ASMA member and exhibiting artist Peter Studley recently exhibited a selection of artworks as part of a group exhibition at the Bowral & District Art Society.
The show was a record of the painting adventures of a diverse group of artists. The exhibition ‘The Wandering Artist’ is apt as it presented the artworks of artists that have bonded by their love of art and travel which included Morocco, Flinders Island and the Darling River. These travel experiences were coordinated by Kangaroo Valley artist and teacher Anne-France Fulgence.
Peter contributed ten paintings to the exhibition, most of which were painted plein air with only minor alterations in his studio. His work highlights his passion for coastal themes, capturing changing light and incorporating figurative elements into his work.
Several paintings were done during Peter’s visit to Flinders Island in Bass Strait. This remote island was discovered by Furneaux, a navigator with Captain Cook and later charted by Matthew Flinders. For many years it supported a mutton birding industry. Peter’s paintings eloquently describe the unspoilt beauty of the rocky coastline.
Peter also exhibited several paintings done at Great Mackerel Beach in Sydney’s Pittwater. Now a holiday village, this area was originally a dairy farm with the milk being ferried across to Palm Beach.
Peter’s Darling River paintings, painted plein air on private properties in the Wilcannia area, catalogue the resilience of ageless River Red Gums and the beauty of reflections in the water. Wilcannia was once Australia’s third largest inland port with paddle steamers active on the Darling River.
The exhibition opened on April 14 at 4pm and ran until April 19 at the Bowral & District Art Society Gallery.