During the Festival of the Walks in the hinterland, it is great to see the emphasis on the natural beauty of the area and how it has inspired people in different ways. Artists have drawn from the array of local flora and fauna and have even gravitated to settle in the region because of this and some of the results can be seen at Art on Cairncross’ gallery throughout September.
Deidre Ryan, an avid bird-watcher as well as artist, has an unusual way of painting birds in great detail but against seemingly abstract backgrounds. This gives an added dimension and intrigue to the works by highlighting each individual bird, but providing an ever- changing story to the scene. In marked contrast to this approach are Spencer’s contemporary oils of lorikeets and cockatoos, with a style that aptly conveys the noise and movement of the birds..
Other native birds such as brolgas are beautifully captured by Tom McAulay in their natural habitat and the elegance of egrets and jacanas can be seen in commanding watercolours by Rex Backhaus-Smith.
These paintings are all complimented by the quirky ceramic and steel sculptures by James Peterson. His ability to create artworks with the individual quirky personalities of kookaburras and owls, as well as possums and platypus, raises a smile from the art lover. However, some of his ‘stacks’ of creatures also have a more serious message about the dwindling amount of native habitat in the world.
The bronze sculptures by Chris Gavins focus on the delicacy of small birds like fairy wrens. He is another artist with a true passion for the wildlife he represents, from lizards to bilbys to the buff- breasted kingfisher.
The different walks around the Blackall Range are home to many of the animals reflected in this exhibition and hopefully, one of the walks both visitors and locals might choose is a leisurely stroll through the gallery!
“Walk on the Wild Side” at Art on Cairncross, Cairncross Corner, Maleny is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm or see www.artoncairncross.com.au
Leave a Reply