KLARA JONES is a Gippsland based artist working across several media to best describe the image to tell a story. She holds a fascination with people, portraiture, culture and storytelling, and in this exhibition, she is drawing on her Hungarian heritage to highlight stories from that country. 

Klara attended Fulham TAFE in 1996, studying visual arts but since then, has never stopped learning and honing her skills. 

Exhibitions: 

·        Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale, ‘Our Mother’. Solo exhibition, 2023

·        East Gippsland Art Gallery, Bairnsdale, ‘Picnicking with the Wolves’. Joint exhibition, 2019

·        Maffra art space, Maffra, ‘Stories’. Solo exhibition, 2014

Collections:

·        ‘Old Mother’, silicone sculpture, Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale, 2023

·        ‘Early Morning in Lockdown’, oil painting on canvas, Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale, 2020

·        ‘Allerleirauh’, silicone sculpture, Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale, 2019

Prizes:

·        Finalist, John Leslie Art Prize, 2022 

·        Finalist, John Leslie Art Prize, 2024

Julie Lundgren-Coulter

Over time my works have reflected a minimalist approach using natural earth pigments.  The works exhibited in this show are a direct result of my interest in producing different textures with the use of sand and the layering of the pigments.  The subject matter has been stripped to a bare minimum making the work more graphic in nature.  It has been a fascinating journey and it still continues to amaze me with the different results achieved.

Melanie Robertson

msr_ceramics

 My journey with clay began as a personal search for balance and renewal.  After many years in a high pressure financial role I reached a point of burn out.  I felt a strong need to reconnect with something more meaningful, something that brought me joy.  I enrolled in a short hand building course.  The rest is history.

Working with clay offers me a sense of calm and groundedness.  It is a tactile, meditative process that allows me to slow down, be present and express myself without works.  Each piece is a reflection of that process, an exploration of form, texture and the quiet beauty of imperfection.  Through my work I strive to convey a sense of warmth and authenticity.  My practice continues to evolve but the intention remains the same, to create pieces that are not only functional or beautiful but hold a feeling of peace and connection.

Maureen Harley is an artist based in Toora, and although she has no formal art training, she has a Master’s degree in Mental Health: Nursing Practice and Management, Education in Nursing and Midwifery. She feels that the patience and observational skills required for that work have translated well to the art practice she picked up again some years ago. Maureen has been entering art prize competitions since 2022 and has been successful in making it as a finalist in some of Australia’s most well-known and prestigious shows.

Maureen works across several mediums with preferred subjects being of birds, animals and all things old and rural with works portrayed in a realistic manner with a high-level of detail.

2025

Ø  Leongatha Rotary Art Show Highly Commended

Ø  Finalist John Villiers Outback Art Prize

Ø  Solo Exhibition, Stockyard Gallery, Foster

Ø  3rd Works on paper, Woollam Art On Show, Mackay, Qld.

2024

Ø  Finalist Kennedy Prize, Adelaide

Ø  Finalist John Villiers Outback Art Prize

Ø  Finalist National Contemporary Art Prize

Ø  Finalist Stanthorpe Art prize

Ø  Finalist Michael Beazer Works on Paper Prize

2023

Ø  Finalist Ravenswood Art Prize for Australian Women

Ø  Finalist John Villiers Outback Art Prize

Ø  Finalist National Capital Art Prize

2022

Ø  Finalist National Capital Art Prize

Ø  Drawing Encouragement Award Mirboo North Art Show

Ø  Highly Commended, Toora Village Art Collective

Ø  Group Exhibitions

Ø  Work hanging in private collections in Australia, England, America and New Zealand.

 https://www.maureenharleyartandphotography.com

CLICK ON BLUE THUMBNAIL ABOVE FOR ENTRY FORM.

Competition Exhibition: any medium - great prizes to be won.

1st prize: $750.00, 2nd prize: $500.00, 3rd prize: $250.00, Hangers PicK: $200.00

CREATIVE STUDENTS EXHIBITION will run from July 24 to August 05. No Opening Night

CREATIVE STUDENTS EXHIBTION will run from August 07 to August 19.

Opening Night August 08 - 5 to 6.30pm

Indigenous art and items from Wulgunggo Ngalu - many items for sale.

See ENTRY FORM ABOVE FOR DETAILS

PRIZES

1st: voucher $125 + cash $275 = $400

2nd: voucher $75 + cash $125 = $200

3rd: voucher $50 + cash $50 = $100

*VOUCHERS FROM: YARRAM BARGAIN CENTRE

As part of the Tarra Festival celebration/activities, the artist HELEN TIMBURY will be giving an Artist Talk & Demonstration on Friday 18th April, 4.30-6pm at the Gallery. ***FREE EVENT*** (This will be held just prior to the 7pm opening of the Rotary Art Show at the Regent Theatre). The TRAVELLING THROUGH exhibition is a collection of linocut prints, monoprints and recent paintings - something for everyone and not to be missed.

OPENING FUNCTION - Saturday 08 February 2025 from 2pm to 3.30pm. Free entry.

LOVE IN TRANSLATION

This exhibition, from long time collaborators Sue Acheson and Russell Lilford, has a theme of love - but not as you may think - there are no pink hearts here…Looking at how love is used and abused, and the many kinds of love there are.

Commenting on the use and abuse of love and how it traps us into certain acts. There is joy and pain reflected in the exciting paintings and ceramic sculptures.

Sue Acheson

Sue's sculptural forms are a reflection of the natural world around her. Subjects she reflects on include personal (Love of Self), political (Love of Power), environmental (Love of Country) or related to community (Unconditional Love).

The energy of the Earth has a profound effect on all of her work, as does the Australian bush. The calligraphic marks often made as decoration are graphic representations of the light and shadow falling through trees, especially early morning and late evening.

Russell Lilford

Russell is on a quest to expand his visual language, to widen a lexicon that includes the emotional, spiritual and philosophical in his paintings. He presents work that facilitates a connection with people that allows ideas and quandaries to be transmitted. The viewer is able to read his work in many different ways depending on your perspective, and may open up meaningful dialogues to a vast array of thought.

OPENING EVENT: Sunday 12 Jan - 2 to3.30pm

BRONWYN TEESDALE

I have  painted with various mediums most of my life but the last few years have settled on water based pigment for its fluidity and ability to enhances my work in unexpected ways.  The ochre based works were totally up to the pigment to decide on the outcome. I had no preconceived idea at all. Even with the more traditional watercolours the paint blends and moves with a life of its own.

My interest and working life has always been the environment and my paintings try to demonstrate the beauty all around us if you can look to see it.

Lindy and I have been involved in art groups and exhibited together before and although our work is very different the variety gives an interest for everyone.

LINDA SENHENN

Living a sustainable life for me is a ‘thread’ thing. Threads are essential and my art pieces are sculpturedaround threads of recycling, reusing and reforming.These textile forms are held together by threads which areused to bind, hold, weave or for decoration.

Thirty years ago I started tearing, twirling and trussingscraps of my clothes into woven 3D forms, influenced byplaces I have lived: urban Melbourne, remote NorthernTerritory as well as Bass Coast.

In this exhibition I have reused everything: weft threadsand fabric; paper carry bags in weavings; boxes andbaskets made from paper resourced from encyclopaedia; found objects as stencils for mono prints.

I wish to express the rawness and edginess I feel aboutclimate change as it affects our natural world and my frustrations as a human to deal with society’s waste.

Changing form, structure or function of a material withan aim to conceal, to play…this is integral to my work.

Linda Senhenn 11/2024

contact: 0438859254

lindasenhenn@gmail.com

OPENING EVENT: Friday 13 December, 5-6.30pm