WESTERN DOWNS ARTS

Lisa Stiller

The essence of the bush: Living in Australia

The essence of the Australian bush is something very special. The richness of the precious metals used in the foiling of the gum leaves reflects the richness of the Australian Bush. There is beauty in the damaged and deteriorating leaves. I want to invoke the viewer to feel transported to the bush, and feel the heat, smell the eucalyptus trees, hear the insects and the birds calling. The essence of being Australian is very much connected to the Bush, and therefore the simple Gum leaf tugs at the heart of what makes us feel at home.

Regina Hyland

Morning coffee (Don't talk to me)

Morning coffee (Don’t talk to me) is about those quiet moments before you begin your day; when it is just you, as you are – no interruptions or influences from the rest of the world (if you’re lucky). My husband holds this space fast; it is his to be who he is, no human exceptions. This is a painting of him with his beloved dog, Zeus. Portraiture plays an important role in my practice, with a heavy focus on realism. In consideration of the theme ‘Essence,’ I pared this back and used only what was necessary to convey my subject, exploring the essential colour, line and shape of ‘him’.

Maree Easton

Blessed

I imagine myself as the pelican sitting there watching and absorbing the lasting energy of the day; capturing the essence of the sun going down and the waves rolling in.

Patricia Hinz

Moss, lichen and crumbling rocks

For me the subject matter is often based on a spontaneous response to something catching my eye as the sunlight illuminates a small patch of bushland or a rocky outcrop, highlighting a corner I have walked past many times but failed to notice. This was the case with Moss, lichen and crumbling rocks. I used pigments collected from the area I intended to paint to stain my board before I started the painting to capture the ‘essence’ of this mini landscape.

Donna Rivers

Chinaman's Lagoon 1

I wanted to capture the essence of the lilies in the lagoon at different times of the seasons. The underwater world with its special eco system changing how the environment looks from the temperate to the shadows and reflections that dance below the water and on top of the lagoon.

Hallie Vickers

Essence of me

I’ve conveyed essence through my artwork by showing my own essence. My artwork was created with the intent to show everything that makes me, and what makes my essence special and different. With the core of the piece, I was influenced by the perception of my family and how they view me. Through that I have portrayed my essence in a ball of bright light. Symbolic elements frame my self-portrait that all represent key elements, interests, and the ‘essence’ of me.

Helen Dennis

The creek: The lost tank

Meandering through the countryside the creek gives life to natural and man-made landscapes alike. Along the bank a polychotomous landscape can be found. Multiple textures, colours and patterns blend together harmoniously to capture the overall image of life along this ephemeral waterway.

Melody Walker

Twilight gums

There’s something deeply calming about the moments between day and night. Millions of leaves cease their movements, birds quieten, settling in the branches, a brief interlude before nocturnal activities commence. This painting attempts to capture the essence of that time, the heavy stillness that steals your thoughts and immerses your mind.

Josephine Forster

Essence of hope

I have been the butterfly, although at the time I didn’t know it. I’ve found myself on a path of incredible healing and hope where previously I felt hopeless. I started this butterfly as a piece about transformation but realised when I came out of hospital that the butterfly had already transformed but was broken and in need of help. It was a picture of hope.

The true essence of hope is deeper than doing something. You stand with your arms out wide and hold that hope in your soul, that your angels will come, and it will get better.

Samantha Wearing

Little things

I have reflected the theme ‘Essence’ within my work, focusing on a specific area, ‘the essence of life’. With this area I decided to paint based around nature and how the smallest things can have the greatest impact. Bees are one of many creatures around the world that work to maintain balance. Thus, the essence of life is being who you truly are, working to support ourselves and what is around us. I am demonstrating that even the smallest act creates a chain of reaction.

Cindy Grimes

Marketplace Split, Croatia

We travel because we are eager for the culture of new locations. The marketplace is where we will find the fundamentals of place. The food, the handcrafts, life’s necessities, and of course the people interacting and relating. The individual essence and inherent nature of a place and its people.

Kerri Haslem

Reflections

Reflections can have multiple meanings. It can be looking back on the past with a particular feeling, or it can be the essence of an object throwing its reflection, such as depicted in this painting. The light coming through the window cast the most beautiful reflection by passing through the glass object. This still life came about by accident. I was working on another set up and placed this jug on the bench. I turned around to see the most stunning light reflected through it and knew I had to capture it in oils.

Lillian Stiller

The flower shop

The flower shop is a depiction of an imaginary place in representation of the optimistic essence of my future. It has always been a lingering dream of mine to someday own my own floristry business, which is abstractly illustrated in my work. The fresh perfuming essence flowing from the flowers in this painting provides a sense of surrealistic peace. The audience can be encapsulated by the dreamlike qualities which evolve from a personal context to me.