Visual Arts

My socially engaged practice involves facilitating collective, social food growing and art making within the local Blue Mountains community and with young people in a public high school setting. I am currently a PhD Candidate in social design at the University of Technology Sydney, looking at the role of civic fresh food initiatives in creating greater social and environmental health and community care mending social fragmentation and environmental degradation.

I am an artist working across sculpture, drawing and installation, using a wide range of media.

I am a contemporary artist with my new found mediums of paint and ceramics. The study of colour and developing my own visual language is something I am working on daily.

I am a lyrical figurative artist, focussing on stories about our human condition. My painting practice is drawing-based and employs elements of juxtaposition, trompe l'oeil and memory.

Jaz Kalman is an emerging visual artist based in the Blue Mountains, NSW, whose practice explores identity and expression through semi-realistic portraiture. A recent graduate of TAFE NSW’s Visual Arts program, Jaz works primarily in drawing and painting, blending traditional techniques with contemporary influences to create bold, character-driven works. Their portraits often draw on pop culture, infusing familiar imagery with emotional nuance and a sharp eye for detail. As they continue to develop their practice, Jaz brings curiosity, technical skill, and a distinct illustrative voice to each piece. They are available for commissions and collaborative projects and is committed to expanding their presence in the regional arts scene. Recent awards include The MTNS MADE Industry Award, Outstanding Achievement in Drawing and Highly Commended in Printmaking from NSW TAFE.

Maree O’Brien is an emerging Wiradjuri visual artist based in the Blue Mountains, NSW. Working primarily in painting and jewellery, her practice is grounded in storytelling, exploring themes of cultural identity, connection to Country, and personal memory. Maree is currently studying visual arts at TAFE NSW, where she is expanding her skills and refining her creative voice. Her work draws inspiration from her Wiradjuri heritage and the landscapes around her, using traditional and contemporary materials to express stories of belonging, resilience, and self-discovery. Maree has exhibited works at the Blue Mountains City Art Gallery in Katoomba and Braemar Gallery in Springwood, sharing intimate pieces that reflect her cultural journey and evolving artistic practice. Her paintings often feature layered symbolism and earth-toned palettes, while her handmade jewellery incorporates natural forms and textures, honouring traditional knowledge and materials. Maree is available for commissions, and welcomes opportunities to collaborate with individuals and organisations who share an interest in First Nations perspectives and meaningful creative engagement.

....tbc

Modern Art Projects Blue Mountains (MAPBM) is a not-for-profit incorporated association that supports and advocates for the development, production and exhibition of contemporary, multi-form art in the Blue Mountains. MAPBM also aims to foster an independent environment that supports the development and practice of contemporary artists and curators and to engage with the wider Blue Mountains community in developing a new critical agenda for contemporary art in the region. MAPBM was established by a group of predominantly Blue Mountains-based artists. It is run by artists, curators and others who are interested in, and dedicated to, the promotion and advocacy of contemporary art. MAPBM has partnered with a number of organisations in developing innovative exhibitions and projects and has received funding from the Blue Mountains City of the Arts Trust, Create NSW, Festivals Australia, the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal and a range of other agencies and foundations.

SIRC_UIT is the joint practice of Katrina Noorbergen and Jan M. Walter. Operating as a Creative Studio working at the intersections of art, technology, performance and architecture, SIRC_UIT collaborates with artists, musicians, curators and technologists across digital, analog and experimental art forms to explore and redefine our interactions with technology, bridging the gap between traditional art forms and the digital world. Katrina Noorbergen is a cultural producer, performance curator, and leading arts worker based in Western Sydney, on Dharug and Gundungurra Land. After a decade-long international career as a touring musician and published songwriter, Katrina returned to Australia in 2015. She has since worked in pivotal roles at Carriageworks, the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre and Create NSW. Katrina Noorbergen is the Program Curator for SIRC_UIT, championing experimental performance practices in unconventional spaces, uplifting emerging artists and fostering creative collaboration on the fringes. Jan M. Walter is a French/German audio-visual and installation artist based in Western Sydney, on Dharug and Gundungurra Land, and the Founder of SIRC_UIT. In his practice, he designs and constructs temporary architecture using lighting elements built from the ground up. Mixed with layers of found and reject materials as well as decommissioned technological infrastructure he creates large-scale immersive installations that are driven by custom hardware and software. His work is influenced by humanity's descent into technological abundance, the obsolescence of its own productivity and the absurdity of Moore's Law and what it leaves behind.. SIRC_UIT has and continues to collaborate with a multitude of artists and organisations to deliver boundary-pushing independent programming across Australia and beyond.

I'm a landscape oil painter offering classes and private tutoring.

I'm Jordan T. Mystic—mural artist, illustrator, teacher, and father. I empower neurodiverse creatives through murals, mentoring, recycled art, and courses to create more creators.

Sara Elizabeth Joyce is a multidisciplinary artist exploring her trans identity through resin, production design, and film.

I am a contemporary writer and visual artist

Daniel López Lomelí is a multidisciplinary artist born in Mexico City and currently based in the Blue Mountains, Australia. With a background in architecture, the space where he first witnessed the vast scale of material waste, particularly plastics. Fascinated by their overlooked potential, he began collecting discarded polymers such as polyethylene terephthalate amongst many others to transform into sculptural works that question our relationship to plastic and its perceived disposability. In his hands, plastic becomes something dynamic: a gesture frozen in time, shaped through controlled heat and fire into forms that mimic weighty materials or emphasize the raw honesty of transformation. Central to his practice is a reverence for material memory and a deepening sense of ecological interconnectedness. Drawing from the Japanese concept of Kodama—spirits that inhabit trees, forests, and mountains—López Lomelí expands the idea to include plastic: an omnipresent material born of fossilized life, decayed over millennia, now shaping the rhythms of our daily existence. His sculptures embody what Donna Haraway terms the "Chthulucene"—a call for more curious, caring, and creative ways of living within our damaged world. Imbalance, for López Lomelí, is truthful. His asymmetrical forms celebrate imperfection as a form of equilibrium, reflecting a belief that we relate most deeply to the flawed, the broken, and the unfinished. Through these works, he invites viewers to reconsider value, origin, and agency—not as fixed, but as ever-evolving. Working across sculpture, installation, projection, and collective making, his recent projects investigate themes of transformation, identity, and time. In 2024, he was awarded the Casula Powerhouse Scholarship, which includes a forthcoming exhibition integrating his sculptural language with the site’s architecture.

Situated in Katoomba but working with clients the world over, I'm  experienced in  concept art, visual-development, matte-painting, storyboards and promotional art in the film, television, advertising, themed entertainment and games industries. Penrith-born and bred with over 20 years of industry experience. From mid-2005 to early 2016 I resided in Oslo, Norway where I was fortunate to work with some amazing and talented people on a number of awarding nominated and award-winning Norwegian films and AAA games titles. Along the way I also worked on concepts, key-frames, and storyboards for TV commercials, and I've illustrated the occasional book-cover. From 2016 to 2023 I lived and worked in Melbourne before moving to misty heights of the mountains in 2024. Film and Cinematic Entertainment concept art, storyboards and Matte-painting, Themed Entertainment and Attraction design, Museum and Exhibition design, Events design, Concepts for Video games, Television Commercials, VR, Book Illustration, and Education at the Tertiary level with RMIT in Melbourne are among the fields I've worked in. I have a passion for place-making, problem-solving, and story-telling through visual mediums. I love communicating a story, concept or idea through visuals that excite, engage and move, and I enjoy being a part of the collaborative effort to bring an idea or vision to fruition.

I am a contemporary artist

I am an interdisciplinary artist working across performance and visual art based in the Blue Mountains, Australia. Growing up in the former Soviet Union during the turbulent 1990s shaped my critical approach to narratives about the status quo. My work explores alternative forms of knowledge and modes of existence. Through performance and visual art, I examine expanded ways of perceiving and engaging with the world and the environment. My approach to performance art is strongly influenced by my visual arts background and my research in more-than-human choreographies. I work with objects as collaborators and my body as both medium and tool, generating 'living images' that transform the known into the unknown. Everyday objects, often overlooked, become active participants, revealing their own performative agency. This expanded practice seeks to explore ecological entanglements and non-human intelligence. I am currently undertaking a PhD in performance art and interdisciplinary practice at Macquarie University, Sydney, where my research focuses on more-than-human choreographies and extended mind theory. I investigate how human and non-human entities co-create within performative environments, expanding notions of agency and collaboration. My current artistic research includes developing performances in collaboration with weaver ants, working alongside Macquarie University researchers studying natural complex systems. These investigations have deepened my inquiry into interspecies co-creation and ecological intelligence in performance-making.

I paint outside 'plein air' to gather inspiration for larger painting in my studio. I love to be out in nature

I am an artist/designer based in the magical Blue Mountains. Pip and Pod is my design studio where I produce high quality sustainable prints, cards, calendars and wrapping paper inspired by the wild beauty around us. I'm passionate about living in a sustainable world — that’s why all my products are plastic-free, compostable and biodegradable. Creating beautiful products that are ethical and locally produced is a major focus of my artistic practice.

I am a textile artist working with natural plant dyes and sustainable practices

Samantha Lee Curran (she/her) is a queer poet, writer, and award-winning artist living on Dharug and Gundungurra land. She is the author of the poetry collection 'exposure to existence' (Alien Buddha Press, 2023) and 'blue is how i know you (Illographo Press, 2025) and her work has been published in several online and in print literary magazines. Samantha was chosen as a Vessels of Love poet for the inaugural City of Sydney poetry event in 2021 and was an Artist in Residence at Chateau d’Orquevaux in 2023, and exhibited her debut solo show ‘the rot and the raw’ at Gallery NWC, September 2024. She will be attending a residency at Studio Kura Japan in July 2025.

My home on Dharug and Gundungurra country is the source of my practice; I use leaves, bark and flowers from my surrounds and the wild places I travel to dye the threads and textiles I work with, gathering extra inspiration from thrifted materials. My dyed fabrics are soaked with the memory of the place they were dyed; similarly thrifted fabric holds memory of its past use. I work wherever I find myself: at home, in wild landscapes, in cars and libraries, allowing my needle to follow the line of a branch, rock or a thought. Stitches are my words; a journal of place and time, where memories and images overlay each other to form a landscape of life. I studied art at the Tin Sheds as part of my architecture degree, and have worked as a primary school teacher. I am currently studying a Master of Art Therapy, and I'm happiest stitching with a dog on my lap and a cup of tea beside me. You can find me @pippita_bennett_art.

My passion for painting has become the focus of my work. Landscape and urban landscape.

Fiona Davies’ art practice incorporates object, video, photography, projection, installation, performance, and curation, and is based in a trans disciplinary investigation into the power of systems, materials, and processes. A current focus is that expression of power in the patient/hospital interaction and specifically medicalised death in ICU.

Darius Guilford is an Australian visual artist and graphic designer living and working in the Blue Mountains near Sydney, Australia. The traditional lands of the Darug, Gundungarra and Wiradjuri people. With over three decades in graphic design and communication Darius brings strong design principles and disciplined process to his art practice. Darius’ work is non-objective and is based in formal considerations of shape, colour, tone, composition, and marks that can be created with various tools. He works with considered geometries and formal composition. The use of a strictly applied grid speaks to formal training in graphic design, his career for over 30 years. Darius uses formal compositional devises of proportion, division and repetition to provide scaffolding on which to build either complex or refined paintings. Choices of separated areas of colour, or overlapping layers, or precisely applied marks are the ways he chooses to explore what painting and drawing can be. Or at least what they can for him in his current practice. Darius explores the materiality of painting through process. At times he is exuberant in gesture, at others he chooses restraint. Both process and material become the subject of the finished work.

Phil has studied at the Julian Ashton Art School in Sydney and has also studied classical drawing and painting techniques in Italy at the Florence Academy of Art. Phil has been a finalist in a major realist drawing and painting prizes such as the Alice Bale and Kenneth Jack Memorial Award as well as being a finalist in the Percival Portrait Prize, Blue Mountains Portraits, Mudgee Portrait Prize and the National Portrait Gallery Darling Portrait Prize. Phil also teaches classical drawing and painting skills and techniques as well as artistic anatomy, and is available for commissions and workshops. Phil has run specialised workshops in areas such as silverpoint as well as classical atelier techniques and figurative drawing and painting.

When i reached 60 i found myself in a shitty situation. Short story, I started painting. Five years in Ive held three solo exhibitions, two in Katoomba and one in Glebe. Shortlisted for the Meerogal art prize, twice selected for the Newcastle Sea Mission’s art prize and out of 900 entries made it to the shortlist with Gorman’s collaboration for that seasons newest fabric design.

Helen Shields... is an arts practitioner living and working on Gundungurra and Darhug lands in the Blue Mountains of NSW. She holds qualifications in Chemistry, Fine Arts, Education and Design. Her work encompasses Fabric Design, Drawing, Painting, Collage and Ceramics.

I am a Photographer based in beautiful Leura, originally from the east coast of the United States. Growing up in a small country town, I was surrounded by the natural beauty of forests and farmland, which inspired her creativity at a young age. Throughout my life, I've worked with both film and digital. I work across many genres of photography, creating imagery through Fine Art, Fashion, Portraits, Product, Documentary & Street, Landscape, Botanicals, Wildlife and more. As a creative, I also work with floristry, beadwork, embroidery, watercolour painting, pyrography, ceramics, textiles and illustration. Current and past clients have included Jasco, Eckersley's Art & Craft and Warin Wildflowers, Pip Magazine and various published Authors.

I am a painter and filmmaker. In 2007, I established Frogmouth Films making documentary and environmental, social justice pieces. I have had numerous solo shows and been part of group exhibitions and projects of both painting and films. I am also a contributor / camerawork on various Australian documentaries. I am currently in pre production on a documentary titled: UNSTOPPABLE CHANGE. My portrait of Blue Mountain's local Mary Waterford (OM), titled: Do What Calls Your Heart, won People's Choice at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre, 2025.

We are a sum of the people that have come before us, inspired by this I use the medium of paint to explore themes of family, everyday life and nature. My practice involves studies in plein air and sketches from old photographs using with each painting session expanding the generational through line and allowing self-discovery.

Textile artist and craftswoman, spinner and weaver, as well as a teacher and occasional portrait model. Creating in the Mountains. More to come, we're all a work in progress.