Dragonfly Gallery Fine Art and Antiques

Artists

A-K L-Z

Nerina Lascelles

Nerina Lascelles

ARTISTS BIOGRAPHY:

Nerina is an accomplished Australian artist, currently living at Dunmoochin as an artist in residence in 2010.

After completing a degree in Visual Arts, Nerina then finished a Graduate Diploma in Painting. Since 1993, she has been involved in more than 20 group and solo exhibitions throughout Nillumbik, Melbourne, Australia and Internationally. Her works feature in a variety of private collections in Australia, UK, Singapore, America and Japan.

Nerina draws on her influence from her many years of travel to, and study the wisdom and symbolism of a number of Asian countries. Past exhibitions have been influenced by traveling to and exploring the culture and spirituality of countries including Indonesia, China, Tibet, India, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

Inspiration for her work has derived from different cultures of the earth which may offer the Western culture a glimpse of a different and perhaps more honourable and balanced way of being.

"These paintings consist of a pastiche of origami paper and fragments of kimonos along with gold and silver leaf, acrylic paint, bitumen and encaustic wax. All these materials have been combined to create works that reflect the antique objects that inspire them while standing on their own as objects of beauty." Peter Dougherty, Arts Editor, Leader Newspapers.

ARTISTS STATEMENT

Exhibition Title: "MIST" "Throughout this series of paintings, I have included the suggestion of a mist or haze over a number of landscapes. For me the mist represents space or consciousness before or beyond the realm of matter. It suggests a magical, mythical dimension beyond the 3D form that we, as humans so heavily identify with.

In some of these paintings it's as though we are looking down from high above the earth, through the clouds, to view glimpses of daily human life. It's as if we have a 'birds-eye' perspective and a greater awareness of life below.

The mist seems to cover over certain areas of the form - perhaps giving the impression of concealment, or that which is yet to be revealed.. and therefore evoking a sense of mystery in that the entire picture or story has not yet been disclosed.

For you perhaps, the mist may respresent a presence that you're are not quite able to define by the mind. Perhaps meditating on the mist allows contemplation the infinite possibilities in the creation of life itself.

For me, the highest aim of creating these works is to offer the viewer an invitation into the realm of beauty beyond form. The paintings are material objects which arose, through meditation, from the invisible and which, at their highest function, will offer the viewer a doorway to their own invisible realm within."

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Jan Long

Linda MacAulay

Pete Marshall

Sue McFarland

Stephanie Mew

Helen Miles

Helen Miles

Born in Melbourne Helen’s love of the creative has been a driving force for most of her life. Being self taught Helen finds the wonder of colour, both intense and delicate, stimulates her senses and charges her creative urges. Over the last twenty five years she has thrived on discovering her unique approach to a wide variety of subjects including landscapes, seascapes, florals, bird and animal studies, and the whimsical and alternative. Pastel, acrylic and watercolour have emerged as her most used mediums but she occasionally experiments with everything and anything and is fascinated at the surprising and sometimes pleasing results. While Helen enjoys traditional and representational painting she occasionally tests her capabilities and pushes her boundaries into the more contemporary and abstract fields. When she is not travelling throughout Australia admiring and painting our wonderful country, the magnificent Great Dividing Range near where she lives supplies Helen with a myriad of painting possibilities.

Time means nothing while she is working in her studio. She has, at times, been known to forget to feed her husband (and herself), and often arrives back in the house looking like a multi-coloured ghost after pastel painting. Helen enjoys the silence and solitude of her own studio space where she can experiment and paint without interruption.

During operating her successful gallery in Melbourne in the early 1990’s Helen’s watercolour and pastel series of Australian butterflies and flora proved very popular with both locals and overseas visitors. The gallery showcased some of Australia’s most well known and emerging artists in regular exhibitions.

Another of Helen’s passions is writing and her children’s books and stories have been published in the educational and media arenas throughout the world. The thought of an impressionable young person reading, enjoying and hopefully learning from her words is an ongoing source of delight and accomplishment.

Helen has taught painting professionally and privately over many years and her commitment and passion for art is revealed in her involvement in a variety of art societies and committees. She is a member of the Australian Guild of Realist Artists, past Secretary and President of the Kilmore Art Society Inc, a member of the Seymour and District Art Society Inc, the Heathcote Artists Inc., and is a committee member of the Mitchell Shire Arts & Cultural Advisory Committee. She is also a member of the organizing committee of the Kilmore Art Expo which held its inaugural show in 2008.

Awards received and sales of her work encourages Helen to continue to improve. She has entered and sold her works at numerous art shows over many years and to date has won 71 awards and prizes. Her work hangs in private collections throughout Australia, Japan, USA, New Zealand and Denmark.

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Michelle Mischkulnig

Beatrix Mol

Marja-Leena Montonen

Marja-Leena Montonen

I was born in Northern Sweden to Finnish parents. When I was 3 years old we moved to a small village outside Stockholm, where I grew up surrounded by forests and nature. There I played and fantasized, creating a world of my own. I painted all kinds of things and often. The effect of all this deeply rooted me in my dreams and gave me the space and freedom to explore them.

Coming of age, I moved north of Stockholm and worked in many different jobs, but I painted only for myself. In 1994 I opened and ran a successful summer Cafe in Stockholm's Archipelago which allowed me more time to paint for the rest of the year. In 1999, I met my Australian husband Gregory and together we moved to a fishing village in southern Sweden where I opened my gallery, "Gallery Marja-Leena". The Gallery ran successfully until 2005 when we decided to experience other things in the world and so moved to England and then in 2008 to here in Australia.

The source of my pictures is a place I’ve never been to, but since childhood, have been deeply connected to. My characters show me what they want to show of themselves and I paint them because I love it, its my passion, and to me, that’s the most important thing to do. I love colours and I love to use them. Through my art I want to express movement, feelings of playfulness, closeness and inspiration."

I have driven "Marja-Leena" Since 2001 and have had exhibitions in Sweden, Denmark, England, Greece, Australia and New York. Some of my pictures have been used for puzzles in the USA and around the world and I have just made cards for Hallmark and Christmas cards for UNICEF 2009 & St Vincent de Paul in Australia. I have painted cards for the Swedish Asthma Society which sold 1.5 million of them. My pictures hang in the children's ward of Huntingdon Hospital, Cambridgeshire, UK. Charity cards Canada is again taking my images for 2009. But most gratifying of all is that my paintings hang in private and corporate collections around the world.

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Arthur Nilsson

Wendy Olsen

Vida Pearson

Vida Pearson

ARTIST PRINTMAKER - Vida was born in 1957 at Wonthaggi, Victoria. Her early life was spent living in various country towns in Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and New South Wales - due to her father's involvement with the dairy industry. As a child her love of drawing was paramount - but with the cultural isolation of small country towns, the thought of one day becoming an artist seemed remote. It was not until Year 12 at Dubbo High School that she finally stepped into an art gallery - the occasion was " Modern Masters - Manet to Matisse" held at the Art Gallery of New South Wales - it was a revelation - and sowed the seed of artistic ambition.
On finishing school, dabbling with tertiary studies, and various jobs - the travel bug- acquired from moving so much as a child- took hold, and she spent 12 months following that well- worn route from Kathmandu to London. Her mind was crammed with the exotic visual experiences of Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Visits to the major Galleries of Great Britain further fuelled her desire to study art on her return home.
So, it was in 1982 with the support of her partner Fred Ross, Vida realized a life-long ambition to study art. She spent the next 3 years studying at the North Adelaide School of Art - majoring in printmaking and drawing. In 1985 they moved to their 5- acre bush block near Ballarat in Victoria, where Vida has her studio and Fred, who makes fine hand-crafted furniture has his workshop. The environment they have created there is one conducive to their need to work alongside one another in an atmosphere of harmony and natural beauty.
Much of Vida's work is inspired by her numerous travels far and wide. The flora and bird-life of a region are her main focus, but there are times when other elements are the dominant visual form and these are then included in her studies. As well as destinations such as Russia, Mongolia, China, Indonesia, Iceland, Scandinavia, Europe, Africa, South Georgia and Antarctica - Australia still remains the place from where the bulk of her images are gleaned. Several field trips each year to different regions are an absolute must for her continuing portfolio of Grevilleas, Banksias and Eucalypts. Australian birds - which are some of the most interesting in the world - are also eagerly sort after. Field trips also serve another function in that they provide a welcome break from the solitary and inward looking existence of the studio. Catching up on what's happening in galleries is also important for her continuing development as an artist.
Vida has always had a strong commitment to regularly exhibiting in group and solo shows in order to give the many admirers of her work a chance to see it changing over time. Over the years one has seen a strong individual style emerging, especially in her hand-coloured linocuts - with their bold colours and strong design. With her constant seeking of new ideas and materials and her dedication to her work we can see her work continuing to grow and evolve.

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Bob Pelchen

Leigh Rust

Leigh Rust

Leigh was born and raised in Melbourne with close ties to animals during his formative years. Some of his early memories include feeding an Asian Elephant and playing with monkeys. Over recent years after working as a comic illustrator and signwriter his passion for wildlife was rekindled as he extended his skills into the realm of realist artwork.
He has been a member of the Australian Guild of Realist Artists since 2001 and last year collected 2 commendations in the national Australia At Large competition.

He held his first solo exhibition in 2006 and followed the success with the formation of the Untamed Artist Network, a group of wildlife artists spanning the globe who shared his passion for wildlife conservation and pledged to donate a portion of their profits to wildlife programs.

His giving nature also extended to others as he became an active participant in online forums such as wetcanvas, showing his working methods and helping nurture the skills of his fellow artists. His passion for teaching soon lead to online art classes, allowing each student to learn at their own pace in their own space. He also earned a reputation as a talented demonstrator, sought out by many art shows around the state.

Early 2008 has seen the first of his collaborations with Melbourne Zoo come to fruition in the form of the Twilight art demonstrations taking place throughout February as part of the annual Twilight concert series.

Leigh has collected awards at the 2007 Frankston High School Art Show for best oil and the 2007 Bayside En Plein Air event, collecting 2nd place with his depiction of the Beaumaris cliffs. In 2008 he received People's choice at Yakkerboo Art Show and Best in Show at Frankston High School.

Leigh worked with Patrick Hedges in 2008 to create the Tears of Leaves exhibition which was on display at Monarto Zoo, South Australia from October 2008 to December 2008. The show was opened by Dr Jane Goodall.

Leigh recently had 2 works make the finals of BBC's Wildlife Artist of the Year competition.

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Karin Ryan

Roman Schmidt

Rodger Scott

Kylie Sirett

Margaret Summerton

Margaret Summerton

Over the years, I have learned to do such things as refinish furniture, interior decoration, folk art painting, mosaics, leadlight, glass arts, sewing, quilting, embroidery, recycled sculpture, and so on. I have always been a creative person but mostly I would describe myself as an aesthete. I admire beauty in the world and greatly admire timeless design. I love collecting weird and wonderful things.

I have no formal art training and have never attended an art class in my life. I had to be endlessly practical in my choices as a young person, because there was no one to fall back on or pick up any pieces. I worked my way through university, changing from an arty degree in Theatre to a practical one in Psychology. I married and had a couple of kids while attending University, but when I finished, I found there was no career waiting for me with that level of education. I still yearned for art school but driven by practicality, completed my Masters in Psychology. I had another child then started a career as a School Counselor. And then, everything changed. I divorced my partner, moved out with the kids and worked my ass off working two jobs for many years. It wasn.t all bad; I still met with my quilting friends, made my Christmas gifts and stripped furniture.

And then it all changed again. I met and fell in love with an Australian, kissed my friends and family goodbye and shipped my life to Eltham. Emigrating was not easy and I spent the next two years fighting deportation back to the States. During that time I was not allowed to work, so I enrolled at the Eltham Living and Learning Centre, first with lead lighting and then taught myself to do glass mosaics. I took classes and sold quite a number of pieces. By then, I was hooked and fantasizing about a career in art. I guess I have the Immigration department to thank!

Fate intervened and I met a local, successful artist who volunteered to teach me to paint. I had never picked up a brush before and it was the scariest thing that I have ever done. It still can be. He taught me the basics of drawing and the complexity of working with oils. His goal was to bring me to exhibition level. He attended my first solo exhibition like a proud father, gave me a congratulatory hug, and wished me well. I haven.t seen him since.

That was only three years ago and I.ve not put a brush down since. Until recently, I hadn.t looked at glass or collected hard rubbish or entered a fabric store. I am in love with painting, I think about it all the time, and I dream about it at night. But I have suddenly come full circle. I have a new inspiration to combine all of my skills and make a form of art for myself that is sculptural and painterly and reflects both the Aussie bush that I live in and the colourful Californian culture in which I was raised. I am on a new tangent and I like it.

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Kanella Tsirbas

Syd Tunn & Ona Henderson

Penny Ursell

Denise Walker

Deidre Walsh

Helen Zitkevicius

Artists

Nerina Lascelles

Jan Long

Linda MacAulay

Pete Marshall

Sue McFarland

Stephanie Mew

Helen Miles

Michelle Mischkulnig

Beatrix Mol

Marja-Leena Montonen

Arthur Nilsson

Wendy Olsen

Vida Pearson

Bob Pelchen

Leigh Rust

Karin Ryan

Roman Schmidt

Rodger Scott

Kylie Sirett

Margaret Summerton

Kanella Tsirbas

Syd Tunn & Ona Henderson

Penny Ursell

Denise Walker

Deirdre Walsh

Helen Zitkevicius