Capturing nature’s beauty on canvas: new exhibition at Arts Lounge at Wyreena

Panoramic coastline views, woodlands teeming with fauna and flora and majestic mountains rolling effortlessly into the horizon. Though many of us admire nature’s beauty, it takes a keen artistic eye to communicate this onto a blank canvas.

From now until the end of March, The Arts Lounge at Wyreena showcases the work of artists Janette Bird, Shirley Dixon and Maria Euripides.

In this exciting exhibition, visitors will be taken on a visual journey of artwork that captures the beauty and fragility of nature.

Distinct in style and approach, each artist represents a unique facet of their shared journey through an exhibition of traditional paintings.

Maria Euripides is a local artist who has returned to painting in her retirement. Having taken up a paintbrush for the first time in her early 30s, she has worked across various mediums including acrylic and oil, and credits watercolourist David Taylor as one of her main influences.

Recent trips to the Victorian coastal township of Port Fairy have served as inspiration for one of the exhibition’s pieces, Lost, while also tying in with her enjoyment of painting excursions.

Janette Bird is an award-winning locally-based artist whose work is inspired by nature and the human condition which she explores through a variety of mediums, including botanical drawing and watercolour, natural history drawing, drawing and painting the figure, still-life and landscape painting in oil. Her work also enables her to explore and express her Indigenous heritage.

Chasing Shadows in Northern Italy, now on display in the Arts Lounge, focuses on her recent travel experiences in Italy.

Janette resides on the edge of Doongalla – Aboriginal for ‘a place of peace’ – National Park in the Dandenong Ranges. With peace and inspiration at her doorstep, she enjoys painting and drawing birds, nests, insects and native plants with meticulous care and attention to detail.

“I’m a self-confessed romantic dreamer and delight in opportunities to immerse myself in the boundless and inspiration beauty of nature,” she says.

Croydon-based artist Shirley Dixon returns to the Arts Lounge, where her artwork has previously been exhibited and purchased by the public.

In her latest piece, Falls Creek, Shirley shares her perspective of landscape and environment.

Her process usually involves drawing on site and then developing her work in her home studio or with other artist groups including the Ringwood Art Society, of which she is a member.

Although having painted for many years and being mainly self-taught, she continues to learn from fellow artists around her and has moved from her predominant medium in oils and pastels to a more modern approach, using brighter and bolder colours in acrylic.

Of her work, Shirley says: “My work is different to when I started out, it’s more colourful and I hope more exciting. I hope others can see my love of paint!”

All exhibited works are available for purchase.

When: now until Saturday 28 March 2020 Where: Wyreena Community Arts Centre, 13-23 Hull Road, Croydon. Opening hours are 9am to 4pm weekdays and 9am to 3pm Saturdays (Closed Sundays and public holidays). Cost: Free

For more on artwork displayed within the Arts Lounge, visit The Arts Lounge Exhibition or phone Wyreena on 9294 5590.