Source: https://www.willoindustries.com.au/product-category/artists/bulli-artists/
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 07:58:43+00:00

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Aides is a young emerging artist (age 11) He has had a strong practice in abstract art since the age of 5 and in that time has had 5 solo art shows showcasing his abstract pieces. He loves making art and all his works have fun stories about how they were made or what may have magically appeared in the process of abstraction.
I first studied various courses at TAFE: Creative Arts, Childcare and Disabilities. Over 20 years I studied textiles and made many quilts by hand and machine. I still do sewing today, focusing on dress making. In 2013 I was involved with Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre as a Volunteer Tour Guide for 5 years. I was the receipt of the 2015 & 2016 Accessible Arts Grant over $30,000 in total allowed me to develop a body of work. During that time I was also in an artist residency at Hazelhurst. I exhibited at N.S.W. and Australia Aphasia Association. In 2017 My large sculpture ‘Lovers and Dreamers‘ (2017) was accepted at Harbour Sculpture show at Hunters Hill and Sculpture Killalea at Shellharbour. In 2018 my new medium glass sculptures ‘Our Fallen Stars’ are at Hidden Rookwood Cemetery, Lidcombe and Shellharbour Civic Council Centre. Statement Bowral is a small country town. A magical place. So many past stories to tell. Emily Bradman, the mother of Sir Donald Bradman was very good friends with my great grandmother Mary - Louise Stinson while living at the small town Cootamundra. It wasn’t until 1911 the Bradman family moved to Bowral. The stories of Mary Poppins was created by the imagination of Helen Lyndon Goff (later changed to P.L Travers), who was a teenager when her family lived in Bowral 1908 - 1917. Her mother was highly stressful emotional at the time, so PL Travers read stories to her younger sisters as a way to comfort them while putting them to bed. It was there that PL Travers created the character Mary Poppins in Bowral. Are you Will, who comes from Bowral, the next person to start a brilliant creative idea? Time will tell.
There is nothing sweeter than hitting the sweet spot when playing Cricket! Something magic happens in that exact moment between bat, ball and the self. It's a registration that occurs in such a short moment but in that moment there is an immediate clarity. It's definite and true. In cricket when hitting the sweet spot, sometimes if we are lucky enough the ball leaves its mark upon the bat, known as “ the cherry”. Cricketers love cherries on their bats as these are actual first hand evidence of great strokes. Often cricketers can tell you the exact time and place of such individual cherries. While this writer has the absolute respect and admiration for such feats, God forbid having to be subject to their recollection!!! So in reference to “The Sweet Spot" the love heart/cherry left on Willo’s bat is a metaphor for us wee humans. It's in our daily lives, and through the amalgamation of moments that we are touched by another human, an animal or through nature, that we are gifted "love heart cherries". Deep marks left upon us. Cherished and worn with pride. Used as reference points during the hard slog of the human condition. These cherries define us and guide us. It's what makes us unique. Great. Timeless. These milestones help us forge forward into the unknown and allow us to be sympathetic to a new batter to the crease. The greater heart itself is made from broom sticks collected over many years from council cleanups. Each broom stick has a history. Is worn through time and effort. The broomstick in its own way has a selfless property that has facilitated the user to hours of meditation and release. In short these broom sticks come with good vibes. The size and shape of the work has been deliberate in that I wanted to replicate a shield. A shield found in a sporting club. Throughout Australia in any given local sports club, whether it be cricket, footy or surf clubs, shields can be found. These shields are historical evidence of either individual or team achievement. But more deeply they capture and archive the spirit of community. The shield may trace the event but more so over time it reminds us of the people who created the event. Its spirit. As for me. I'm an artist who paints houses to survive. Three children Yumiko, Babette and Orlando. Georgia my wife. They are my life through the thick and thin of it. All my works are one-offs that usually are found or collected throughout my dawdling. I have a fine arts degree in painting but I'm too pedantic to paint portrait anymore and prefer to make stuff that ends up being overly pedantic! In cricketers terms I could be described as the "night watchman". Not the the best batsman by a long shot but someone who could take you to the close of play while leaving everyone's finger nails a little worse for wear!
Anneke Clegg , born 1/05/14. She is the fourth generation of the "Levers Picture Framing & Art Supplies" business in Australia and 20th generation including Holland. Anneke seems to have taken the talent of her great grandfather William Lever who founded the business in Australia almost 65 years ago. Anneke has a lot of passion for the world in which we live. When she completes an artwork she tells us in detail what it represents. She is thrilled she was asked to paint a bat for such a good cause.
Annette is an artist who paints from the imagination fired up by the symbolism and imagery generated by conversations, dreams, memories and day to day interactions with the world. Annette is based in Rushcutters Bay, Sydney and the beautiful NSW South Coast. Annette draws inspiration from urban life, music, nature, rambling in the bush, myth and legend, and world history. Annette is particularly inspired by the intricacy and complexity of colour, pattern, line and form in art and music and the synergies between these two powerful forms of expression. Key influences are Gustav Klimt and the Austrian Secessionist movement and history’s great and enduring characters, particularly women. Annette’s work is represented in a number of private collections in Australia. Annette studies at the Julian Ashton Art School, George St, The Rocks, Sydney.
The young people from the School Leavers program at Flagstaff came together to support Willo to paint not 1, but 2 pieces. They are the most wonderful talented creative loving artists that are our first "group" to paint for Will.
Ashley Frost is very much a location driven artist with many of his landscape works developed by painting and drawing outdoors. Where sea meets land and night meets day Frost immerses himself in what he describes as a convergence of light and place. Frost’s paintings play on the relationship between bodies of water, buildings, roads, cars and vast skies through a communication of colour, light and reflective qualities. He builds up thick, luscious layers of paint to give his works a highly appealing tactile quality. In 2018 Ashley won the Hills Art Prize and was a finalist in the Gallipoli Art Prize and the Calleen Art Award. He was a finalist in the 2017 EMSLA Still Life Prize and the 2017 NSW Parliament Plein Art Prize. Frost was a finalist in the 2017 Archibald Prize and winner of the people’s choice award for the 2017 Mosman Art Prize. He is a graduate of the National Art School East Sydney Australia receiving his BFA with distinctions in painting. He has travelled widely conducting research for his PhD candidacy and exhibiting his work around the world. He has worked as an exhibiting artist for 23 years with four solo shows in New York (2000, 2002, 2004 & 2016), a solo show in Austin,Texas in 2016 and regular exhibitions in Sydney, Melbourne and Hong Kong. In 2003 he won the prestigious Kings Art Prize Acquisitive $10,000 and has been finalist in a number of national art prizes.
I have been very interested in art since I was very young and my mother had me in art classes to encourage that. I started in folk art and moved on into portraits. I love trying to capture ones face, whether that be realism, expressionism or quirky doodles and characters. My main medium is acrylics but I am starting to experiment in oils. In 2016 I as a finalist in the James Kiwi water colour for my interpretation of Charlie Chaplin.
Bella Vendramini is the best selling author of Biting the Big Apple and Naked in Public and two time nominee for Cosmopolitan Magazine’s Fun and Fearless Woman of the Year award. Quentin Tarantino named her the ‘belle of the ball’. “Dreams” is a reminder to enjoy the journey, stride into life and let the stunning variety propel you forward toward your dreams and successes.
Beth is a 28 year old who is currently studying a Cert 3 through Fusion Training Solutions. While buying art supplies at Riot Art in Wollongong she saw the opportunity to support Willow Industries and Will's vision for disabled youth in the Illawarra and jumped on board to paint her bat. Beths artwork on her bat was inspired by drawings she did as a child and into her teen years. Beth finds art a way to show her personality and was inspired by the work of Willow Industries and supporting disabled youth in the Illawarra.
New Zealander. Lived in Australia for the past 6 years, Middle east 17 years, and also the UK. About to move to Dorset in the UK. Artist, Designer and Teacher. Exhibitions in the UK, Dubai, NZ, Australia. Commercial homeware designs sold worldwide. Artwork, paintings, ceramics, textiles also sold worldwide. I have been involved in creating one off artworks for different charities. I love colour, patterns, textiles , evoking countries, markets, people and costumes of many wonderful places I have had the pleasure of visiting and I continue to love to create paint and be motivated enough to keep doing so.
I called my Bat “Be”. Just listening to a few stories recently about the importance of bees to humanity for our food production I was concerned & being a lover of nature, I wanted to paint this bat with a bee on it! Also from a personal perspective to just be able to “Be” in the moment! I did a bit of painting as a teenager & then life got in the way. I started to do some painting after I got breast cancer more 6 years & had time off work! Since I retired I’ve done some classes & am loving the journey with my art!
Born and raised in sunny North Queensland, Emily spent the first 23 years of her life enjoying the outdoors in Townsville before venturing overseas to explore the world and live the backpacking lifestyle. Emily's career experience is a mixed bag of finance, tourism, hospitality and marketing but she's totally in her element when she's creating unforgettable client and customer experiences. You'll often find Emily riding her electric skateboard around Bulli, finding the next best hike or sitting cross legged at at a cafe with her laptop.
Faith is a well known Illawarra based artist with an Advance Diploma In Fine Arts After completing her Advance diploma in Fine Art, Faith began painting landscapes and interior art works. Many of these works were exhibited in Galleries around the Illawarra. After many years using oil, acrylic, watercolour and pastel paints Faith discovered the exciting possibilities of mixed media. She now has a passion for exploring experimental techniques in both composition, layering, texture and imagery to create dynamic and unique works of art. The freedom of fluid acrylics, collage, stenciling and stamping gives her the freedom to play with unlimited possibilities. Faith has exhibited and hung in the Wollongong City Gallery, Project Contemporary Artspace, Juanits Gallery in Austinmer. She has also been selected and hung in the Fishers Ghost, Thirroul Seaside Arts festival, Waverly Art Prize to name a few. Faith has run many successful art workshops and specializes in teaching adult beginners.
Gareth Smith has been crafting and designing wooden surfboards for the last 10 years. An avid surfer and artist his boards are made with the surfer in mind. He takes great pride in researching, designing and replicating the boards of yesteryear. These boards have been carefully crafted, sealed both inside and out, and built to surf and to last. Each board is suitable to certain waves and conditions. The weight of the wooden board provides a glide and momentum different from todays boards and is a must have for any avid surfer's collection. Art is something that has always had pride of place on Gareth's boards and now uses his handcrafted wooden boards to display and compliment his functional artwork.
Photocopied (copyright free) images onto paper. Coated with emulsion, adhered to timber and allowed to dry. Wetted paper and gently rubbed to remove paper residue. Only ink from print remains to penetrate into timber substance. Coated with clear water based acrylic to protect and highlight image ad timber grain.
Heather Philpott is an emerging self-taught artist and long-time creative. She grew up in the southern suburbs of Sydney and 20years ago moved to the south coast of New South Wales to build a nest 150 metres from the “Big Blue”, otherwise known as the Pacific Ocean. Heather has a passion for capturing beautiful ocean moments in acrylic paintings, exploring the wondrous aquamarines of the water, greys of stormy skies, the secret golds and pinks of dawn and the soft hues of dusk. She likes to portray the life of the human form engaging with the “Big Blue” and the feelings of joy, rapture, delight reflection, peace, contemplation and freedom that the ocean brings. She is at home when she is immersed in nature, lost in her garden or walking her dog along the coastline. Heather is fascinated by flowers, seed pods, driftwood and cloud formations. These will sometimes sneak into her artwork too. Heather draws her inspiration from Papa God, the ultimate creative.
My imagination runs free like the ocean. I remember as a child I would run along an empty beach and I would sometimes imagine I was the only person living on the earth and I was a strong and peaceful warrior searching for a pirate lover and a new adventure. Now as an adult I have found my pirate and I hold my adventures in my right hand with a big old worn out paintbrush. I paint as if I am seeing things for the first time. I lose myself in my imagination and escape to a place where I feel free. No rules, no noise, no turmoil, just me being free. I love music and I love to dance. I taught dance and still dance to music as part of my fitness routine. Its a natural instinct of mine to dance when I hear music. This is the same natural instinct I have to just pick up a paintbrush and simply splash colours around. Painting for me is a very humbling experience for I am always learning. I am open to new ideas and I am open to mistakes. Its my way I release my inside energy. I allow the messy drops of paint to awkwardly do their thing. I honour my imagination and I am truly grateful for all that I have. Who knows what my next adventure will bring or what my next painting will be.
Born in South Africa, Jaqueline Burgess is an Australian painter. As a semi- finalist in the Doug Moran National Portrait prize in 2016- Jaqueline moves between portrait painting and landscapes painting. With early training in South Africa in Fine Art, Jaqueline travelled to Europe to work as an Artist, Muralist and Art teacher in a private school. Jaqueline creates works that reflect the Australian landscape. Her love of the ocean and coastline has influenced Jaquelines work so much so, that her works have been sold to many a buyer that recognise and fall involve with the fun and energetic paintings that depict the Australian way of life.
Jade’s passion for art began at a young age while growing up in a seaside town in England surrounded by creative eccentrics. Her neighbour was an amazing artist and she was captivated by her paintings. As she immersed herself into the creative world she discovered a passion for Life Drawing and Textile Design. She graduated with an honours degree and became a successful fashion designer working with high end fashion houses in both London and Sydney. She travelled the world designing beautiful garments and bringing them to life. She relished every bit of the exciting, glamorous life that was ‘Fashion’ but she also had a romantic vision of seaside life, a family, and painting… and in 2012 that dream came true when she moved to the beautiful town of Gerringong, where the mountains meet the sea. The magnificent landscapes in this spectacular part of the world allowed her desire for art to magnify. She had arrived…in her place, in her heart, in her mind and on this journey that she hopes brings happiness to you too. She paints in oils onto canvas. Her palette is pastel ‘ice-cream’ hues combined with pops of bright. She uses bold brush strokes, often with exaggerated tones. This past year has seen her work range from florals and the female figure, to animals and birds. She has recently ventured into a world of abstract seascapes inspired by the local beaches.
So often our days are a struggle. The paths we walk full of obstacles, hardships, and difficulties. Even heartache and darkness. Its on such days that we need to force ourselves to STOP! To LOOK UP! And despite what variety of darkness we stand in To REACH FOR THE STARS. To take a moment to breathe, look around us and then look up. To see the light in the darkness and even its beauty and reach for it. And feel the movement that we are part of, that surrounds us or even the movement in others that are effected by us. So reach for the stars. Be amazed at you. And reach higher than ever before.
I have been painting since a very young age and have always love the beauty of nature. During a recent journey to Crackenback in the Snowy mountains I was captured by the resilience of the Snow Gum. They survive through drought fire snow and grow in very difficult conditions. The amazing twisted textures and colours make them unique.
I am currently in my third year of a Fine Art degree at UNSW Art & Design. I returned to study after working for a decade as a fashion designer for Rusty Surfboards Australia and a stint working in private art gallery. My painting practice focuses on mental health and storytelling/folk tales. I am also interested in the materiality of paint itself and using colour to create meaning. My cricket bat design draws on 1970s Australian Cricket – abstracted through colour and form.
I describe myself as an artist with no particular formal training. My expertise has been honed from a lifetime of drawing and painting living and breathing all things art. At the insistence of friends I began teaching classes in 2013 which has been a constant joy to me ever since. I hold classes and workshops in the Illawarra area and take painting tours to Europe. Educated at St Mary's Star of the Sea, Wollongong then worked in a decorating company. However, art was never far from my mind and in the 1990's opened a gallery at Jamberoo. A decade of selling my art at trade fairs in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Hobart followed where I gained invaluable business experience.
Her works passionately explore technique, composition and colour through expressive textures and energetic tones. Known for her bright, vibrant and bold work, encompassing floral, life painting and abstraction of the landscape. Kerry has been successfully exhibiting over the last 12 years in Sydney, Melbourne, South Coast NSW and Rural Australia. Her works are now held in numerous corporate and private collections in Australia and around the World. Each artwork is unique – intuitively and spontaneously evolving through the practice of letting go and trusting. Kerry’s signature style can be attributed to the pure joy of creating and she is constantly evolving her dynamic approach to mark making.
I am a proud Murri woman of the Kamilaroi nation. This bat has markings that allow me to continue with the forbidden connection to my culture. The dragonfly reminds me of my childhood, swimming and playing with my cousins in the bore.
I have my own artworks at home that I have created but this is my first public exhibition experience! Very exciting 😊. My massage business name is Waves Of Aloha Hawaiian Massage and I am all for riding the waves of life the ups and downs and doing it with the aloha spirit, unconditional love for myself and others. And spreading and sharing the aloha spirit one massage at a time. My bat represents the waves of life riding what life throws at us, water is also healing and cleansing, the palm trees that offer us shade and shelter from the elements, and heights to climb to gain perspective when the storm consumes us. Living with aloha through it all!
"Hit with a Feather" Liz Donley painted kookaburra feathers to represent the Australian bush and her connection to Nature. Liz is a Sydney-based artist, retired and in her early sixties, she has been drawing and painting nature close-up for four decades. She is an environmental activist, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery art guide, oil and acrylic painter, obsessive gardener, and bushcare volunteer. She is a strong advocate for using art therapy to help heal her life, while nature nurtures. Liz Donley is a member of Oatley 101 Society of Artists.
For the past 30 years I’ve enjoyed beach combing along the east coast of Australia from Byron Bay to Bermagui. My collection has included shells, drifted and beach glass. It has been awesome to come across a worthy cause such as Willo Cricket Bats to use some of my beach glass collection and put them to good use.
I have always been fascinated with peoples lives and the way the human body expresses itself to tell a story. In particular I am drawn to the face. Each one of us is unique and when I sit and draw/paint a person whom I connect with, not only do I connect with their life story, I also connect to my own. Art for me isn't all about lines, colour, texture or tone, it is a medium that allows you to discover the inner you. I love that I have the ability to do what I do from the heart. Never stop creating.
Born in Paddington NSW, Maggie’s upbringing was colourful and enriched with French and Hungarian food, music and culture. “I’ve always been a creative soul, it doesn’t matter what I do, ‘Art’, is all over it. Maggie was a fulltime student at the Art and Technology of Make-up College back in the 1980’s studying under Dawn Swane, founder of the Three Arts Makeup Centre. She studied special effects makeup for film, television, theatre and high fashion, including wig making, hairdressing, sculpture and facial reconstruction. This set the foundation for her ability to sketch the face with intimate knowledge of its skeletal and muscular landscape. In 2005 she began studying Fine Arts at West Wollongong TAFE and today is enjoying the experience and the results of her works. In 2008 she won the Handler’s trophy for her Archibald entry of Illawarra’s children’s Author and book editor Sue Whiting at the Thirroul Seaside and Arts Festival. Maggie has been a Wollongong local since 1992 and has entered and exhibited in major art prizes in the Illawarra and Sydney. Her most recent works have been exhibited in collaboration with Science week 2017 and 2018 on the studies of portraiture where she co-authored a science journal with Professor Susan Hayes and a group of Red Point Artists. Maggie particularly enjoys painting portraits and challenging her abilities through exploring different methods and practices. She thrives on the expressive but maintains a calm and elegance about her work. Visit Wollongong Art gallery ‘Locals on board’ exhibition later this year in November to view her latest portrait on wood panel.
My name is Marguerite Bonwick, I live in the Southern Highlands NSW. I have completed an Associate Diploma in Fine Arts and a Bachelor of Teaching. I am a mother of children and until 2016 I was a full time carer to my disabled 16 year old daughter. Whilst I was parenting and caring I was able to intermittently revisit most of the artistic practices I learnt through Fine Arts. It has been and is now at this time in my life I am able to fully commit to my artistic journey. I am an evolving and diverse artist who loves to explore both, traditional art making methods as well as the new and contemporary. I enjoy using mixed media, acrylics, gouache, watercolour , oil paints, inks, graphite, charcoal and pastels. I implore many different mediums using various and sometimes experimental techniques. I enjoy working intuitively and allowing the artwork to guide me and take me on a journey.. one that I can engage with the viewer, inviting them to interpret the journey/ artwork for themselves. I enjoy researching Historical Artists and learning about their techniques and art making processes. I then explore these ideas within my own art making. I also enjoy attending life drawing sessions, using my sketches for painting references ...constantly aspiring to recreate the human form. I recently enjoyed a spate in Still life Studies inspired by the garden blooms. And am enjoying creating a series of Abstract Pieces that involve abstract thoughts on human relationships and our interconnectedness. The inspiration for my art is universal as I am constantly inspired by nature, life and its beauty. I like to simultaneously challenge and discipline myself extending my creative limits. My art is unique to me as it always comes from within. My application my portrayal ,my understanding of the theme and the subject matter is a direct and personal response from my heart,my soul.
I resided in Grand Junction, CO from 1980 to 2000 and I returned in April of 2018 from a sojourn in northwest Wyoming where I worked a variety of jobs while continuing to improve my art skills and further my artistic career in the areas of wildlife, Western, and landscape painting. I am now working solely as an artist. My primary medium is oil paint; I also work in watercolor, gouache, pastel, and acrylic. I paint wildlife, landscapes, portraits, and figures using contemporary and impressionistic style. I especially like creating dynamic compositions using animal and human figures in action and to capture “human emotion” as a means of using physical form to express my spiritual vision. A lifetime of learning sound principles and dedicated practice are both the means and the end to finding joy and fulfillment in my work. I have a vivid visual memory; this combined with a detailed knowledge of anatomy and gesture and a strong sense of design form the foundation of my work. Each brush stroke is the result of thoughtful observation of my experience or my artistic vision. Exceptional art will stimulate the spiritual senses by engaging the imagination. My objective is to create art that is more than an accurate depiction of an image—a powerful connection in the viewer’s imagination through the sense of recognition. I realize that the WHY is key to creating a powerful image; the more powerful the mental impression, the more beautiful and striking the creative expression. When there is a link to an emotion, an event, a truth, or a message, the result is a stronger impact upon the viewer. Painting my life experience both in the world and on canvas is my passion. Painting on canvas is an obvious concept, whereas, painting my life in the world implies seeing life as the ultimate form of creation. I have a Bachelor of Fine Art from the University of Northern Colorado with emphasis in the areas of: painting, drawing, printmaking, ceramics, and art history. I am represented by galleries in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and Idaho.
Marli is in year 7 at Woonona High School. She has grown up in the Illawarra and loves surfing and netball. Marli has done a lot of art and craft from a very young age and eventually would love to be a marine biologist.
Mel Kilby is a Shoalhaven based artist who has only been on the art scene for the past two years, due to juggling single parenting and her career in the Royal Australian Navy. Mel was initially inspired back into the creative space by her eldest daughter who has developed a natural talent and passion for Munga style character drawings. Mel’s earlier works were intricate in design using black fine tip markers and Zen tangle style patterns to create abstract work. This morphed then into using these patterns to create landscape black and whites. The time to create each work varying from four to nine months, then led Mel to explore acrylic pouring, due to restrictions in available time to create. After six months of exploration and experimentation with acrylic pouring, Mel started to produce works that people were wanting to purchase. Inspiration for these was still around capturing patterns, depth and texture to create abstract works. Photography also became a tool that enabled Mel to capture her world of patterns and textures with her recent abstract photograph ‘Shadow’ receiving highly commended by the judges, including artist Ben Quilty, for the Inaugural Napier Waller Art Prize held by the Australian War Memorial. Mel was also awarded the Sydney Mason Memorial Award at the recent Shoalhaven Art Society Open Exhibition with her artwork ‘Flame Trees’. Having served on a Royal Australian Navy Frigate in 1999 during a Gulf tour, Mel was able to use this service and experience to create this artwork of HMAS Newcastle on her recent Gulf tour.
Melissa Ritchie is an Australian figurative and portrait artist. With her quirky contemporary art style, she is much sort after for commissions. Melissa Ritchie is a finalist in the 2016 Archibald Prize, and has also been a finalist in the Percival Portrait Prize, Black Swan Portraiture Prize, Portia Geach Memorial Award, Shirley Hannan Portrait Prize and the Kigour Prize.
Australian Seascape Artist, Merrin Jeff grew up on the South East Coast of Australia. Living only minutes away from the magnificent coastline and beaches within Jervis Bay, from where she draws most of her inspiration. Merrin began pencil drawings horses and horse portraits as a young child, entering and winning local shows and community colouring in competitions. In her teens she started to experiment with oil paints, trying different techniques to get the effect she desired and over time developed her own unique style of painting. Her passion right from the start has always been the ocean and the beach, for which she sold many pieces to private collectors in her late teens. With work and family commitments, Merrin had to put her painting on hold for many years and only now, in the last 6 years has been able to resume painting full time. Building a studio in her back yard, she now has the time to paint and teach others her techniques. Merrin’s medium of choice is oil, as she finds it workable and vibrant, in saying that Merrin also paints with acrylic on her smaller artworks and when there are no time restraints. When choosing a subject Merrin always looks for character and perspective. Her paintings are not to look precise or exact, but a realistic impression of what she sees, put to canvas. Merrin likes to bring a depth of field to her art through perspective, shadows and detail, giving the viewer a look into their own private piece of paradise.
Nature has always been Odette’s inspiration to create art. She loves the world, the colours and the people which fuel her passion for art and wellbeing. Odette believes everyone is born with the need to create which in turn feeds the soul. Odette studied Fine Art (Painting) at West Wollongong TAFE. Her main love is painting with oils on canvas but also enjoys experimenting with acrylics and mixed media. She is a member of Barracks Art Studios Thirroul (BAST) where she currently has her studio. Odette finds it a privilege to be amongst other passionate and talented artists. Odette exhibits in various exhibitions in the Illawarra, Sydney and Southern Highlands. Odette has received Awards for: Thirroul Seaside and Arts Festival - Encouragement Prize Winner for a Miniature Painting 2014 and Pyrmont Art Prize – 1st Prize Winner 2011.
A Graphic Designer and Illustrator based on the South Coast, Paityn focuses on Monochromatic Art and Design. Her white on black style is inspired by the brain’s ability to make assumptions on what it sees and the power of simplicity. Her design serves as a reminder to remain free spirited, have an appetite for life and freedom of expression.
With over 25 years of experience as an exhibiting artist Paul Brennan has a diverse art practice that incorporates reclaimed surfboards and objects with a history to tell his visual story. Oil paintings,photography, pastel drawings, sculpture and Lino cuts focus on the unique beauty, light and movement found in the ocean environment and extends to the sensual curves of the female form. Local surf culture is an ever evolving inspiration for this south coast artist who strives to evoke the emotional response of being in the sea, on a wave or under water in his detailed oil paintings. Paul’s work has been exhibited in many local and regional galleries and is featured in many art collections Australia wide.
“My sketches and drawings bring to life the quirky characters and personas from my imagination. I am inspired by everything funky and unique there is to discover in people, therefore painting and drawing portraits interest me with not one portrait turning out the same. It’s often within the imperfections and quirks that we find the most beauty”.
Rebecca Brennan is an award winning photographer and visual artist exhibiting in solo and group exhibitions on the far south coast, Wollongong, Sydney and Western Australia. She facilitates art programs, art process and all art media in both workshops and weekly classes from the Timbermill Studios in Bulli. Rebecca teaches people living with disabilities and young adults fine art process leading to annual art exhibitions across the Illawarra. Her paintings are part of the Kiama and Wollongong Council collections. She was a winning artist with the Thirroul seaside festival in 2015-2016 and was a finalist in the Broken Hill outback prize in 2008.
Having lived in France and Greece for several years and travelled extensively throughout Europe, Renee acquires inspiration from her ever changing surroundings to create beautiful contemporary art. Now back home in Australia, Renee has formalised her studies by completing a four year Advanced Diploma in Fine Arts. Renee has a great energy and enthusiasm for painting in a variety of different genres and mediums. The freedom of watercolour, the unlimited expanse in landscape and the curves of the human figure are all fundamental elements in the creation of her desirable artworks. Looking to the natural beauty of her surrounding worlds, Renee captures the mood, harmony and rich palette of colours that effortlessly present themselves. Renee's works have been selected and hung in local restaurants, businesses and private homes throughout Australia and overseas. Renee also works closely with interior designers and stylists to customise artworks to suit their colour palette, wall size and individual style, making restyling your home that much easier.
Renee Miller creates artworks which lure viewers into a sense of nostalgic beauty with the aim to heal and inspire. Her abstract images are a fusion of reality and imagination, brought together with shapes and lines of the earth as if viewed from above. Taking inspiration from the incredible countryside she grew up in, where the farms meet the sea in the Great Lakes, NSW and infusing the colours she witnessed whilst living in the Northern Territory. She is effected deeply by the land and seascapes which hold healing properties and aims to bring that warmth, sense of calmness and stillness into peoples lives. If only just for a minute viewers are transported to a world which grounds them and joy is bestowed upon them her work as an artist is complete. Renee lives in Kirrawee Sydney, on the doorstep of the Royal National Park and is constantly inspired by the rock formations, patterns in nature and ever changing colours of the sea. She is holding her first exhibition later this year.
A love for the culture of family, colour and traditional motifs are gems of inspiration for artist Sam Van. The history of colonization between the Dutch and Indonesians has led to the embracing of multiculturalism through a new beginning in Australia for our family. Iconic motifs such as chevron and flowers are culturally identifiable. They are used together here to celebrate both the strength and gentleness. Crossing waters to find our place, mutually shared experience has brought us a lot of joy. Sam Van in an Australian artist, with Dutch heritage. Mulit-disciplinary, qualified in Fine Arts at both Wollongong TAFE and College of Fine Arts UNSW. Featured genres include clay, painting and photography. As a photographer, the series ‘Shine’ came Top 100 out of 35 000 entrants for Australian Photographer of the Year.
Samantha Arnull is an Artist who creates work that explores human frailty and reflections on the natural world; her work presents across sculpture, film, installation and works on paper. Samantha attended Art School at the University of Newcastle where she obtained a Master of Fine Art which she completed on exchange at the Bauhaus University in Germany. Always travelling and collecting she is now living in Thirroul on the Coal Coast and making work at the Timbermill Studios, in Bulli. Samantha is a teacher at Sydney Secondary College, Blackwattle Bay, Glebe; endeavouring to engage and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students through the HSC curriculum; concentrating on literacy, numeracy, Visual Arts, Photography and Aboriginal Studies. Samantha often uses text in her work; literally presenting questions but really seeking answers, she asks you to ponder, “the map is not (always) the terrain.” She is a founding member within a group of Artists, known as @activatedwalls whom regularly make site-specific work on the façade of La Piadina in Bondi. Samantha has been involved in the project for 4 years, creating paste up photographs and drawings spanning the building.
I have been a physiotherapist for many years but my first love was always art. I went back to Tafe before my first son was born and studied Fine Arts. This was a turning point for me. I have since had three children and have continued to create amongst the chaos. I have painted many things but I always gravitate to landscape. The Australian bush being my biggest muse. So happy to be involved in this exhibition.
Based on the south coast of NSW Australia, I grew up on a rural property with a lot of freedom and capacity to play imaginatively. I believe these early childhood experiences enriched my ability to surrender to the creative process. A particularly vivid memory is of a birthday party at the Riversdale property where Arthur Boyd was painting. Being only four years old I was not allowed to go to the river with the other children. I watched Boyd working and recall the paint splattered cement floor of the studio and sunlight streaming through the wide windows overlooking the river. I was excited by the way in which he approached his work with thick meaty strokes of paint. I was inspired by his freedom of expression. This triggered my resolve to become an artist. I describe myself as a social landscape painter. My goal is to explore the Australian identity, our stories and pastimes. I seek to create iconic images, which weave together stories of the land, its people and history. Through the use of nostalgic and sentimental elements sourced from all over Australia, I create works which speak to the people of their experiences. Construction offers a opening to access the subconscious through materials which in turn trigger the memories of childhood experiences and pastimes. I explore both rural and industrial landscapes and define myself as working in abstraction of the landscape. My use of materials and the interpretations of the places are always constructed through a highly intuitive process. In 2008 I returned to my rural roots, completing a residency at Bundanon. I was also chosen as a finalist in the prestigious Wynne prize at the AGNSW. Since commencing work in 2006 I have exhibited in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Alice Springs and China.
Art is a product of pure presence and passion. I believe people can create art in whatever they do by simply being present and passionate. Everyday is a blank canvas from which people can create any experiences. My art is reflective, reactive and part of my art practice has been to NOT think when I am creating. My creations are best when I am able to surrender and allow the art to flow through me. My pieces incorporate a combination of creative styles including contemporary, surrealism, expressionism and figurative elements. I am not restricted to one style and I thrive on the unpredictability of my creative self. Advice that I am always eager to give young artists is to create art from a space of curiosity and exploration. The liberty to express yourself through art is something really powerful and a therapeutic experience that I encourage many of my students to embrace. There has been such a fear built up about creativity - a fear of not being good enough or work not being realistic. I believe artistic expression is freeing and an amazing form of mediation, therapy, communication, entertainment and connection. I hope that every artist is able to experience the freedom of being creative by simply being present and showing passion in whatever they may do.
Born in Sydney Australia in the Eastern Suburbs of Greek and Australian extract was a very colourful experience to say the least. Both parents were creative so art was encouraged. Worked as a Veterinary Nurse, Gymnastics teacher, face and body artists for about 30 years . I would often create art whenever I could in between. After moving to Wollongong in the 90s I by chance enrolled in TAFE, Fine Art course in 2006 and it was a life and art changing experience. The rest is history. Currently I am working as an Art Educator at the Wollongong art gallery and have been involved in many community projects. I work with all mediums often using recycled materials collected. Being a member of IAVA, I have been a committee member and during that time I also managed the Hanging space art gallery at Woonona. Having a range of interests drives my focus towards various themes. Portraiture, environmental issues, capturing local and historic residences and landscapes. I have a love for nature and my surround which is expressed often through my art. I am currently working from ‘Barracks Art Studios Thirroul’.
This is Wills first cricket bat to be submitted for an exhibition. Will was supported by fellow artist Holly Eva who helped him bowl water bombs filled with paint onto the canvas. The kids from Flagstaff supported Will and helped spray some paint. We let it dry and the result was beautiful.

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