Art spaces invite contemplation
GALLERIES, and less formal exhibition venues share the role of providing spaces where artists can present their creative endeavours to family, friends, and a wider audience.
They give artists the opportunity to step back from their artwork, to see it more objectively, and to ascertain the further directions of a work-inprogress.
The Toowoomba Art Society, 1 Godsall Street, has two exhibition spaces, the Culliford Gallery consisting of the walls around the studio/workshop area, and the Perinet Gallery which utilises the corridor.
The more casual nature of these areas contributes to a sense of being party to the deliberations, thought processes, decisions, and the explorations of techniques translated through the artists’ chosen imagery.
The Culliford Gallery is hosting Things that Inspire Us, an exhibition by Marcia Ruhle and Brenda Richards.
The artists have a very different approach to subject, yet the pieces sit surprisingly well together.
Ruhle has a painterly flair, her colours are laid down with loose gestures and a seemingly swift confidence.
The artist has chosen subjects of interest that challenge her skills.
With the treatment of the imagery, Ruhle has communicated emotional responses to colour, place, and object be it in paint or pastel.
Light and shadow, reflections, and the nuances of tone have created atmospheric moods through blended detail.
The paintings by Richards embrace a spontaneous childlike sense of fun and colour.
There is an almost naive honesty and delight in the figurative studies such as Saving the lambs and Portrait of Husband.
The works suggest a narrative as if they are illustrations waiting for a story to enfold them.
The Perinet Gallery is showing Cell Magic, the work of Lyn Watts.
This series of paintings developed from attending a workshop about creating colourful cell-like patterns by pouring acrylic paint mixed with various additives.
The effects of this process often dominate, the works being technique-driven at the expense of an individual artistic voice. \
However, in the hands of a consummate artist like Watts, the technique is not an end in itself, but an intriguing foil in the presentation of her flower and wildlife studies.
The pattern and texture in the backgrounds become tonal harmonies enhancing the distinctive details of the subjects.