In the afternoon of Saturday June 6, an exhibition of paintings and ceramics opened at Stockyard Gallery in Foster. Lynne Muir welcomed the large crowd who attended, many of them visitors to the area no doubt, thanks to the holiday weekend, after which both artists spoke about their work. The exhibition included very different forms: beautiful hand-thrown porcelain, along with a mix of large, dramatic paintings and smaller watercolours.
Sarah Reark’s paintings, in her own words, reflect the different times and places she has lived in, from bush areas along the Murray to the Inlet, the Prom and the general countryside here in South Gippsland. Although some of her paintings are small, delicate landscapes full of mood and dream-like, flowing-together colours, others are large with solid reds, greens, vivid purples and the like, drawing you in with symbolic representations rather than realistic images. According to Sarah, these paintings explore both the surreal and the divine that she perceives in the world around her. It was clear that people were attracted by the way Sarah had chosen to deal with disasters like fire and flood and how we survive such traumas.
Mary Henry’s fascination with ceramics goes back to her school days and after that to the study she pursued in this field at both Monash and Bendigo. Her main inspiration, she says, is the coastal area of Corner Inlet. Her porcelain creations are time-consuming labours of love, beginning with initial drawings in ink that subsequently become colourful layers of scenery on pots, bowls and a particularly notable carafe. Transferring a flat drawing to a representation in the round is a special talent, while the beautifully turned wooden bases (the work of Ray Smith) on which many of these creations rest ensure they aren’t in danger of slipping or being knocked over. As well as the recognisable coastal scenes adorning the works, Mary also depicts birds (magpies in particular), with leaves and scrolls twined about them. All the works are utilitarian as well as beautiful, oven-safe (though be careful with those gorgeous gold rims!) and practical for a variety of purposes like salads and fruit.
By the end of the afternoon, the shop had done lots of business and red dots were appearing on numerous items. The exhibition runs until June 29 and is well worth a visit, as is what Mary referred to as ‘the absolute gold’ of the Gallery Shop. Alison Shields
