Caloundra 2022

I’m currently enjoying a week up at Caloundra, right on the beautiful headland at Happy Valley.

I of course had to visit the local gallery, Caloundra Regional Art Gallery, which is hosting the Local Artists – Local Content exhibition. The first work I saw was that of Julya Hegarty, which struck me with its rich, dark textures, not to mention the amount of painstaking, detailed work involved in it.

This nearly made my 'People's Choice' vote, but on reflection I found it a little too ordered for my liking - I would have liked to see some wildness in it. Instead I chose the very serene and what some may find conventional work of Lindy Sale - 'Platypus Creek'. I enjoyed its stillness, the colour palette, and its ability to transport me to a hazy afternoon in the Australian bush.

Another work I found intriguing was that of Sine Black, executed as it was on shaped and painted board. I liked the use of the dual elements of paint and sculpture to render her vision. I found my reaction to it to be much more favourable than it would have been to the paint alone. Perhaps this is partly due to my current interest in low-relief sculptural work.

I enjoyed this little groover - full of expressive movement and textural paint strokes, by Trevor Purvis.

The last work I encountered was Wallum Still Life I and II Dyptich, by Anne Harris. Described only as 'natural dye on silk' I was intrigued with how the negative effect was achieved. 

On my walk home I encountered these lovely painted walls.

Later on I watched David Attenborough's Life That Glows, all about one of my favourite topics, bioluminescence. I got re-inspired and can imagine a whole exhibition made based on the many sea creatures which exhibit this phenomenon. I already have the UV glow thread.... and can imagine prints in UV ink......

After the next installment of Algalrhythms, I need a residency based in Jervois Bay or somewhere else where I can see bioluminescence for myself!