Art of the Flower and Garden 2013
The “Art of the Flower and Garden” competition will be shown in the Main Gallery, judged by garden designer,artist and horticulturalist Emma Lewellyn.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a floral art and creative garden display by Burra gardeners.
“Wide of the Mark”: Annex.
Recent watercolour paintings by Burra’s Glenys Christopher, to mark a special anniversary.
Glenys Christopher
“Seniwati: Bali Women Artists”: Bence Room. Toured to Burra by Bali resident and art lover Mary Northmore.
Opening 2pm Sunday September 29 with cranio- facial surgeon Prof. David J David AC and Balinese dancer, Putu Suta.
The Opening and Exhibits
Art of Flower Opening – Prof. David J. David
Judged by artist, horticulturalist and garden designer Emma Llewellyn.
Emma engages with a young art lover
An annual competition of visual, floral and children’s art that has become a Burra Gallery tradition, held since the gallery first opened its doors in 1996.
The winning works
Traditional Category (using media in a tried and tested way): Felicity Martin of Hallett with her work “Poached Egg Daisies”, hanging behind the desk.
Felicity Martin – Poached Egg Daisies – Acrylic – $695
Alternative Category (for work that is carried out in an experimental way): Una Grimshaw of Nuriootpa for her embroidered work “Memories of Elsewhere”.
Una Grimshaw – Memories of Elsewhere – pen & Ink, mixed fibre & embroidery – $400
Both prize-winners will receive a cheque for $400.
A clockwise trip around the gallery
Works by Julie Bruno have raw colour with fascinating subtleties in the detail. Fabulous titles “Power Flower” with enlarged reproductive parts and “Long Lantana Lunch” is a butterfly’s delight.
Violets are usually a delicate flower but look at these by Roland Weight. This rustic, rusty and witty welded sculpture would make an ideal exterior wall piece, the focus of a sunny garden.
Julianne Pulford’s colourful and dramatic mosaic planters seem to have a personal presence. They are made of bits of broken tiles and feature faces of dreaming queens and flighty garden nymphs.
Julianne Pulford – Golden Garden Planter – Mosaic – $400 – Merit Award
The paisley chair is a comfortable garden seat, a zany focus for secret nook or wide expanse. The price is justified because this chair will last and be a wonderful talking point when showing visitors round the garden.
A wall of flowers, delicate watercolours and bold acrylic – Barbara Michailescu from Northern Yorke Peninsula Art Group, our own Rae Gierke getting better and better with Glenys’ classes really paying off, Sharyn Sinclair a seasoned exhibitor in Burra with her dramatic painting, one of Glenys Christopher’s capable and inspired watercolours and a fruity group from Sandra Johnston. Sandra’s past experience was in china painting but see how she’s travelled, really making those coloured pencils work for her.
Sandra Johnston – Merit Award
Finally Adrienne Matthews’ loose and lovely mixed media “The Gift” and the stripey and beautifully observed “Lilies in my Garden” by Lorraine Winchester, another welcome visitor to Burra from Northern Yorke Peninsula.
Alternative Category winner Una Grimshaw’s “Memories of Elsewhere” is a mixture of mediums (pen and ink, fibre and embroidery) lost in time with a suggestion of contemporary textile techniques and a genuinely old-fashioned “chocolate box” English cottage.
Fresh and decorative are Janette Ireland’s bold pieces, in complementary colours for maximum effect, “Oriental Lily” and “A Gift of Tulips” – so reasonably priced!
Janette Ireland – Oriental Lilly & A Gift of Tulip
Two tree studies, digitally manipulated just for fun, and to enhance the mood of mystery, “Sacred garden” by Sarah Wallis and “Secrets” by Sara-Lea Parr, both local photographers. You will have noticed Sara’s snail on the leading edge of the entry plinth, hilariously titled “Free Garden Tours” and further works to come by Sarah Wallis.
Una Grimshaw’s “Green Scents” continues the journey into fantasy, ending this section with selected children’s works by primary students from Burra and Booborowie Schools:
Nick Jones
Keira Schuppan
Shelby ven Gasteren
Isaac Pearce
Ramona McGillivray Priedkalns
Harry Dunn
Dylan Booth
Bradke Stockman
Evin Cousins
Alice Tiver
Zara Wedding
They are talented artists at such a young age, to be encouraged in every way we can.
Anna Mycko – Merit Award
This gorgeous group, Anna Mycko’s outback miniature dioramas made of photos taken from her album and Allen Peters’ quirky “Tap” and “Mushrooms” fill the enclosed window space and go together perfectly in an eccentric kind of way. Anna has been exhibiting in Burra Gallery since the Oratunga exhibition in June 2012. Perhaps some volunteers and viewers remember her large floor installation and photographs of bones on red earth. Allen is also a frequent exhibitor, working at his forging and blacksmithing from a big beautiful shed near Hallett.
Allen Peters – Mushrooms – Metal – $130 – Merit Award – sold
An exotic and wildly coloured bunch of works is Sylvia Cooper’s “Rosa Tamora” and “Cyclamen” using her newly discovered photographic techniques to full advantage, Heather Wadrop’s “Jon’s Roses”, Glenys Christopher’s “Happy Hippy” and “A Tangle of Tulips”, and the gem-like green framed “Strelitzia” by Gabrielle Morgan forming a link with Len Bence’s “Nude with Mexican Fish” in the Corridor – check it out!
Putu Suta – Butterfly Dance
A specially selected wall makes up the backdrop for Putu Suta’s “Butterfly Dance” performed at the opening. It comprises works from many of our artists. The school children will be in soon and we’ll soon see what they make of it.
Further on from our “wall spectacular” are Suzy Tilley’s bright and breezy “Spring Garden”, “Pomegranates off Tree” and “Hand Picked Turnips” making a bold display. Suzy has responded enthusiastically to the “alternative category”, as have many others, we are pleased to note.
“Geraniums” by Roland Weight acts as a full stop to bright and introduces a restrained wall of wonders in black, white, and pastel shades that go so well together. Looking at this wall is a relaxing and meditative experience, finally bestowing on us the full gamut of experience that flowers and gardens provide. They are Barbara Michailescu’s “David’s Orchids”, Lis Jones Ingman”s “Pots with Spring Blossom”, Sharyn Sinclair’s “Daisy”, John Warner’s “A Touch of Spring”, Sarah Wallis’ “Maria’s Mushroom” and “Nature’s Bubble Bath”, Sylvia Cooper’s “Winter Sunshine”, Glynne Ryan’s “Snowflakes”, Maxine Donald’s “Little Toadies”, Janette Ireland’s lovely linocut “Bush Butterfly” and Heike Dargusch’s three graphite works “Busy Bee”, “Little Friend” and “Afternoon Shadow”. Look for Heike’s accomplished works in her first solo exhibition in Burra Gallery, open from Thursday 27 February 2014.
The wall is a mix of techniques from charcoal drawing and printmaking to photography and it gives us everything we need to know about the garden and the life forms that inhabit it. Look at Sarah Wallis’ cleverly magnified photographs, Maxine’s oh so secretive watercolour drawing which expresses completely the toadies’ retiring personalities and John Warner’s spring green reflected and refracted in works by Glynne, Sharyn, Barbara and Sylvia. Take some time to study the works on this wall, and how they relate to each other. You will be well rewarded!
Sharyn Sinclair – Yellow Gerbera
Last of all Sharyn Sinclair’s “Gerberas” hangs above the desk, with Felicity Martin’s Traditional Category winning “Poached Egg Daisies” placed below.
Jill Foster – Leaf Imprints – Merit Award
The hanging went well and as usual by some miracle that we don’t quite understand, worked out fine, with everything hung and looking its best. Thanks to all, and good viewing of “Art of the Flower and Garden” 2013.
Artivist, October 2013.
