Painting

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

I am a painter and filmmaker. In 2007, I established Frogmouth Films making documentary and environmental, social justice pieces. I am currently in pre production on a documentary titled: Unstoppable Change. In 2024 I am also excited to be part of the Planetary Health group show, in September at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre. Other works include: 2023 Watermark (7:59 min), 2023 Ego's Garden (9:58 min), 2022, Changing the Story (10:44 min), 2021 Another Future (10:44 min), 2020 Esk (7:16min), 2019 Walking (home) (3:33 min), 2018 Courage for the Long Haul (14min) 2013 Knitting Nannas (21 min), 2011 Being with Her (40min), 2010 Throwing Out the Lies with the Birthwater (40min) Selected Solo exhibitions 2019​​ Courage: Painting, film and photography, Platform Gallery, Katoomba 2002 ​​From Away: Funded by NSW Regional Arts C.A.S.P. including site specific sculptural ​​​​installation in Kinchega National Park, exhibition in Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery, ​​​​weaving workshops, education kit for schools and video documentary. Contributor / camerawork 2022​​ Another Future and Hadrian projects with Textile Audio/ Eve Klein and Ensemble Offspring 2017​​ Sacrifice Zone, Cloudcatcher Media, David Lowe and Eve Jeffreys 2014​​ The Bentley Effect, Director Brendan Shoebridge 2013​​ Sydney Water Catchment, Lock the Gate from Undermining Australia, Coal ​​​​vs Communities, Director/editor: David Lowe.

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.

"Living in the Blue Mountains, I am lucky enough to be surrounded by the immense beauty of the National Park and feel constantly inspired to be creative. Nature is the source of inspiration for all of my artwork. Painting, for me, is an intuitive process of personal discovery. I love working with colour and texture, line and pattern to create art that I hope will uplift people.” My work is simultaneously personal and collective, referencing the emotional and spiritual landscape underpinning my work. Process I find a direct correlation between making art and living life. The harder I control the process, the more complex the journey. An Initial impulse to explore a particular colour palette seen in nature sparks my journey, and then, without a map, I explore, walking in the dark. The practice, then, is to trust my intuitive knowing. And the playful and mysterious unfolding of the work. My challenge, then, is to surrender to the materials continually and to remain present and attuned to allow the mediums to speak for themselves. I remain open to serendipity that will bring a new aliveness and freshness to the surface. Like music and poetry, I want to express rhythm, tone, melody, beauty and harmony in a visual expression.

The woodblock print is never a “blank canvas” and this organic nature of the medium is part of what I find so enticing about creating in this medium. In my works the voice of the wood and paper are often empowered to speak through the wood grain and paper fibres in the prints. I have studied and practiced art in a number of mediums, drawing, painting, etching and sculpture, however, I chose to work in woodblock because it is an accessible form and more environmentally and socially sustainable. Making woodblock prints is slow art and it is often small art. Some of my work uses recycled or found wood and most of my paper is handmade from bamboo, mulberry or hemp. In a world of climate change, species extinction, artificial life and rapidly increasing technology, the handmade woodblock print is an age old accessible medium that connects art and people. My woodblock prints demonstrate a number of printmaking techniques including single block, reduction block, multi block, jigsaw block and hand coloured prints.

Dr Mareike Gronwald is a German-born emerging artist and sociologist living in the Blue Mountains/ unceded Darug and Gundungurra land, exploring sociological questions through artistic practice. Mareike has always had a strong passion for art, drawing and painting from an early age. However, her desire to learn about how human societies function led her into the world of academia where she was working as a sociologist in national and international research projects in Hamburg and Mannheim, obtaining a PhD in Social Sciences from the University of Mannheim in 2013.Whilst working as an academic in Germany, Mareike has attended art classes in Mannheim and Berlin. In 2014, Mareike moved to Australia becoming a full-time mother, working casually as a German language teacher in the community. Artistically, Mareike has been learning with and from ceramic artist Kumari Abeydeera and visual artist Liz Bryan during this time. She has also taken painting classes at TAFE (run by artist Matthew Tome). Mareike’s art is strongly influenced by her ongoing interest in sociological questions specifically the role, acknowledgement and perception of women (and as woman identifying) in societies and their Gefühlswelten (sensorial and emotional experiences) as well as the (re-)discovery of connection with nature providing solace, healing and a feeling of belonging no matter of the cultural background, age, gender or socio-economic status. From an art-historical perspective, Mareike has been inspired by the painters of German expressionism (“Die Bruecke”, “Blauer Reiter”) who reflected on societal and political questions in their art while also dealing with the spiritual relationship between human beings and nature focussing on expressing emotions and internal processes through colour and form. Mareike is mainly working with acrylics and water colours from her home in Blackheath, exploring and experimenting with different degrees of abstraction and the intuitive finding of organic shapes and images revolving around nature, emotions and human-spiritual connections.

I am an expressive painter. I use acrylics and oils mostly. I love to describe the beauty, both urban and natural, that surrounds us. And dogs. I cannot resist painting the captivating canines.I am available for work by commission for pet portraits or any other idea that takes your fancy. I would love to make your vision a reality. Pop me an email at zoe@waggle.com. au 🐕💬❤️

I am an Illustrator, Textile Designer & Artist, based in the beautiful Blue Mountains, Australia, where I live with my family. My inspiration is regularly drawn from my immediate surrounds as well as native flora and fauna further afield. With a background in both Textile Design and Visual Art, my work has been showcased in galleries and fashion and homewares ranges both locally and internationally. I have also illustrated a number of children’s books including (the award-winning), Leonard the Lyrebird. I work in a variety of mediums, often combining hand-drawn or painted images with digital techniques.

Hello! I am an artist, pleasure activist and empowerment facilitator. Creativity flows through my veins, I have always been drawn to the arts and am passionate about sharing my journey of being human through my creative work. In 2012 I graduated from Sydney College of the Arts with a major in painting. Today my creative process is a method of revealing and reimagining the dynamic interplay between pleasure and power. I primarily create through digital collage, vibrantly weaving themes of spirituality, sensuality and empowerment. I create kaleidoscopic portals that celebrate human sexuality and call forth a new paradigm of relating. As a Kundalini Yoga Teacher and Sound Healer I also offer workshops and retreats and am currently creating a self love embodiment program called The Temple of Evolution. I am passionate about encouraging people to live a fulfilling and authentic life of radical self expression and aligned action. You can discover more about my story and offerings by visiting my website. I look forward to connecting with you. Big LOVE!

Ellie is an emerging Australian artist raised in the picturesque southern highlands and now residing in the Blue Mountains, NSW. Even as a newcomer to art world, she is already making her mark, having been selected as overall winner and abstract category winner in the 2023 Bluethumb art prize. She has also been selected finalist in multiple prestigious art prizes and hung in exhibitions Australia wide. Ellie is a contemporary artist whose work has a profound commitment to exploring the depths of the human experience, spirituality, and the interconnectedness of all of us. Ellie's artistic journey is marked by an unyielding dedication to her craft. Her work, characterised by lines that seem to come alive with movement, serves as a visual representation of the fluidity of life and our shared human experience. Her lines dance and intertwine, forming intricate patterns that evoke a sense of rhythm and vitality. Each piece she creates is a window into the unseen dimensions of existence, inviting viewers to contemplate the mysteries of the universe and their place within it. Central to Ellie's artistic vision is a deep reverence for the spiritual realm. Through her art, she seeks to transcend the limitations of the material world, inviting viewers to delve into the ethereal and connect with something greater than themselves. Her free-flowing lines become a conduit for spiritual exploration, guiding the observer on a journey of self-discovery and inner transformation. In Ellie's hands, art becomes a vehicle for transformation and self-discovery. Her lines are not mere static forms but living entities that breathe with life and energy. They seem to move and evolve, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the dynamic flow of existence. Join Ellie Sutton on her artistic odyssey, where every line, alive with movement, is a testament to the vibrant rhythms of life and an invitation to explore the boundless dimensions of the human experience and the interconnected tapestry of our souls.

An emerging resin artist, living and working in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales in Australia with my partner and 2 fur babies. Originally from suburban Melbourne, I grew up dreaming of becoming an artist, building and creating artworks that would make me (and hopefully others) smile. I discovered Resin Art after moving to the Blue Mountains where I took advantage of the world slowing down, allowing me time to daydream and get creative. Many of my artworks are inspired by local flora and fauna and the beautiful Australian landscapes while others are created from colourful daydreams. The sometimes-unpredictable nature of resin pouring means that there are often times when the pieces turn out nothing like what I had planned and 80% of the time they are even better. The abstract flow of the resin and the weights in the pigments mean each of the pieces have a depth to them that requires an appreciation in person. I hope you find a piece of my artwork that you want in your home or office as a statement piece that will bring a smile to your face whenever you look at it. Thank you for supporting this small business and independent artist.

To the Trees is the brainchild of Lauren Gero, a passionate artist whose goal is to encourage connection and love for the Earth and for each other. Living and working in the Blue Mountains, she is inspired by and protective of the natural world. This is done by creating heartfelt artworks and reproducing them in the most environmentally friendly ways available - using only 100% recycled paper, manufacturing all products within Australia and packaging with minimal to no plastic. To The Trees was the title of one of the first illustrations I created when I started out as a freelance illustrator in 2012. It depicts a person walking away from a city full of pollution and towards the trees. It is symbolic of the values that are so important to me in my personal and business life.

I live and work within the Country of the Darug and Gundungurra peoples, in the Blue Mountains and my work examines the relationship between humans and the plant world. After studying and working in Interior Architecture in Sydney, Brussels and Rotterdam, I fell in love with public art and the way it can transform the built environment. After winning two mural competitions in 2017, I launched my art practice and have been painting immersive botanical pieces ever since. I’ve developed a sensitivity to the way our environments affect our bodies and our minds so by painting oversized, abstract flora in soft and vibrant hues, I want to transport people to a place somewhere between a playground and a meditative space. Through my work, I hope to break down language and cultural barriers to create inclusive spaces for friends and strangers to enjoy together. As well as running a personal art practice, I’m interested in creating pieces for and with the community to allow them to access art and to experience its’ benefits in public spaces.

I am a visual artist, film maker, photographer, published writer and teacher. I have lived in the upper Blue Mountains for over 20 years. I have exhibited my work locally, nationally and internationally and my work is in both public and private collections. My art practice spans a mix of video, painting, photography and sculpture. I am available and keen to discuss new projects, exhibitions and collaborations.

Liz Bryan was born on Dharug land in the western suburbs of Sydney and currently resides in the unceded Dharug and Gundengurra lands in the Blue Mountains. Liz is a practicing designer/ artist working with drawing, painting, textiles and digital media. Her work is heavily influenced by her interest in esoteric knowledge, mythologies and ritual. She works with themes of womanhood, place, the hidden aspects of feminine history, the interplay between art & craft and the influence of science and mysticism in art. Liz completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts with honours at the National Art School, Sydney in 2002 majoring in printmaking. She received the Stella Downer printmaking award and the Robin Gibson Gallery graduate exhibition award. After relocating to Melbourne in 2003, Liz went on to study at The Victorian College of the Arts, receiving a Post Graduate Diploma Visual Arts in 2007. She was awarded the Felicity and Stuart Carter acquisitive prize for her drawings on completion of study. In 2014 Liz began studying textile design at TAFE in Ultimo. In 2015 she completed her Diploma and received the Think+ digitial print award, the Leap Frog screen printing award and was a NSW finalist in the GOTYA award in 2016. Liz is currently a visual arts teacher at TAFE at both Nepean and Blue Mountains campuses. She also teaches sessionally at Western Sydney University in the visual communications faculty.

I am currently working in acrylics, oil pastels, collage and with my ipad – abstraction, landscape and still life.

From Jennie's little garden studio, she creates art from Blue Mountains landscapes to quirky illustrative characters. She also runs one-off workshops and termly classes to share her knowledge and encourage others to create. Her most recent body of work encapsulates the exploration and rediscovery of the natural landscape of the Blue Mountains from the time of the pandemic lockdowns. From this came her first solo book LOOKOUT, in which she encourages you to discover lookouts, through the artists eye. Whether you appreciate differing art techniques or are looking for inspiration for your own art journey, within these pages you will find Jennie's local knowledge and artistic ramblings. Jennie's illustrative art brand is called Hiccup Art, so called as Jennie hiccups nearly every day. Her illustrations are quirky, sometimes whimsical, and often from her daydreaming imagination. Jennie has illustrated Children's books, created originals and art prints. Her love of sharing knowledge has also lead her to work with schools Artist in Residence programs, Art Camps and Children's workshops. Her LOOKOUT book, originals, prints and cards can be found in local galleries, book stores, visitor centres, boutique retail stores, online and local artisan markets. Please contact Jennie for wholesale enquiries, commissions, collaborations and creative workshops.

Born and raised in the Blue Mountains, I have always been drawn to incorporating my love of nature into my art. I create art that explores the themes of identity, our connections to nature and spirituality in this ever evolving world, with the multitude of new technologies we have available to us. My work spans the realms of painting, wool felting, digital, generative and photography. Over the past few years, I have exhibited my work in a number of galleries and shows across the world, including multiple exhibitions in both London & New York City. My work has been auctioned through a renowned Chinese auction house and has also been published in Australian Art Collector Magazine in 2021.

I am an Artist based in the beautiful Blue Mountains, west of Sydney Australia. Being a child of the Mid Century, I’ve held a lifelong fascination with modernist design and hope my work continues to convey that era’s strong sense of optimism, fun and happiness, traits that are somewhat lacking in these current times. On leaving school I trained in drafting and worked for a time in the Australia Square offices of Australia’s foremost modernist architect Harry Seidler. This led to a fascination with the geometric form and modernism which I explored through painting, dance and graphic design. I worked with my husband Timothy for many years in our entertainment company Achieving the Impossible, travelling and performing Magic and Illusion Shows extensively in Australia and abroad. As well as performing, I was responsible for costume, prop and set design as well as using my design skills in publicity and promotional material. Highlights included performing as the opening act for many entertainment legends including – James Taylor, Whoopie Goldberg and Shirley MacLaine. My larger paintings are currently Geometric Abstractions in acrylic. These explore the Perception of Movement, Shifting Planes and Points of Focus. There is an intersection between Op-Art, Hard-edge Geometric Abstraction and Colour Field painting that I love, and my larger works reflect this. As a Printmaker I spent many years exploring the “Reduction Process,” also known as “suicide prints.” I am currently producing Limited Edition Minimalist Block Prints in a Modernist style. Please visit my website or Instagram feed for recent work, news and invitations to Exhibitions & Open Studio Days.

Using drawing as primary research process, Wendy Tsai re-forms the information gained through observation and intuition into personal narratives that interrogate meaning and given-ness. While attracted to and nourished by the natural environment surrounding her home on Dharug and Gundungurra Country, in the Blue Mountains, Wendy also recognises the devastating impact of climate change and human interference, allowing this disquiet to inform her work, through intimate reveries that are both tangible and ethereal. Relying on an embodied knowledge of place, Wendy has a ritual of walking to experience and adapt to the idiosyncrasies of the natural world. She also photographs, collects and manipulates digitally the images that hold specific memories of place. Her drawings are an attempt to ‘be in’ place through a peaceable communion grounded in the landscape. Wendy regularly at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Gallery. She also has work in collections in Tasmania and in the Kedumba Drawing Collection.

Alison's lifelong passion for the creative arts has seen her pursue many successful ventures. Alison initially trained and taught as a high school visual arts teacher then, after having children, she developed a range of artistic businesses to fit in with raising her family; photography, greeting cards, painting and bespoke cake toppers. Engaging in further study, Alison completed a graduate diploma in art therapy in 2018 achieving a Dean’s merit award. In 2020 her ballpoint pen drawing ‘Billie” was a finalist in the M16 Drawing Prize. Alison’s Dogs of Springwood exhibition at Braemar Gallery early 2021 was tremendously successful with high attendance and sales. This body of work evolved into a children’s book ‘I Like Dogs’, delighting adults and children alike with the intricate ballpoint pen drawings of our canine friends. Alison is currently in high demand for her pet portraits and is also delving back into a former passion - ceramics. Her Misty mountains range is her newest project that will be available through the Visitor Information Centres and her web sight exclusively.

Working across multiple disciplines, I explore materialities and aesthetics of memory, experience and place, distilling these ephemeral qualities into a range of physical, visual forms. I explore expanded notions of drawing and painting, compositional abstraction, colour, collage, printmaking, casting (beeswax), assemblage, sound, digital and analogue photography and film. I engage with the languages and processes of collecting, grouping, making, reframing and composing to translate visceral experiences into tactile works. I manipulate materials, light and space, to tell personal stories contained within planar and architectural contexts. Compositions are restrained, with sympathetic relationships formed between materials, surface, space, and the viewer. Extraneous matter is eliminated via material opacity and colour fields, transforming feelings and experiences into veiled, sensual, quiet planar surfaces. The space is gently framed and delineated by the works' edges, providing an entry point for the viewer to focus on the field and find a sense of stillness. My practice also incorporates curation and production of collaborative, site-specific projects held within unique architectural spaces, that explore and expand ways of creating and presenting art forms, and enable deep audience engagement with art and place. Please contact me if you would like to commission a work or discuss a project.

Betty Smith is a multidisciplinary artist based in the Blue Mountains, N.S.W. Her works convey places and memories inspired by living in the Blue Mountains and travels to small Australian towns, all with a vibrant joyful aesthetic. Her style is described as naive; great artists such as Gustav Klimt, Henri Rousseau and David Hockney are among Betty's influencers. While depicting good natured scene in her artworks, Betty creates a new perspective by distorting proportion. In these deconstructed spaces she places her subject matter, mainly people in high spirits. Betty shows her work at local group exhibitions and this year held a very successful solo exhibition at Braemar gallery Springwood in March to April. Betty is also available for commissions. Contact her for queries or product sales on her website, bettysmithart.com.

For the past 30 years Corinne Loxton has practiced as a visual artist, painting ethereal land and skyscapes that reflect her deep connection with nature as a place of spiritual encounter. More than simply pictures of places or natural phenomena, her works evoke experiences of wonder, longing and consolation. In particular, Corinne’s work explores the intimate relationship she has with the landscape of the Blue Mountains, where she lives and works. The trees and rocks standing sentinel, the shifting light and colour, the clouds building or dispersing – these are the characters in Corinne’s paintings that speak metaphorically about the universal human conditions of loss and love, grief and joy, despair and hope. Corinne Loxton is a TEDx speaker and has received several awards, most notably the Elioth Gruner Art Prize awarded by the Art Gallery of NSW (1999), and a Residency at La Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris (2000). In 2014 she was selected as a finalist in the NSW Parliament Plein Air Art Prize and exhibited in NSW Parliament House. Currently living and working in the Blaxland, Corinne has travelled and exhibited widely. Recent solo shows include Passages, Paintings from Warrumbungles and Beyond, Into & Beyond, Blaxland Gallery & Studios, Spirit of Place, Braemar Gallery Springwood, Lagoon Landscapes, Rex-Livingston Art & Objects, Katoomba, The Elements, Emma's Cottage Vineyard Gallery, Hunter Valley and in 2016 Elemental Elegance, The Laussade Studio, Melbourne, and Land, Sea and Sky, Manyung Gallery Group, Malvern, Melbourne. Corinne’s paintings, workshops, blog and full CV can be viewed on her website.

My career in makeup artistry spans over twenty years and encompasses many media types, including film, television, theatre, events and now bridal! Most of my career has been spent working in film, and in 2016, I was awarded the Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling for my work on Mad Max – Fury Rd. Yet my most significant achievement was yet to come; in 2019, I gave birth to my first and only child, strengthening my resolve to work close to home; hence my bridal makeup business was also born. I adore working with brides. Helping them feel confident and beautiful on their wedding day is a privilege and joy.

Mount Victoria based multimedia artist whose practice explores concepts focusing on perception, technology, humanity and nature. My artwork aims to create evocative spaces using a 2.5D relief sculpture layering technique. My formal studies include a Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) and Post-graduate Dip Ed (Art & English) from Curtin University. Exhibiting since 1981 my work has been accepted for numerous group exhibitions including the Rick Amor Drawing Prize, National Art Gallery of Ballarat; Gallipoli Art Prize, Gascoyne Arts Prize (2021 runner up) and Blue Mountains City Art Gallery. In 2016 I held solo exhibitions at GalleryONE88 before becoming a partner in the Gallery Blackheath, an artist run cooperative – now closed due to COVID. As a longstanding committee member (former President) of the Mount Victoria Museum, I’ve helped stage and participated in several successful collaborative exhibitions with leading Blue Mountains contemporary art groups (Birdland2 with SLAB cooperative and Black & Blue 2 Blume Illustrated at BM Cultural Centre). Through the museum, I’ve successfully developed/project led several exhibitions including the award winning (MG&NSW Highly Commended) 150th of Railway to Mount Victoria. For the Mt Vic 150th I produced an animated historic photo projection and an oral history touchscreen system. Pop up 150th railway exhibitions for Bowenfels (Lithgow) and Blackheath were also successfully staged. My design work included graphic files for large format print banners, one of which is permanently displayed at Blackheath railway station. As an active management committee member of the Greater Blue Mountains Creative Arts Network, performing the company secretary role (former acting treasurer), I have experience with the logistics for developing and producing group art projects. GBMCAN aims to encourage the building of a stronger arts community across the Greater Blue Mountains by fostering member driven initiatives and building partnerships with other arts organisations and businesses.

I am a mum, counsellor ,practitioner in the disability sector and small business owner. I have been an artist since I was young and creativity runs through everything I do. I’ve always painted with acrylics or oils and loved printmaking. Over the last 2 years I have discovered painting with encaustic wax, and I have found my medium. The wax is malleable and rich, allowing me to build up surfaces with layers of wax and then work back through them with any object I like. The surface can be reworked in an instant and builds up possibilities for the process to take me where it will. When I connect with a place, it becomes part of me. Landscape and objects are my thing.

The Blue Mountains Cultural Centre showcases innovative, diverse, distinctive and creative cultural programs for enjoyment by residents of, and visitors to, the Blue Mountains. Located in the heart of Katoomba the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre encompasses the Blue Mountains City Art Gallery, Katoomba Library and Into the Blue, an interactive exhibition that explores the history and natural landscape of the Blue Mountains. Visitors can also enjoy the viewing platform that takes in stunning panoramic vistas of Katoomba and the Jamison Valley. Opened in 2012, the Blue Mountains City Art Gallery features major touring, curated, regional and local exhibitions. Its Altitude Exhibition Program is dedicated to showcasing artists who reside in the Blue Mountains Region. The Gallery also hosts many quality exhibition programs such as curator and artist talks, educational workshops, gallery tours and outreach programs. The Cultural Centre also hosts school holiday programs for kids, pop-up art activities, artisan markets, performances, and a wide range of community related events. The Blue Mountains Cultural Centre also features a Gallery Shop and Café, both of which aim to highlight local makers and produce. The Shop stocks a wide variety of quality Australian made gifts, books and homewares, with a focus on artisan products designed and made here in the Blue Mountains. The licensed Gallery Café has a particular focus on quality, locally produced ingredients. You can enjoy freshly roasted coffee, delicious cakes, and a seasonal menu while overlooking the magnificent Jamison Valley.

Karen is an Artist, Storyteller and Transpersonal Art Therapist. Her art and writing focuses on the ethereal and spiritual, with the aim to inspire. Karen produces her own offerings including products, online courses, kids art classes, and more. ART, PRODUCTS & COURSES WEBSITE www.karencurran.au

 OTHER As a transpersonal therapist Karen provides transformational guidance for those who wish to travel the inner journey and explore the root cause of complexities, grief, trauma and effects of anxiety or other issues, and turn them into an inner strength. THERAPY WEBSITE www.karencurran.com Karen’s private clients are mainly women and children - her services have a feminine and spiritual focus.