Ann, whose work has appeared on several occasions in Australian Artist Magazine, is an award winning artist and teacher with over 25 years experience, holding an Associate Dip. Fine Arts. Ann is a dedicated teacher with a philosophy that a sound foundation and understanding of materials and fundamental techniques will assist in the freedom to develop independent creativity. Ann works in a diverse range of mediums, which include Oils, Pastels, Acrylics and Collage and describes her style as “conceptual representational art”. Ann’s main focus is on figurative works and portraiture. MORE
Helen's images represent her passion and love of photography, colour and design. Having studied and graduated in Interior Decorating and further studies in colour and design in the 70's, colour and design have always been at the forefront of her interest in art, fabrics and fashion. Helen developed a miniature style of painting incorporating Australian bush flowers and her work was available to an international market via The Australian Image Gallery in The Rocks - over a 7 year period Helen was part of many successful exhibitions and occasionally has been invited back to exhibit as a guest artist. Helen continues to pursue watercolour and since travelling to Morocco with nine other artists, has been inspired by this unique experience leading to quite a few desert travellers walking across her Arches watercolour paper. Helen draws her inspiration from photographs taken on trips to Shanghai, Beijing, Morocco, Italy, Spain, U.K., New Zealand, Tasmania and locally. Helen displays her watercolour miniatures and gift cards in The Gosford Regional Gallery, Edogawa Koi Gardens Gift Shop. Helen’s painting of ’Newsworthy’ was recently hung in the Gosford Art Prize Exhibition 2015. ‘Dock of the Bay’ won a prize in the most recent Grandma Moses Exhibition 2015. At the end of 2015 Helen was accepted as an Exhibiting Member of the Ku-ring-gai Art Society Inc and continues to exhibit with the Central Coast Watercolour Society, 5 Lands, Killcare annual art show and other exhibitions. Helen has been hung twice in Gosford Art Show, 2016 with Case for Books and 2017 with Venice in Indigo. Also in 2017 Guest Artist at Easter Exhibition for CCWCS and continues to exhibit at the Ku-ring-Gai Art Exhibitions 3 times a year. Also completed 12 Dog portrait commissions this year and involved in open studios with 5 Lands Art Trail and 3 exhibitions related to this community organisation. MORE
Helen Cunningham "Landscape" watercolour
Norma Dunston 1/96 Ridgeway Rd Avoca Beach
Norma works in oils, acrylics and the medium of collage. "The environment is my subject: the rich flora and fauna of the Rainforest and strong earth tones of the Kimberleys. I like to paint my impressions, my feelings of the many landforms I have journeyed over. During the last two years I have been experimenting with natural vegetation to dye various fabrics, stitching them together with silken threads to form landscapes and also using them in a soft sculpture. I have always been a gatherer of shells, seed pods, leaves and rocks and have recently decorated driftwood totem poles with them as symbolic links between my artworks." MORE
Norma Dunston (mixed media)
Suzanne Newman 45 Hillside Rd Avoca Beach www.suzannenewman.org Facebook / Instagram Suzanne Newman's current focus is semi abstract acrylic painting inspired by the things that give her joy - nature, people and life. Expressing complexity simply, utilising different techniques, Suzanne's journey is best described as responding to that which captures her, rather than her own attempts to capture something. Valuing the the ability to create feeling through expression, taking you beyond what you see, you are left with a fresh and joyous experience through her work. Suzanne has painted all her life and grew up on the Central Coast with a love for beach life. Her journey began as a folk artist and teacher. Suzanne has taught workshops, seeing those she teaches rise to confident new levels. In 1998 Suzanne desired to break out of the folk genre and expand into impressionistic landscapes, which she sold locally. In 2004 her Oma passed away and she decided to paint a portrait of her Oma to help with the grief of her loss, which then led to a series of family portraits in the years following. In 2015 Suzanne went back to her Dutch roots in Europe and had the privilege of painting in Monet's garden in the South of France from which a period of impressionistic paintings unfolded. Suzanne enjoys exploring new techniques and is currently completing her Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art). Suzanne has four solo exhibit on the Central Coast and has recently opened her own Studio Gallery, the Suzanne Newman Fine Art Studio Gallery.
"Suzanne Newman is an emerging artist local to the Central Coast. Her gallery is a delight for the senses with creative displays of her work, ranging from bold use of primary colour, impressionism, abstraction, using experimental textures as well as a good range of canvas sizes. Her subjects are mostly coastal as she paints to create a sense of joy both for herself and for the viewer. Keep an eye on Suzanne, I believe there's much more within her yet and she has the true qualities of enduring greatness as an artist" - Ruth Athanasio
Paul Macklin The Art Farm Studio and Gallery Cnr Scenic Rd and Dajani Dr MacMasters Beach facebook /instagram
Paul Macklin is a passionate artist, art teacher and creative mentor. In his sixty-three years he has expressed his creativity as poet, musician, potter, painter, actor, graphic designer, creative director, as the founder of Amazing People and as creative mentor to both artists and entrepreneurs. Paul divides his time between his family, farm, painting, Amazing People, teaching art and art adventures. Paul has been engaged in group and solo exhibitions on the Central Coast NSW and in numerous art education initiatives including the Arkaroola Art Adventure, Hawkesbury Art Adventure, Sketch Club Coordination and Finding YOUR Way creative transformation workshops and private, creative mentoring. Paul was a finalist in the 2019 Gosford Art Prize. Paul’s art balances traditional elements of draftsmanship, structure and form with the creative interplay of abstraction and expression inspired from landscape, figure and dreams. Paul is a consummate learner and he engages those around him in his passionate exploration of art and life. His great joy is to walk the path of discovery, with no fixed destination, while helping others step more confidently into their creative journey. Paul is equally at home helping students explore traditional principles of drawing, design; form, perspective and colour as he is embarking on more exploratory and expressive creative journeys.
“I see that we all have a zone at the edge of our experience where we have the opportunity to learn, to step into the unknown. We can do that by starting with known principles and expanding towards the edge, or simply by stepping off and learning to fly. My job is to help students discover their own method for confidently extending their creative practice.” See more of Paul’s work at Paul Macklin Artist on Facebook and Instagram.
Camelle Denny 33 Shelly Beach Road, Empire Bay facebook.com/CamelleDennyFineArt
Artist Camelle Denny is a contemporary oil painter mostly self taught and has travelled for many years receiving plenty of inspiration and memories often depicted in her paintings. Oil is her medium of choice. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” where we all see and appreciate art differently. We come to art from all walks of life. “Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures” (Henry Ward Beecher) Camelle changes her technique and subjects often, from beloved pet portraits to mountains to seascapes with occasional paintings influenced by the “Northern Lights” as in her “Energy of Light” paintings. Painting from her heart, being inspired by the awesome power and beauty of nature’s stillness, yet always moving whilst trying to capture her elements as she sees and feels them. For Camelle, art is a visual expression of emotions. Music is her companion as she paints and can sometimes determine the outcome! MORE
Janet Hoyer Cobb gained a diploma in Figurative Art and Portraiture from Julian Ashton Art School, followed by 2 years of tonal studies with Graham Inson. She has also studied sculpture at both the Rhok Academie in Brussels and Tom Bass in Sydney. Originally a landscape painter her love of figurative art evolved as she immersed herself, exploring contemporary figurative art, in major galleries and collections whilst living in Europe. ‘Drawing is the foundation for my art work, executed in a wide variety of mediums, where I enjoy the tactile connection created by line in both edge and surface quality. Abstracted design underpins my artworks enjoying exploring the emotional impact of space and rhythm within the framework of Contemporary Realism’ Janet runs classes in Life Drawing and Workshops in Portrait Drawing and Watercolours at her Avoca studio. She has won many prizes, has had 10 solo exhibitions in Australia and Overseas and participated in numerous group shows. Her work is included in public and private International and Australian collections. MORE
Janet Hoyer Cobb "Reflection you may come tomorrow" (oil on canvas)
Willemina Villari creates mostly abstract pieces in 2D and 3D. Her creative process is driven by her interest in form, balance and colour and her desire to explore the possibilities of working with a variety of materials including wire, wood, stone and mixed media and collage on paper. She draws inspiration from the environment she lives in near the ocean and the bush. She has a Bachelor of Fine Art majoring in Sculpture from the National Art School (2001) and has participated in many exhibitions in Sydney, Adelaide, Byron Bay, Avoca Beach and New Zealand including numerous times in Sculpture by the Sea, the Paddington Art Prize and the Gosford Art Prize of which she was the overall winner in 2008 and the winner of the sculpture prize in 2009. She won the Artist’s choice award at Art in the Open at the 5 Lands Walk event on the Central Coast and the Mayor’s Prize at Sculpture at Sawmillers in Sydney in 2016. Her passion as a tutor is to inspire others to create.
Born in New Zealand, Margaret came to Sydney as an eager young display artist in the 1960’s and immediately supplemented her income by painting portraits. She is largely self-taught, with short stints at East Sydney TAFE (now National Art School) and more recently 3 years at the Sydney Gallery School. In the past decade Margaret has won many awards and her paintings have sold exceptionally well in a variety of exhibitions and galleries across Australia. Her paintings on silk are also popular internationally and hang in overseas collections in Canada, Japan, Korea, England, New Zealand and the USA. Margaret is mainly a two-dimensional artist and an occasional sculptor – two modes of creative practice that capture her love of natural beauty and quirkiness of spirit. Gathering inspiration from the idyllic environment in which she lives and her love of travel, she prefers to create her own images rather than duplicate actual places. Recognised for her unique techniques for painting on silk, Margaret has discovered a challenging, but very effective way of bringing to life the brilliant colours, deep reflections and subtleness of the Australian landscape. In a world often pre-occupied with materialism and ‘belongings’, it is Margaret’s desire to reawaken in people an awareness of the simple beauty of our natural surroundings, and the pleasures and rewards that come from it. By way of contrast, and to keep things interesting, Margaret’s etchings enable her to make social comments on things close to her heart. Margaret’s sculptures and works on canvas evoke a sense of humour and provoke thought about the modern world.
Jiri is a professional jazz musician and visual artist (a definition of poverty!) with a passion for classic jazz and sculpture created from pianos and found objects. Having played jazz from the early 60’s and developing his drawing skills since the 70’s, Jiri has been fascinated since the 90’s by the metamorphosis of one beautiful object – the piano and its visual sounds.When a piano is no longer serviceable we can say: The Piano is dead – long live the Piano
