (always cloud watching) with the photo-graphic method of cyanotype printing. This set of prints is influenced by a slight leaning towards surrealism and a healthy obsession with the shape of clouds.

29 - 42

29 - 38. Hand coloured cyanotype print on 638gsm rough press paper | 160x160 | $90
29. SOLD
30. SOLD
31. SOLD
32. SOLD
33. Available
34. SOLD
35. SOLD
36. SOLD
37. Available
38. SOLD
39 - 42. Small hand coloured cyanotype prints on 638gsm rough press paper | $50
39. SOLD
40. SOLD
41. SOLD
42. SOLD

Ben Fennessy
Living at Killarney, I get to see amazing sky views which I’ve attempted to represent in these three-layered mono-prints – on Upo paper and two sheets of glass. (Prints 2 & 3) On April 24 at 5.17am, I was lucky enough to wake up and see the Southern Lights – Aurora Australis – a lifelong dream. (Print 1) As a child, I was fascinated by dioramas at the Melbourne Museum, (now the State Library). My first year at the National Gallery School was in the basement of the museum so I had access to view these magical three-dimensional displays again. Last year, I saw some 17th Century examples of images on glass layers at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and was inspired to try to make the sky prints on sheets of glass so they could be transparent and 3D.

43. Auro-rama A/P | Mono prints | Not For Sale
44. Skyorama A/P | Mono Prints | Not For Sale
45. Killarney-orama A/P | Mono Prints | Not For Sale

Britt Gow
The universe was not created for the human mind to understand, yet it is the nature of the human mind to try to make sense of it. From prehistoric humans noticing how the stars resembled sparks of a fire to the concept of a larger being draping a pin-pricked black cloak over the earth and religious texts conjuring the Almighty moving the heavenly bodies from above the firmament with his own hands, we struggle to comprehend the immensity of space. Carl Sagan, an American astronomer and cosmologist, helped mere mortals to visualize the vast scale of the universe by saying “…the total number of stars in the universe is greater than all the grains of sand on all the beaches of the planet Earth” and “our planet is nothing more than a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam”. It is inconceivable to most of us that we are as insignificant and inconsequential as an atom on a mote of dust, yet it is thus in both space and time. Our fleeting lifetimes are a nanosecond, and all of human existence is a mere second, in the 24 hours since the earth’s formation. Rather than responding with despair and nihilism, I hope my artwork promotes reflection on the beauty and wonder of nature and reminds us of our connection to the earth on which we stand. When you consider the engineering genius to conceive and construct wind towers, I am optimistic that you can share my humility in the face of Mother Nature, the peace and tranquility felt under a starry sky and the exhilaration of the winds that carry clouds above our vast horizons. These artworks are created with two separate printmaking processes. The first layer is a hand-pulled monotype, in which ink is rolled or painted onto an acetate sheet and then put through a press to transfer the ink to the damp paper. The second process is using a collagraph plate, created by scoring, collaging, texturing and shellacking cardboard. The plate is then inked, wiped, polished and put through the press a second time to layer the two images

46. Rural Skies | Unique State Monotype & Collagraph Print | 380x560 | $600 | SOLD
47. Nebulous | Unique State Monotype & Collagraph Print | 380x560 | $600

Jean Gleeson
These works represent the ‘gravitational pull’ of the moon, its effect on tides and also in the sense of hypnotic calm I feel when I gaze at it.

48 & 49

48. Gravitational Pull I | Blind emboss, chine colle & lino on silk | 500x610 | $150 | SOLD
49. Gravitational Pull II | Emboss, chine colle & lino on silk | 500x610 | $150 | SOLD

Delia Crabbe
I’ve always loved the patterns of raindrops on windows, and the blurring & distortion of the view they can cause. This year my ‘Sky’ focus became clouds & rain, and the close up view of raindrops on glass. I learnt how to print onto metal & some plastics, and so have experimented. The end result is mainly earrings- perhaps a more functional print product than my usual (I’ve got too many artworks for walls)! One that’s a bit of fun in any case!

50. Windows View- Rain and Powerlines | Print on Aluminium | $95 | SOLD
51. Windows View- Rain and Vegetation | Print on Aluminium | $95
Earrings:
52. Raindrops (Large, 2 piece) | $40 | SOLD
53. Raindrops (Brass) | $35 | SOLD
54. Raindrops (Light & Dark) | $30 | SOLD
55. Raindrops (Light) | Not For Sale
56. Raindrops (Dark) | $30 | SOLD
57. Raindrops (Clouds) | $25 | SOLD

Liza McCosh
In my artistic practice I have constantly drawn on the elements of nature to inspire imagery that comments on the environment. In particular, the sky with elements of air and water, has been a continual theme I have turned to in representing how all of nature is interconnected and integral to all life cycles. The Arterial series of prints attempt to represent the merging of sky with other aspects of nature: sky, earth, water and vegetation in a constant cycle of interdependence and regeneration. In constructing the artwork, I have used imagery from my painting and photography alongside digital media and transfer printing techniques; layering surface on surface leaving an imprint of nature’s elements and my employed media to emerge in the final images. Acknowledgement: This body of work was supported by a Sustaining Creative Workers Grant, a Victorian Government initiative delivered through Regional Arts Victoria. Dr Liza McCosh 2023

58. Arterial #2 1/10| Digital print on Hahnemulle photo rag paper 300gsm
540x437 | $395 framed, $295 unframed
59. Arterial #3 1/10 | Digital print on Hahnemulle photo rag paper 300gsm
540x437 |$495 framed, $395 unframed | SOLD
60. Arterial #5 1/1 | Digital print on Hahnemulle photo rag paper 300gsm
540x437 |$495 framed, $395 unframed
61. Arterial #4 1/1 | Digital print on Hahnemulle photo rag paper 300gsm
540x437 |$495 framed, $395 unframed | SOLD
62. Arterial #1 1/10 | Digital print on Hahnemulle photo rag paper 300gsm
540x437 |$395 framed, $295 unframed

Sue Ferrari
From my hilltop home wind is the unseen force that constantly transforms the skies, creating a continuous flow of fleeting experiences.

63. Caught in the Breeze | Mono print on silk fabric | $320
64. Turbulence | Mono print on silk fabric | $380

Quiet Conversations by Jan Allan

quiet conversations
Paintings by jan allan

Wednesday 31st May - Sunday 25th June

Opening Saturday 3rd June 4 - 6pm

For me, painting is the ultimate problem-solving activity. To make a balanced harmonious composition, to choose harmonious colours; to use the most effective brush strokes and to know when to stop.

My objective is to convey a feeling of quiet and peace. Each painting presents new challenges. I paint from life, objects from my collection. I enjoy creating compositions that can isolate an object and finding the inherent beauty within that object. Hopefully there is dialogue occurring between the painted objects and dialogue between the image and the viewer. I aim to make the objects ‘special’ to draw the gaze of the viewer; to establish a quiet conversation.

In This Present Moment- Jenny Altmann

5th - 30th April

Painting and Drawing allows the murky waters of my mind to achieve the capacity to be contemplative, access quietude, stillness and peace. A gentle turning towards the ever present moment, where I can celebrate the uplifting environment, the dignity and poise of humanity and draw on the intuitive through which I can recognise my true self as resilient, fervent and light-hearted. I love all forms of art and art history: a constant searching which informs my own work. 

Any form of creativity expresses with jubilance a life which is difficult to speak of. With humility I endeavour to share an aspect of such sanguinity to my viewers. Communication and persuasion is an honour and privilege for which I am ever grateful.

"Every moment and every event of every person's life on earth plants something in each soul. For just as the wind carries thousands of winged seeds, so each present moment can spring up in the fertile soil of freedom, spontaneity and love"  Thomas Merton

Terra Madre (Motherland, Homeland, Mother Earth) - Irene Crusca

3rd - 28th May
Opening Saturday 6th May 6 - 8pm

As a first-generation Australian, my parents’ passing left me with a diminished connection to the Sicilian culture that I had grown up with. A recurring theme in my work has been an exploration of place and rootlessness. Recently, I have noted  urgency in my need to come to terms with this understanding from a personal perspective.

Terra Madre reflects on personal identity through my mother’s presence, ­­­­her storytelling, the costumes she once donned, the food we ate and the objects and trinkets that surrounded and gave us meaning. I use juxtaposition and superimposition of images to reflect on contemporary identity and place.

7a. VIDEO: FAREWELL, MY BEAUTIFUL SICILY
Excerpt from Mum’s biography, first reading Mum, second reading myself.

2 min, on loop

In this video my mother reads a short extract from her biography at the moment she leaves her homeland - Sicily. Then I read a previous extract from her biography whilst she reflects in silence.

It is a heartfelt farewell to a country, a culture – the village, all her family in order to join her betrothed who had left a few years before for Australia – the land of opportunity for many migrants from Italy and elsewhere in the 1950s. I can’t help but compare the depth of feeling my mother has for her country to the estrangement I feel for ‘my’ country and the rootlessness that is a common experience of contemporary identity, as urban living, mobility and accelerated globalisation move us into virtual and new mediated spaces which we must learn to navigate.

Video edited by Colleen Hughson at First Ladies Productions

A Moment of Stillness- Peter Clayfield

My approach to photography has always been more intuitive than scientific. Some of the subjects I choose to photograph, may not at first glance appear worthy of attention. Once I sense the creative potential of a scene I endeavour to distil a simplified and resonant image out of an apparent chaos of forms. My aim is to capture a moment of stillness and beauty midst the flux of life.

I have chosen to concentrate on black and white photographs for this recent body of work. I like to create a sense of mystery and a touch of the surreal in my images, which seems to work better in black and white. There is also a timeless quality to black and white images. They evoke the work of my heroes from the early days of creative photography in Europe and America – Henri Cartier-Bresson, Irving Penn, Elliott Erwitt, Bill Brandt, Diane Arbus, Ralph Eugene Meatyard, to name a few.

I feel that black and white images lend themselves to creative invention and rely less on the visual ‘pop’ of colour photography. Colour can often distract your eye from what is important in a subject. There is a long held notion that colour photographs represent a form of objective reality, which of course they don’t.  Ansell Adams wrote, “You don’t take a photograph, you make it”. A photograph is the result of a myriad of subjective, pictorial and technical choices, and is not merely the recording of a slice of ‘real life’. I also think this quote from Edgar Degas, “Art is not what you see, but what you make others see”, is relevant to photography as well as painting.

Being one step further removed from reality, black and white photography has enabled me to concentrate more on structure and compositional elements in my work. In some ways, I think it is a greater challenge to produce a visually pleasing image in black and white. I have enjoyed the process of creating the works for this exhibition.

All works are $500, framed, and available in editions of 5.

A Slice of Life Through My Eyes- Neil Griffin

8th Feb - 5th March

Opening 11th Feb 6 - 8pm

I’d visited many galleries over the years and sometimes thought ‘I could do that’ but not done anything about it. One day my wife slammed down a copy of the Adelaide WEA brochure and pointed out the ‘Acrylics for Beginners’ course saying, ‘Go and do this or just stop talking about it’. And that was the start of my painting career in 2007.

I began with acrylics but very soon moved to oils as my main medium. I enjoy creating ‘quirky statements on life’ as a way of provoking people to think, to see differently, consider cause and effect and maybe be amused. I also enjoy painting people and animals. I have started sculpting using clay and soft stone, which takes me back to my childhood days of playing with plasticine.

I am largely self-taught via magazines and occasional workshops. I pick up tips all the time from fellow artists and lots of You Tube clips.

In Adelaide I have exhibited in several public exhibitions and am a Fellow of the Royal South Australian Society of Arts. I produced a 2015 Calendar of Viet Nam as a fundraiser for the SA Vietnam Charity Group. I was also commissioned to paint a mural which was installed in the Bahn Mi Vietnamese Café, Grenfell Plaza, Adelaide CBD.

When I moved to Hamilton Vic, I joined art groups both in Hamilton and Dunkeld and exhibited in the Rotary Art Show, Mud Gallery, Café 109 and Koopmans and several other sites in both the Glenelg and Southern Grampians Shires.

Since moving to Warrnambool in March 2022, I have joined the Warrnambool Art Gallery, F Project and WADAS. I have exhibited several times through WADAS.

I had a piece published in the Artist Palette Magazine, Issue No.107 which included an article and demonstration piece of the work ‘Card Sharks’.

This is my first Solo Exhibition, showing the diversity of my work which reflects ‘A Slice of Life’ as seen through my eyes. Life that is not just a series of ‘pretty pictures’ but rather weird, quirky, amusing, challenging and rarely straight forward. My perspective, different to yours and maybe many others but, a slice of life from where I sit.

Tamara Sharp- Portrait of a Landscape

11 Jan - 5 Feb
Opens Sat 14 January 6 - 8pm

My heart and photographs are intrinsically linked to the land, the discussion around purpose of land and the forces behind ownership within the community. Throughout the years, I have travelled constantly but am drawn to the familiar, memories of a landscape that reflect hard labour, and embody stories of generational attitudes towards the environment. Within my photographic journey, I find myself in a landscape torn by fragmented conversations and poverty. This exhibition openly reflects my lived experience and the evident fragility of nature.

Small Works- Members’ Show 2022-2023

14 DEC 2022 - 8 JAN 2023
Opening Sat 17 Dec 2 - 4pm

Our members’ show returns in style this year after a three year hiatus. Featuring over 90 works by more than 50 of our members, the Small Works show promises a wide variety of works in a number of different mediums and skill levels from both fresh and familiar local names.

Get in quick to view this show, as works are removed once sold!

Members featured in Small Works are listed below:

Julie Poi
Kate Melican Rollo
Kathryn Ryan
Kayleigh Walmsley-Sims
Kelsy Landwehr
Kirsten McLean
Kristy Roche
Leon Melis
Liz Rodriguez
Mandy O’Neill
Marion Matthews
Maryann Owen
Matthew Stewart
Megan Cullum
Merran Koren
Michelle Caithness
Nathan Stebbins
Oliver Vizon (3 y.o)
Paul Burman
Rebecca Hill
Richard Walter
Ricky Schembri
Rosina Gannon
Shari Nye
Sian Burman
Tamara Sharp

Alexandra Davis
Alison Withers
Ann Krause
Anthea Rafferty
Bob Emeny
Brendan Kelly
Caroline Healey
Clive Murray-White
Colleen Campbell
Damon Kowarsky
David Higgins
Des Bunyon
Ellen Moloney
Harley Manifold
Helen Bunyon
Helen Fitzhardinge
Hyunju Kim
Irene Crusca
Jan Allan
Jane Curtis
Jane Downing
Jeffrey Vizon
Jo Brian
Jo Merriman
Joanne Russell
John Coxon (Jay Cee)

There And Back Again- Damon Kowarsky & Hyunju Kim

After nearly two years apart because of COVID Damon and Hyunju were reunited in Melbourne in December last year. Since then they have got married, taught workshops in printmaking and bookbinding in Sydney, Newcastle, Canberra, and Portland, travelled to the Blue Mountains and Woolongong, and undertaken residencies at Eramboo Artist Environment, Portland Bay Press and Terang Arts Hub.

The works in this show were made during and after the pandemic, and look to more recent travels in Australia as well as memories of previous adventures. For both Damon and Hyunju it has been a huge pleasure to explore closer to home, and to return to The FProject and share their newest works with the community in Warrnambool.