Coastal Birds, shoreline birds and special places near the sea were all themes for this exhibition of mainly linocuts and pyrography
I drew Artists Sue Gilford, Kate Gorringe-Smith and Libby Schreiber together because we share common ground as bird lovers. Kate and Libby are Melbourne printmakers and Sue uses pyrography ( wood burning).
Our exhibition was held at Stockyard Gallery in the small Gippsland town of Foster close to Wilson’s Promontory.
The exhibition opening on Sunday 21 Feb was well attended by friends of the gallery, and friends and supporters of the four artists. We even enticed a few bewildered tourists in.
The speeches were wonderful. As artists we had not rehearsed or planned this aspect – no surprise here! But as each artist spoke pretty much off the cuff, the connections and threads between us were illuminated giving the wrapt audience a cameo of how and why work comes about. I spoke first explaining how this exhibition was important to me, as it as my first exhibition with Kate, who I met in prep at State school in suburban Melbourne. We spent recess together making fairy homes in the exposed roots at the base of pine trees. Study, family and travel kept us busy but about 10 years ago we realised we shared a love of printmaking and birds, and decided to exhibit together one day. We have been friends for 45 years. Sue Gilford spoke next describing her passion for the home turf and explaining the importance of the bird hides in the local area. Kate followed up outlining the Ramsar agreement and the migration habits of the shoreline birds depicted in her work. Libby told how her richly detailed work is constructed around the narrative of the title.
It was one of those special days, that seemed to validate our chosen paths as artists. Thank you to those who came to the opening, or visited later. We especially enjoyed the comments in the visitors book .
It’s a beautiful part of Victoria only 2 hours and 20 mins from Melbourne. For places to stay click here.
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