Impression: Hip hip hooray...

I think it was definitely time for a holiday! Off to 80 Mile Beach we went and spent a lovely easter camping. Oh, I admit it was hot and sticky but the beach, the stars, the happy fishing husband - all a glory to behold.

Now I am back and so keen to be working. Right before easter I had the loveliest surprise - the Courthouse Gallery want to stock some of my books! So now I will get straight back into making some more as well as working on book number 4 - which I have now written and started working on illustrations for. I may have been physically on holidays but hey - art travels.

Last week I put an article into the Pilbara Echo about When it Rains it Pours, an exhibition that opened the night before the markets. I've popped the article below as well as some fabulous photos taken by Samantha Bell and supplied courtesy of the Courthouse Gallery.

For me and many other Hedland people the Courthouse Gallery exhibition openings are a fabulous part of our social calender. I missed the opening because I was conserving my energy for the markets but I have popped into the Gallery a number of times since the opening and each time I see something else that just grabs me. This art form is so interesting and inclusive. My kids today were just so into it - and when my son saw the mural on the Gallery wall he was beside himself. I won't be letting him near any spray cans any time soon though - I think after watching the video at the Gallery he would know exactly what to do with them!

The Pilbara Echo, 25 April 2011

When it Rains it Pours

I’m still catching my breath from the weekend and I bet many of you are too. There was such an amazing array of art and culture in Hedland happening and the opening of When it Rains it Pours at the Courthouse Gallery started the weekend off in fine form.

If you are like me and have often stopped to admire street art but don’t know too much more about it, this exhibition offers you the chance to definitely admire, but also to learn. It features work by eight artists from Perth-based art collective Last Chance Studio, who have transferred their large scale urban artwork to canvas in a showcase of their individual styles and techniques.

When it Rains it Pours works to educate the viewer about street art as a respected form of contemporary art. In recent years street art and low-brow artwork have become recognized as highly regarded and collectable forms of artwork.

Low-brow art describes an underground visual art movement that developed in California in the 70’s. It usually has a strong sense of humour by definition – it was coined low-brow in response to the standard ‘high-brow’ art scene not recognizing the new style of art.

Street artists and muralists bring with them a vibrant and new perspective that traditional artists and designers may not have. The Last Chance Studio artists are leading the way for WA low-brow artwork both within Australia and overseas with several artists exhibiting and creating urban artwork on the East Coast and abroad in the USA and Europe.

But not to be outdone Hedland is getting in on the action! The Port Hedland Small Wins Group is a community group who work on community owned projects to create a more exciting and livable town.

This time it involved a large-scale mural in the Gallery courtyard that was designed and created by a team of the exhibiting artists Ryan Boserio and Timothy Rollin, who visited Hedland and De Grey Station earlier this year to gather inspiration for the piece.

Urban artwork has the capacity to transform whole areas of a city or town, revitalizing unused public and not-so-public spaces and engaging passersby. This in turn creates a fresh and vibrant essence of place – exactly what we want in Hedland.

When it Rains it Pours is on until 16 June at the Courthouse Gallery, 16 Edgar Street, Port Hedland and make sure you check out the new mural at the same time. If you would like to know more about Small Wins phone the Gallery on 9173 1064.