Janie Benzie

Although my preferred genre is still life, which I practice in various mediums, I am constantly experimenting with other subject matter and materials. I have become fascinated with how Asian culture is having such a far-reaching effect on our culture, particular in the way we decorate our house and gardens. This has led me to depictthe Koi fish, which is treasured in Japan and is a beautiful fish incorporating many different colours and markings. I am interested in the way they move and try to potray that movement which can be either languid or frenetic in both watercolour and oil paintings.

I have also been drawing the human form for over 14 years and am now incorporating these drawings into finished paintings in watercolour, pastel and acrylic. To further understand the human body I am now learning how to sculpt the human form. More

Jenny Laurie

My still life paintings of fruit and flowers are inspired by a passion for gardening and also for maintaining our heritage and diversity of plants within the natural environment. Similarly, semi-abstracted sea/landscapes reflect time spent along the West Australian coastline and experiences absorbed while travelling in the Kimberley and Pilbara regions.

The amazing natural formations, waterways and dramatic skies are endlessly fascinating. I have also been studying icon writing and find the historical background to this genre interesting. Plus, the wonderfully rich and glowing gold leaf and egg tempura have a timeless, mystical quality, which is unique. As an artist, one is always on a journey. More

Linda O'Brien

Linda is an established Perth-based artist who has been painting for many years. She is an enthusiastic pastellist who has recently branched out into acrylic/oil on canvas. Her subject matter varies greatly; from landscapes and seascpates to watery reflections and in particular, capturing that nostalgia with real people in holiday situations, always sunlit. She is a keen observer of natural light and is able to convey the many moods of the day in her work. Though technically skilled, she paints with her soul and this is very evident in her work. She has had two solo exhibitions and several joint exhibitions with inspiring artists. An accomplished artist, she has received over 100 major art awards within the state.

Chris Martin

Chris is a self-taught pastel artist, who is inspired by the Australian landscape. 

When painting a scene, he tries to recreate the feeling he had when he was on site.  To this end, he spends a lot of time in his chosen location and tries to absorb the scene, so that he carries the image with him long after he has left.

Chris started painting when he was sixteen, and began with figure drawing and still life.  He experimented with many different mediums, but gradually became more and more interested in pastel and portraying the Australian landscape. 

In the future, he would like to move on to oils and perhaps travel around Australia, painting as he goes. 

He has won many art awards and it has only been in the last two years that he has started to paint full time.

Philippe Berthomier

Philippe is solely represented by Artspace Gallery in Australia. An art professor living in France, Philippe uses natural pigments to create his works which often reflect childhood memories. Although of seemingly abstract nature, they frequently contain representational elements.  Phillipe is currently exhibiting in Marakesh and plans an Australian exhibition soon.

Christopher Spaven

Christopher initially worked as an art director and designer before becoming a full-time professional artist.  Since then he has had 6 major exhibitions.  He has received awards for drawing, watercolour and oil painting.  The artist’s ‘life studies’ are always drawn directly from a life model as quickly as possible to depict the human form caught in a brief moment. He uses many different media on his works, including pastel, charcoal, conte and watercolour, and frequently experiments with different surfaces which he prepares with gesso or other materials. Collections include King Edward Memorial Hospital, Perth City Council, Hale School and Albany City Council. The artist invites direct enquiries and accepts commissions.

Carl Hannappel

Carl is a Dutch-born artist, who has been painting for over 20 years.

During that time he has had many solo and joint exhibitions and his paintings are in collections all over the world.  He has taught art at Maxwell’s Fine Art Gallery, which he jointly owned for some years.

His work is inspired by Impressionism and he is primarily interested in creating a representative image of his subjects.  These range from landscapes, cityscapes and people.

He has a quirky sense of humour, which comes across in his portrayal of people.  He paints from his memories of the people he meets and sees in everyday life and they can range from the superb to the ridiculous, the quaint to the poignant.  They are also notable for their European feel.

Although he has painted in watercolour for many years, he is now experimenting with oils and acrylics.

Moira Court

Moira grew up in the West Country, England and emigrated to Western Australia in 2001.  She now lives in the Perth Hills.

She has been a practicing artist for several years. Apart from exhibiting in art shows, and local galleries, she also illustrates children’s books. 

Moira is passionate about animals and enjoy drawing and painting  them in her art work.  She is inspired by the interaction of people and animals, birds in trees and houses on hillsides and uses the recurring theme of people, domestic animals, native wildlife and domestic landscape in her work. 

Her naïve paintings are bold, colourful, quirky and full of life.  Moira uses the title to set the scene, and then allows the players to tell their stories, hopefully bringing a smile to the face of the viewer as they do.

Andrew Feeney

Andrew originally worked in forensic science, but has been drawing since he was a child, on scraps of paper, textbook margins and laboratory blotters.

He is essentially self-taught having undertaken a few units at Claremont School of Art and absorbing influence from contemporaries. 

Andrew concentrates on life studies and tries to capture the sensuality and grace of the female form.  He works in charcoal, pastel and sometimes incorporates watercolour washes in these studies.  He also paints landscapes and still life subjects.

Since his retirement, he has been drawing and painting full time and is represented in private collections nationally and overseas, including the Methodist Ladies’ College collection. 

He remains committed to his art, and looks forward to taking it in new directions in the coming years.

Cawian

Cawian is a Kurd who trained at the Academy of Fine Arts at the University of Bagdad. 

“He exemplifies the paradox of the modern artist of Oriental extraction, who has successfully assimilated the long tradition of western classicism”.

Cawian is influenced by artists such as Corot and Braque and one can see his interest in the Expressionists in his works.  His paintings are vividly coloured and executed with spontaneous brush strokes.  Although they portray mostly figures who seem to be frozen in time, this handling of paint and use of shallow perspective give them an energy which is brooding without being emotional. He deals with couples quite frequently, but they do not seem to relate to each other, but stare off in the same direction, without seeming to acknowledge the others presence.  We are led to wonder if they hint at the difficulty of living together that is experienced by contemporary couples in our egalitarian society.

The paintings are however not moody, but more like a modern icon.  They recall the works of Egon Schiele and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (the German Expressionist).

Artspace has a limited number of his works as he lives and works in France. However the gallery keeps in touch with Cawian and can procure more work when needed.

Gemma Allen

Gemma is a self taught artist who paints her life and surroundings. She lives on the waters edge in a house she helped build from recycled materials. Everday she awakes to sounds of crashing waves, crayboats, seabirds, fishermen, beachcombers and dogs. All of these find a way into her paintings.

Gemma's lifestyle has resulted in a prolific output of work across a range of media - acrylic and waterclour paintings, soft sculpure, mosaics and doll making. Her work almost always relating to her coastal life.

Sim Campbell-Pope

Formal training in Art and Design, Graphic Design and Multimedia Design saw Sim working in the magazine publishing industry in London. Although focusing on her design, illustration and photography she wrote many editorials and reviews for a number of publications. Sim's artwork was chosen to feature on the cover of London's South West Magazine January 2005, which lead to further commissioned work. The internationally renowned Dazed & Confused Magazine employed her talents and an original Sim painting and photograph were chosen for the creative directory.

Returning to Perth, Sim successfully held her first solo exhibition at Little Creatures, November 2005 and her second solo exhibition ‘Face to Face’ at Soto, October 2006. In Februrary 2007 she was chosen as a finalist for the Metro5 $50,000 Art Award in Melbourne. Other exhibitions include; ‘Colour’ at Gallery 31, Sydney 2006; ‘Artopia’ at Lumiere Gallery 2007; ‘Touring Art’ at Benella Art Gallery Melbourne 2007; ‘Shiraz & Jazz’ at Millbrook 2008 and ’Perfect Beauty’ at Lumiere Gallery, Cottesloe 2008.

Sim continues to sell works throughout the globe and currently resides in Eagle Bay where she paints full time and works to commmisions. More

Philip Evans

Philip Evans is an Illustrator well known in the the Architectural Illustration field and the Advertising Industry since the early 70’s, he continues to earn his living working on these projects every day.

In the 35 years as an artist he has also produced paintings and drawings that don’t have the same structured brief or requirements of the commercial art world. These works are reoccurring themes from early childhood living on the Swan River, Baker’s Hill farm, his five children and more recently travelling to Venezia with his wife each year.

Phil would say, wearing his fine art hat, he is not interested in slavishly reproducing a scene that sits before him, he would rather imagine from those reoccurring themes. ‘ The picture in order to move us must never merely remind us of life, but must acquire a life of it’s own ’  to borrow from Lucian Freud.