meet the artists

TANIA CHANTER

INSTAGRAM taniachanter

I have always had a desire to express the emotions I feel from nature. The depth and richness of the colours, the complexity of the sky – the romantic feeling of stormy clouds, the churning foam of the ocean on those days and the sunlight playing through tall grasses as they bend and wave. From the sweep of the vast landscape down to the bee among flowers, natures inspiration is endless.

My feelings flow directly onto the canvas in an uninterrupted, intuitive flow; layers, textures and colours blend and evolve before me until some secret inner part of me feels satisfied. I don’t question or reflect on the process as it takes shape, I simply let the emotions rule the head. Around my home, nature overwhelms the human environment.

Trees command the skyline, not buildings, and beauty rules over bitumen. My work reflects the deep inner peace I feel when outdoors, from the smell of the rich red earth in autumn and the tang of spring, to the crisp apple coldness of winter and the ocre glow of lingering summer sunset.

JACQUELINE CHRISTIANS

EMAIL jac.jcdc@gmail.com
WEBSITE : www.jcdcart.com

INSTAGRAM : jac.jcdc

Landscape drawing is my pathway to get immersed in nature, so I often do ‘en pleine air’ field trips. These direct impressions of place, are recordings of the land talking to me, what i’m feeling just comes out on paper in excited gestures, marks and fluid brushwork. It then informs my studio paintings with a vibrancy and freshness.

My studio works are freeform where I mostly experiment with subjects like botanical or still life and just work the paint and mediums into fresh styles.My work has evolved into this fusion of impressionist marks and fauvist colour. I love using tonal colour or saturated palettes to create emotional intensity.

In general I am more interested in developing painterly qualities over representational or realistic values.The Fauvists and Blau Reiter movements, and expressionists are some of my favorite influences. Matisse, Cezanne, Gaugin, Derain, Munter and Kandinsky all used colour in radical ways which appeals to me. I’m decompressing decades of formal graphic design work, and my own creative traits are thrown in there too.

JUDE CRAIG

EMAIL : judecraig@gmail.com

INSTAGRAM : naturallydyed

Jude is a natural dyer and textile artist. Her innate love is indigo, closely followed by a passion for extracting all colours from nature. She derives much pleasure from botanical research and showcases the alchemical hues on yarns and cloth. Indigenous dyes, supported by master pigments, create a palette of harmony from Nature’s Cauldron.

Her natural dye studio and workshop space are nestled amongst the mountain ash trees of the Dandenong Ranges. Visitors will encounter monster indigo vats, cauldrons of liquid dye next to bunches of foraged plant materials and a plethora of lovingly dyed yarns and fabric. A thriving garden of dye plants sits next to medicinal and rare ones; the bees have much to do.

PRUE CROME

EMAIL : prue@crome.net.au

WEBSITE : www.pruecrome.com

INSTAGRAM : pruecromeart

Crome is an abstract artist who lives in Kallista Dandenong Ranges .

Her thoughts reside around metaphysical concerns of transience and connectedness i.e. the interrelation and responsiveness of the whole.

Crome’s background is in environmental sciences, industrial design, art retail and sculpture. Whilst returning to studies for her MFA she became enthralled with space and light and the conditions that alter one’s perception, with a focus on immersive installations. She is currently painting abstract colour fields, feathering and layering colour pigments to create immersive fields. Her inspiration is light and colour as instruments to expand and contract space.

LANA DE JAGER

EMAIL lanadejager@fineart.com
WEBSITE lanadejager.com
INSTAGRAM lanadejagerfineart

Lana de Jager emigrated from South Africa to Australia in 1998 and settled in Melbourne. Until 2016 she followed a career in Graphic Design for studios in Birmingham (UK), Worcester (UK), Brisbane (1998-2003) and Melbourne (2004-2016).

In 2016 Lana started producing full-time and focusing on building a career in fine art. The result has been over 50 gallery exhibitions, including 13 solo exhibitions.

Lana transfers drawings to solar etching plates for traditional intaglio printmaking, preferencing less-toxic processes. Since 2021, she has been experimenting with combining wet and dry printmaking techniques, including developing an economical lithography process.

Her work investigates women’s mental health, femaleness and the consequences of cultural pressures.

Lana is the author of “Superimposed”, a printmaking game for communities in Victoria, now in it’s second year.

Lana is also a volunteer at Baldessin Studio, St Andrews, VIC

LIBERTY FINN

EMAIL libertyfinnart@gmail.com
WEBSITE www.libertyfinnart.com.au
INSTAGRAM libertyfinnart

Liberty is a mixed media painter who loves being in nature and creating works that vibrate with rich colour. She has recently been working on a body of work about Sherbrooke Forest, with a focus on simplification and direct experience.

Liberty works across media to create works on paper, board and canvas. She likes to gather inspiration from direct experience and draws outside as a starting point for larger works. Liberty uses a range of materials such as acrylic, marker, collage and oil.

KELLY KONDIS

EMAIL kellykondis217@hotmail.com
WEBSITE kelkonart.com
INSTAGRAM kellykondis.art

Kelly Kondis’ landscapes are impressionistic reflections of her encompassing environments. Inspired by natural light, colour and texture, her works unify the depiction of these elements, whilst portraying their consistently fleeting and ever-changing temper.

Since 2021, Kelly’sbeen exhibted around Australia and has been a finalist in several Australian art competition and awards.

Painting principally in oils, with occasional details produced in watercolours and pastels, her landscapes are constructed over many layers and in muted palettes, as a means to describe shifts in weather patterns and environmental facets. While periodically creating works alla prima, most scapes are completed over the course of several weeks, as layers are provided the time to dry, emerge and be added to.

Producing scapes that exist in a state of augmentation and transformation, Kelly’s works are often immersive and sensory renderings. Frequently yielding to her intuitive responses and allowing these reactions to guide her process.

CHRIS LAWRY

EMAIL : clawryart@gmail.com

INSTAGRAM : chris_lawry_prints

Chris Lawry has been creating traditionally printed lino cut prints by hand on an etching press onto archival Italian or Japanese paper for about 15 years. The style of lino cut design she favours, is tonal – black, white, and shades of grey. She enjoys every aspect of the process: the choice of subject, the choosing of a cutting style, making the thousands of necessary decisions during the cutting itself, and finally the thrill of pulling a new print off the press.

Recently her subject matter has included the Dandenong Ranges, where she lives, both forest and towns, the autumnal deciduous forests of Japan, and the ongoing drama of air and water.

Her sense of self is closely connected to her sense of place. The forests of East Gippsland are the landscapes of her childhood. Her series based on the drama of the sky, evokes for her a mystery. Other subjects include the small dramas of where she lives, now and in the past.

ANNA LIPSANE

EMAIL anna.lipsane@gmail.com

WEBSITE www.annalipsane.com

INSTAGRAM annalipsaneart

Anna, a passionate fine artist from Latvia, embarked on a transformative journey that brought her to Melbourne in 2017, finding her creative haven in the enchanting Dandenong Ranges. Her artistic odyssey, starting in 2008, led her through diverse styles and mediums until she discovered her truest expression with acrylic on canvas, allowing her to paint emotions and ideas freely.

Nature, human experiences, stories, and the melody of music guide Anna's artistic compass. Each stroke on her canvas tells a tale inspired by the beauty around us and the rich tapestry of human existence. Her work reflects the dynamic interplay of colors, textures, and emotions, creating a visual symphony that resonates with the soul. Anna loves experimenting with styles, showcasing her versatility as an artist. Art, for her, is a powerful means of making the world more beautiful and leaving behind a legacy of emotions and stories.

EMILY LOWE

EMAIL: emilylowefinearts@gmail.com

WEBSITE emilylowefinearts.com

INSTAGRAM emilylowefineart

Emily is an emerging artist residing in the Dandenong Ranges. Having lived in the region her entire life has immensely inspired her creative practice of drawing and painting. Primarily depicting her local landscape and Australia’s flora and fauna in her work, Emily aims to convey the importance of the natural world and its need for conservation whilst also celebrating is beauty through bold colour, pattern and detail.

CHES MILLS

EMAIL ches500@hotmail.com
WEBSITE chesmillsart.com
INSTAGRAM ches_art

Currently Ches is exploring subject matter related to oceanic environs, especially coral reefs. In a semi abstracted form, her paintings portray the beauty, diversity, fragility and complexities of these environs. In her cosy studio nestled in the Sherbrooke Forest, Ches creates paintings, using ink, gouache, and acrylic on linen or paper. She also employs printmaking and drawing in her work.

TRACEY ROBERTS

EMAIL :tracey@traceyroberts.com
WEBSITE : www.traceyroberts.com

INSTAGRAM : traceyrobertsartist

Tracey is a visual artist and singer-songwriter musician, who uses her music-colour synesthesia to express colours, textures and shapes she sees whilst listening to, performing and creating music. Rich, vibrant paintings reflect the way she synesthetically interprets the sounds of musical instruments and emotional reactions to music, in figurative and abstracted form and also within the context of natural landscapes.

Tracey’s forest garden is dotted with decomposing musical instruments, shovels and works in progress. Inside the geodesic dome is plenty of rich, colourful art displayed, both complete and works in progress. Upstairs is her computer working space displaying current projects on the screen. The grand piano is her music work space where you will find song charts displayed and the artist explaining her synesthesia.

RO BRUHN

EMAIL : robruhn@ozemail.com.au
FACEBOOK : ro bruhn

INSTAGRAM : robruhn

Ro has taught at many craft retreats and events and her work is published widely, She has run classes at the Australasian Quilt Convention in Melbourne, and many Textiles Craft workshops across NSW and Vic.

I very rarely decide before a project what colours I will use, they just evolve, unless it’s a commission and the client requests particular colours. Nearly all of my projects use a variety of colours and I like to make sure that each one is repeated throughout the piece. I think this balances the work, and I will sometimes add a burst of red or turquoise to make the project sing.

ALICIA CORNWELL

EMAIL : artalicia@ihug.com.au
WEBSITE : aliciacornwellart.com

INSTAGRAM : aliciacornwellart

Alicia is a full time artist specialising in oils of Still Life.

She has a Degree in Fine Art (Monash University) along with a Diploma of Education (Victoria College).

Working from her studio on a mountain in Olinda just outside Melbourne, she is inspired by her collection of Vintage and Antique objects she has collected during her 25 years as a Vintage Merchant for interior design.

Surrounded by her 100 year old garden, Botanic gardens and National Parks along with Melbournes major flower growing region a few steps from her studio, she is never short for inspiration. Her current body of work explores local introduced flora against the native flora of the area she lives in and the contrast of original flora and introduced species.

Alicia has been in numerous group exhibitions in Australia with her first major solo show in 2023.

Alicia is a finalist in several top tier art prizes and the proud winner of the Still Life Category for Art Lovers Australia 2022 AND Bluethumb Art in 2021

She is represented by several Galleries both in Victoria and interstate.

BEN PHILLIPS

EMAIL : benlphillips@hotmail.com
FACEBOOK : benphillipsartist

INSTAGRAM : benphillipsart

Ben is a Melbourne based, classically trained visual artist and designer. He has worked in and taught many art forms over the last 20 years. His passion for painting. drawing and sculpting and daily work as a brand manager and designer often influence and enhance one another. First and foremost, his work aims to connect with people through the exploration of universal naratives that resonate with all of us. His 2 dimtiensional works are often naturalistic figure studies, exploring the human form through traditional lifedrawing, often using layers of wet and dry media. The 3 dimensional pieces are more intimate and whimsical, combining wood, stone, resin and found objects.

CATHY SOFARNOS

EMAIL : cathrynsofarnos@gmail.com
WEBSITE : cathrynsofarnos.com

INSTAGRAM : cathrynsofarnos

Cathryn is an abstract artist with a deep interest in dimensional ontology. Her work delves into the interplay between abstract form and the dimensional nature of colour, line and pattern. Her dynamic and expressive marks set the intention to captivate a glimpse into the multifaceted nature of our world, creating a vivid and evocative experience on a large scale.

An explosion of colour greets the visitor with a delicious display of hand painted products that will captivate the senses. Gift cards, small drawings and very large scale dynamic paintings adorn the walls. The studio is a bright, warm and welcoming space that allows the visitor time to absorb and reflect on the creative processes that are on display.

GEORGIA CLARK

EMAIL : georgiaclark@gmail.com

INSTAGRAM : georgiespace_paintings

Georgia has previously worked as a painter overseas and now in Kalorama, her home in the Dandenong Ranges. Although her first love has always been oil paint, she has used many mediums over the years and is not afraid to be flexible in her approach to capturing the images she wants, using whichever mediums seem most appropriate to her. The creative process for Georgia is strongly influenced by mood, light and colour. Life experience, past and present, spontaneous observations of the world around her, as well as the fleeting of time, are a constant inspiration. Exploring the use of rescued materials including, canvas, aerosol and oil paint, natural objects as stencils etc, are elements Georgia is currently including in her practice.

ELIZABETH COGLEY

EMAIL lizziecogley2@bigpond.com
WEBSITE www.ozwildart.com
INSTAGRAM ozwildart

Elizabeth is an award-winning, mixed media, Australian Wildlife Artist. The most recent award was for first prize in The Holmes Prize For Realistic Australian Bird Art 2023. She lives in the Dandenong Ranges, Victoria.

“There are many aspects of creating an artwork. Use of medium, for me, should be appropriate to the subject. Depending on the environment, a choice of airbrushing, pastel or acrylic paint, or a combination of these is used. In each painting the animal or bird usually begins with layers of watercolour then more detailed work follows in pencil and finally gauche. Sometimes texture is exciting to use in the artworks. Texture can highlight the beauty of a rock, bark, moss or even the earth. When painting using oil paint, oil is all I use. Sometimes, however, it is great to add texture as well.

My love of the Australian Bush and it’s Wildlife was my inspiration. Learning early, that the importance of protecting our beautiful and fragile environment is what continues to inspire me. I find great comfort in the process of creating an artwork, not only in the painting process but the journey of discovery that it takes me on beforehand”

JOHN DUKE

EMAIL : johnduke24@hotmail.com

WEB www.johndukeart.com

INSTAGRAM : johnduke24

John Duke is a local Artist , Technologist and Melbourne Made fashion business retailer and garment producer.
Currently running 5 business in Melbourne with a family owed company he owns with partner fashion designer/artist Victor ( victor Alexandre design)
His artwork is currently in the Olinda Victor Alexandre Design Gallery Boutique all year round .
John Duke works mainly on paper , using acrylics and masking tape debris. The colours he loves using are sunflower yellows , electric orange, lime hues, galaxy blues and his favourite thunderstorm greys.
Theme stories of his art are about futuristic alien people , unsex themes , extroverted stubborn government and media topics .
“ my favourite part of being an artist is meeting other artist and given them more motivation to create “

STEPHEN GLOVER

EMAIL : stephenglover6@hotmail.com

INSTAGRAM : stephen_glover6

As an artist/teacher, I have participated in multiple solo and group exhibitions. An award winner at the iconic Linden Postcard Show in 2018, my works hang throughout Australia, as well as Denmark, Greece, America, Germany, England and India.

I am currently working out of Stain Studio at Burrinja Cultural Centre.

My painting, collage, assemblage drawing and printmaking piece together fragments from direct observation and imaginings to form artworks which hover somewhere between two and three dimensions. They hang as physical objects rather than wall based illusion. Compositions evolve intuitively, based upon how I feel, with careful consideration given to the scale of forms and shapes contained within. Although labelled as abstract, I see my artworks as a response to my surrounds, allowing space for viewer interpretation to form meanings.

I have a long interest in abstraction, with influences coming from such names as Robert Ryman, Robert Rauschnberg, Alfred Leslie and Sean Scully. The flat surface is a field of possibility where amalgamations evolve; to add, subtract, overlap and scrape, forming one structure without the loss of individual entities.

MARY LIN LITCHFIELD

EMAIL: marylin.litchfield@gmail.com

WEBSITE marylinlitchfield.com

INSTAGRAM marylinlitchfield

MaryLin’s distinctive form of contemporary abstract expressionism forms a dynamic connection to the natural environment for the artist. She lives and creates her artwork in the temperate rainforest region of the Dandenong Ranges. MaryLin’s contemporary work started with a line and evolved into an exciting exploration of shape and colour in paint. Still exploring and expressing, her mark making has become a deeply internalized translation of the observation of the natural and rhythmic processes of growth and decay in our inner and outer environment.

CAROLYNNE MCINTYRE

EMAIL Caromac44@gmail.com

INSTAGRAM Carobear44

I am a retired teacher of art and crafts having taught at Upwey High School for 26 years of my teaching career. Living near Sherbrooke Forest and yearly holidays by the sea at Mallacoota and The Sunshine Coast has provided a constant source of inspiration. The seasonal changes, the moods, the changing light and the beauty and sometimes chaos of nature along with closeups of small and intimate scenarios seem never ending. My style ranges from realism to semi abstraction. I am often inspired by natures patterns and colours, particularly in the rocks and sea life at Mallacoota. I paint with oils on stretched canvas and Gouache on 300 g paper when travelling.

SUSANNE MORTON

EMAIL : art@sussannemorton.com
WEBSITE : sussannemorton.com.au

INSTAGRAM : susanne.morton.art

Since 1995 Sussanne has been exhibiting and selling her work through mixed exhibitions, in galleries and venues on the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Singapore. Her work selling also to collectors overseas.

Painting in oils, her works are created in a traditional layering process. Petals are created in several layers, blending repeatedly with each new layer to create realistic silky, delicate petals, whilst shadows and depth are attained through rich glazes.

Sussanne’s larger than life paintings represent actual captured moments in time, and are a culmination of many years of gathering photographic reference for her work. In fact each flower represents a flower hunting adventure in a garden or flower field.

RAIN WHITE

EMAIL rain.white@gmail.com
INSTAGRAM rain.white.art

Rain is a long-time resident of the Dandenong ranges and an experienced Educator and Artist, her training is broad and multidisciplinary and this approach continues in her continually evolving practice. She visually represents a connection to place and time. Her artwork reveals an investigation of landscapes, symbols, and icons. Rain loves developing her unique visual language, her work encourages contemplation. She enjoys the challenge and innovation possible when working with a diverse range of media. Rain's shared studio at Burrinja is full of projects and various art forms including wearable Earth and Rain pieces.

The most rewarding part of my practice is letting go and in doing so, enabling the exploration of chance and possibility. Making art is both a privilege and a pleasure.

PAQUITA MAHER

EMAIL p acquita@gmail.com
INSTAGRAM pacquitamaher

JOY SERWYLO

EMAIL serwylo@bigpond.com
INSTAGRAM serwylojoy

JILL BRAILSFORD

EMAIL info@jillbrailsford.com
INSTAGRAM jillbrailsfordart

Up Artisans Inc. 1st anniversary (photo Mark Fergus)