POSITIVITY THROUGH CREATIVITY
This is a series of online exhibitions that include contributions from right across the community – from young children to seniors, professional artists to some that have not picked up a paintbrush or pencil in a while!
Exhibition 4 – June 2020
Sharon Hare – Maryborough
By the Cliffs
Gouache
I was born and live locally in Maryborough. I studied art at school and haven't produced many artworks since! My mum encouraged me to take up the challenge again. l joined a small local art group who give lots of encouragement! Nature, the sea and everchanging skies are the inspiration for this work.
Gabriele Brauer – Maryborough Education Centre Art Teacher
Feathers, 2020
Watercolour on paper
This watercolour is a study of feathers I collected to draw on my beach walks during the holidays. I like the lines that are present in feathers if you look very closely, and looking for patterns in the natural world.
Elissa Parsons
By the River
Acrylic on canvas, 76 x 100cm
This painting follows the natural curved shapes and lines that already exist in nature.
Kirra P – Warrnambool (Aged 10)
Independence
Digial Artwork
About my art: I based it off of myself because I like to be independent, and my inspiration behind it is that we had to do it for a task at school, and independence describes my spirituality.
Daniel Dimopoulos – Campbells Creek (Aged 3)
Leaves
Diptych, Acrylic on paper
Leaves on the tree are green on the trees at the start of Autumn and brown/yellow on the ground by the end of Autumn.
Andrea Ebsworth – Maldon
China Ted
'Pique Assiette' Mosaic Sculpture
Goldfields Family Centre – kindergarten, Maryborough
Transport pictures by children in the Kookaburra group
Alora
Goldfields Family Centre – Maryborough
Blake
Goldfields Family Centre – Maryborough
Macy
Goldfields Family Centre – Maryborough
April
Goldfields Family Centre – Maryborough
Oliver F.
Goldfields Family Centre – Maryborough
Ashlyn
Goldfields Family Centre – Maryborough
Oliver L.
Goldfields Family Centre – Maryborough
Cooper
Goldfields Family Centre – Maryborough
William
Goldfields Family Centre – Maryborough
Beau
Goldfields Family Centre – Maryborough
Isabel
Goldfields Family Centre – Maryborough
Rhiley
Goldfields Family Centre – Maryborough
Dakoda
Goldfields Family Centre – Maryborough
Exhibition 3 – May 2020
Tenar Dwyer – Bealiba
Self Contained
Oil on linen
This painting is my attempt to offer a counterpoint to all the noise and fear surrounding the news about the coronavirus pandemic. I have attempted to capture the beauty and simplicity that can be found in aloneness and recreate the opportunity for stillness that this pandemic has provided all of us.
James Walsh – Aged 11, Maryborough
Cocky on a branch
Acrylic on paper
It’s a wild cocky sitting on a tree branch with sunflowers below in a open field of grass, dead grass, dried up lake and trees.
Patricia Walsh – Adelaide Lead, Maryborough
The Last Flower
Oil on canvas
No commitments, socialisation or routine means more free time to paint every day. A positive aspect of the Cornavirus for me.
Lylah Fraser – Aged 8, Maryborough
Blue Fire Dragon
Textas
I love dragons because they are really big, they can fly and breathe fire. There are also lots of dragon types and my favourite is the Electric Dragon because they spit out electricity and it also comes out of their wings when they fly super fast.
Jill Wyers – Havelock
Dipping into Gold
Photography
Living in the Goldfields does not present many opportunities for visiting the beach, therefore this digitally enhanced photograph conjures up in my mind that of the sensation of digging my toes into the sand which in turn is interpreted as factual memory.
Cara Lyon – Daisy Hill
Rainbow cat girl
Digital art
I loved making this.
Tyson Knight – Aged 11, Maryborough
Yo Kai watch Blasters
Texta and Sharpie pens, grey lead pencil
Jibanyan B fighting the dragon in the rain to put out the fire.
Smiley Williams – Elphinstone
Watercolour test
Watercolour on paper
I am somewhat new to this medium, I usually use oil or gouache. Its a challenging process and still full of mystery for me...but I will persist.
Dakoda Knight – Aged 4, Maryborough
The 3 Trolls
Texta and Sharpie pens
The 3 Trolls having a swim in the water.
Charlotte Brown – Aged 14
Curiosity
Acrylic paint and markers on paper 2020
A curious girl in a black forest curiously wondering what is beyond her view.
Taiya Knight – Aged 6, Maryborough
The crew and captain thunder
Texta and Sharpie pens
The crew is fighting captain thunder.
Vanessa Parker – Daisy Hill
Butterfly before first light
Digital Illustration
I love the metaphor a butterfly provides through times of change. Life is a cycle and by embracing the change, beauty will flourish. This is a woodcut inspired illustration that I created following an online tutorial my sister-in-law made.
Harper – Aged 4, Maryborough
Bubble art
Roxanne – Aged 3, Maryborough
Bubble art
Oliver – Aged 3, Maryborough
Rubber band art
Blaize – Aged 3 , Maryborough
Rubber band art
Emily Lucas – Aged 6.5, Castlemaine
Nature Collage
Grace Lucas – Aged 4.5, Castlemaine
Leaf person
Nature Collage
Oscar – Aged 23 months, Maryborough
Holley – Aged 12 months, Maryborough
Exhibition 2 – April 2020
Susan Campbell-Wright (from Amphitheatre)
Eat Ugly Fruit
Crochet with #40 cotton crochet thread
This doily is designed to prompt thought about the things that support our lives and where they come from in an age when many people seem to be detached from the realities of existence.
Jan Chapman
J & J's Life
Mixed Media
The work includes pictures, stamps, symbols and logos that represent all aspects of the lives of Jan’s sister Joyce and Joyce’s husband, including their hobbies, history, places they have lived and family, the work is full of lots of little details.
Chad McGoldrick-Ford (age 4)
Birds don't always eat spiders
Felt Pen
Sandy Coventry
Eggs, still life
Oil on Linen, 24 x 19cm
Using everyday things I had at home, my aim was to capture the sheen and glow of the eggshells, the play of light on the eggs and fabric to create a fairly minimal yet homely culinary image.
Carmen Ebinger
Majorca
Acrylic
This little painting is of the scenery from my front window, of a neighbour's property. I was looking out the window one day and saw the storm clouds brewing and thought this would make a wonderful painting. I look at it every day and despite the darkening sky, instantly feel at peace.
Andrea Ebsworth
One person's view is another's pile of dishes
Ceramic sculpture
It has always been a desire of mine to stack a range of functional pieces together and fire them as a sculpture. It was recently displayed as part of the Maldon Art Walk for the Castlemaine State Festival in the front window of the Maldon Butchers.
Christine Fletcher
Lilliums
Watercolour
Flowers bring a smile too. These looked lovely in the light and my aim was to capture them as they appeared. Flowers can be a boost to our spirits, a reminder of the beauty in the world and the perfection and peace of nature at its’ best.
Ellen Hansa
Untitled
Ceramic
In these dark times I needed to bring a little joy into my life.
Rosy Hardress (from Talbot)
Textile and teapot sculpture
I love rescuing unloved teapots and dressing them with exaggerated, whimsical tea cosies.
Christopher Orr (from Maryborough)
Summer's gift. Elwood foreshore.
Oil on board, 60 x 90cm
The work is not especially ‘new’ but one in which should uplift during these troubled times. It was created in response to the need to simply get out into nature, and how easy is it to walk along a beach and smell the sea air and feel the breezes of a summer day? Ahh, enough said, enjoy!
Elissa Parsons
Along the way
Acrylic and Fine point pen on canvas, 2 x 50 x 40cm
This piece reflected my desire to get back to simplicity and a sense of calm expressed by the colour selection.
Deb Sealey (from Dunolly)
Frangipani
Acrylic on canvas board, 30cm x 30cm
This painting is one of a series that I have done which I have also simply titled 'My Florals'
Michael Watson
Isolation Self Portrait
Oil, 31/03/20
Amidst these dreary and uncertain times, I've decided to take a step back from colour and work tonally. Focusing on chiaroscuro and simplification, this is my latest oil painting. Back to the fundamentals.
Exhibition 1 – April 2020
Welcome to the first Positivity Through Creativity exhibition.
This is the first in a series of online exhibitions presented by Central Goldfields Art Gallery that presents art work made right across our local and wider community. We are thrilled by the response to our call out!
We are all creative. Creativity lifts our spirits, it helps us to share our experiences, and gain an insight into how others may be thinking and feeling. We are all connected and an exhibition like this, at this time, is really important.
Now's a chance to get out a paintbrush or pencils, take photographs or make a sculpture out of things you have lying around the house. We seek contributions from children through to professional artists. This is an ongoing opportunity for everyone!
Looking at this selection of work lifts my spirit. It makes me realise again the innate creativity in us all. From the joy of a rainbow as depicted by Emily Lucas through to Ian Kemp's abstraction of what he observed on a one hour walk around his local block. Inspiration comes from many sources and we all have the capacity to express it in so many ways.
I am proud to launch Positivity Through Creativity and look forward to the next exhibition, which may well include your work!
Noel Harvey OAM
Chief Administrator,
Central Goldfields Shire
03-04-2020
Zoe Amor
Cross Pollination II , 2020
Bronze Sculpture on Plaster Base
This work extends my sculptural series Life on Earth/Cross – pollination; giving expression to an essential environmental, cultural and evolutionary phenomena with a focus on the qualities of bees whose actions, anatomy and structures have changed little since the Jurassic period.
Jennifer Bacon
Memories are made of this
Quilted textile, December 2019
Did you know that scent is one of the strongest triggers of memory? These old fashioned roses remind me of Jessie and Alice, my grandmothers, who inspired me to garden, to sew and to love and make art.
Lucinda Kaptein Gringel – Aged 7
Love of Nature
Coloured pencil and felt tip pen on paper, March 2020
Nature is very inspiring. I love it a lot I always will. With my Mum there to guide me my love for nature will only get bigger. PS. from Lucinda
Ian Kemp
Untitled 2020
Being inspired by the work of Maarten Rots, a Dutch photographer, I took a one hour walk around a few blocks in the Ballarat CBD to look for abstract details in the streetscape. This is one of the images that resulted in the process.
Emily Lucas – Aged 6 years
Untitled
Acrylic paint on paper, March 2020
It's a rainbow with rain coming down. When rain and sun mix together they make a rainbow. And I love rainbows.
Grace Lucas – Aged 4.5 years
Untitled
Acrylic paint on paper, March 2020
They are Easter eggs. The green ones are lollies.
Brendon Nicholl
Smokey Light 2020
Oil on linen
The smoke was in the air even though the fire was far away. The light was notable and with favourable conditions for a couple of hours, I was able to paint this quickly. Later, I had fun with the recycled frame, glazing it until I got the right effect.
Kay Parkin
Untitled, Glass Mosaic,
created 6–7 years ago
This is my second attempt at working with beautiful glass to create a mosaic tile. Unfortunately I haven't had time to continue with this until now, and my ambition is to attend a Deborah Halpern workshop.
Desma Wannenmacher
Japanese Water Iris water
Textile art, wall hanging, designed and sewn by Desma
Technique: Broderie Perse; Fabric: Japanese Kimono Fabric; Hand appliqué and quilting
Smiley Williams
Studio oil 2020, 41 x 71 cm
This oil painting on linen, was completed in my studio from a smaller gouache that was initially painted at Mt Tarrengower, near Maldon, in Central Victoria.
We know that the current COVID-19 pandemic is negatively affecting the incomes of many artists. While the role of a public art gallery is not to sell artwork, if you are interested in any of the artworks you see in the Positivity Through Creativity exhibitions, please email us with the details of the artwork you are interested in and we will send on your contact details to the artist and a potential purchase can be arranged between both parties (the gallery will not be involved in any potential sales of artwork).