Castlemaine Art Gallery

Max Middleton: Painter of Light

tom — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 03:14:57 +0000

5 May – 24 June 2012

Creation Of A New Day, 1977

A tribute exhibition covering landscape, still life, figure work and animals spanning over 60 years as a professional painter.

A M E BALE- Her Art and Life

tom — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 04:40:47 +0000

A Castlemaine Casement, 1927. Oil on board, 60.0 x 45.0 cm

AME BALE, Her Art and Life By Peter Perry. Published by the Castlemaine Art Gallery and Historical Museum

Alice Marian Ellen Bale (1875-1955) is one of Australia’s most significant painters of flowers. She is also known for her subtle and sensitive portraits and for her many evocative studies of interiors and landscapes. She had a strong sense of independence and a firm belief in her own considerable talent, and her life was completely devoted to art.

AME BALE, Her Art and Life, the first monograph, is a valuable new source of reference on the life and work of this noted Australian Artist. It contains an authoritative chronology, exhibition list and bibliography. It traces Bale’s Formative influences, including that of painter and teacher Max Meldrum, and assesses her achievements and her position in the early twentieth century Melbourne art world.

This publication provides a pictorial survey of wide appeal to art admirers and collectors. Of the numerous works illustrated in colour, many have been selected from private collections and have not before been on general view.

With 151 pages, and over 40 large colour plates, this limited edition book is wholly published, printed and bound in Australia.

To Secure your copy of AME BALE, Her Art and Life visit the Castlemaine Art Gallery, contact Peter Perry on (03) 5472 2292, or send a cheque or money order to:

Castlemaine Art Gallery and Historical Museum PO Box 248 Castlemaine VIC 3450.

The price of the book is $60, plus postage (Victoria $11, Other states $16). Please include your name, address and contact phone number with your payment. Orders for 2 copies of the book only attract one postage charge.

Ray Pearce: Bite

tom — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 05:19:39 +0000

10 March – 29 April 2012

Skeleton, Ray Pearce

Recent ceramics and prints by this Maiden Gully artist recently featured on the ABC Arts Program.

PEGGY SHAW- A Retrospective

tom — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:36:36 +0000

14 January - 26 February 2012

Pale Pink Magnolias, Chinese Vase 2010, Watercolour

The Castlemaine Art Gallery and Historical Museum is launching its first major exhibition for the new year. Opening on January 14, Peggy Shaw – A Retrospective celebrates the 90th birthday of this outstanding Castlemaine based watercolour artist.

Comprising of over 50 works covering all periods of Peggy’s creative life, this exhibition includes early landscape sketches through to her more recent and very popular floral arrangements. Gallery Director Mr Peter Perry says ‘Not only is her range and technical virtuosity unsurpassed and in quality, her finest works rank with some of the best of Australian watercolourists of today.’

Accompanied by an illustrated catalogue in which Peggy has written of her life as a painter. She includes details of her move to Castlemaine and an early interest in the creating of pen and wash drawings of houses and streetscapes of the surrounding Central Victorian townships.

Peggy is now more widely known for her appealing still life works that combine her love of exotic and native flowers, arranged in an interesting selection of Chinese and European vases. Her watercolours are well sought after, with collectors drawn to Peggy’s sensitive watercolour technique and depiction of florals in such splendid vibrancy.

Peggy regularly exhibits at the annual exhibitions for the Castlemaine Rotary Art Show and the Bendigo Art Society, at which she has won several awards for her watercolours. Mr Perry was pleased to mount this fine exhibition of watercolours saying ‘The Castlemaine Art Gallery has supported this medium through permanent display, exhibitions and publications, where other public art museums have avoided it.’

The exhibition is open until February 26 and would appeal to lovers of traditional art.

For further information please contact Peter Perry, Director, at the Castlemaine Art Gallery and Historical Museum on (03) 5472 2292 or info@castlemainegallery.com

Len Fox Painting Award 2011

tom — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 03:07:48 +0000

Commemorating the life and works of Emanuel Phillips Fox

5 November – 11 December 2011

Lynn Miller. Winter Storm, Bay street Brighton, 2011. Oil on board 92 x 122 cm

The Castlemaine Art Gallery and Historical Museum is delighted to announce a new painting award for 2011. The Len Fox Painting Award is an acquisitive award of $20,000 which will be held every two years, commemorating the life and works of Emanuel Phillips Fox.

The award was initiated and funded by author, teacher and historian Len Fox (1905-2004) whose uncle was the Australian born Impressionist painter E. Phillips Fox. The award is for a painting of an Australian subject in sympathy with the work of E. Phillips Fox.

The winner of the 2011 Len Fox Painting Award is Lynn Miller, for the work “Winter Storm,Bay street Brighton”.

Greg Moncrieff: Now and Then

tom — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:06:53 +0000

10 September – 23 October 2011

This Melbourne based artist has investigated the process and philosophy of collage/ assemblage in his art practice for over 35 years. His mixed media works utilise a wide range of materials and technical processes, largely inspired by the inventiveness of European artists who worked in similar areas in the early decades of the twentieth century.

The Kenneth Jack View: Bundoora Homestead Art Centre Exhibition

tom — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:54:26 +0000

6 August – 4 September 2011

This exhibition brings together rarely seen works by Kenneth Jack (1924-2006) from the Jack family collection including drawings, tempera and oil paintings; printmaking of the 1960s, acrylics and watercolours from the 1970s to 2000s.

Kenneth Jack Beyond Oodla Wirra, S.A. 2001. Watercolour. Private collection

Victor Majzner: Location watercolours from Australia and Overseas

tom — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 20:30:43 +0000

18 June – 24 July

Location watercolours from various series, dating back 25 years that have not been exhibited before, including works completed in Australia, China and Israel.

Victor Majzner. Mt Tabor from Golan, 2006. Watercolour

Douglas Watson (1920-72) Works from the Permanent Collection

tom — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 20:30:02 +0000

18 June – 24 July – Benefactors Gallery

A gifted artist whose reputation needs to be reassessed.

Doug Watson served as a war artist during WW2, exhibited at the RA, London, the NSW Society of Artists, Contemporary Group, Sydney and the CAS.

Douglas Watson. "The Sightseers" 1946. Oil on canvas on board. Gift of the National Gallery Society of Victoria, 1950

Geoffrey Stocks Survey

tom — Sat, 14 May 2011 00:34:17 +0000

14 May – 12 June

A major exhibition covering oil paintings, watercolours and prints.

Geoff Stocks. At the End-The Crowned Crane will be the only option. Acrylic and crayon on canvas

In the Autumn of 1950 a twenty year old arts graduate walked down the entrance steps of Leeds University College of Arts, in his home county of Yorkshire, England and launched into a career that has spanned over 60 years of continuous involvement in the arts.

Five years of classical art education dominated by rigorous study of technical arts-related processes enabled Stocks to work in a variety of creative areas from theatre design to technical illustration and as a printmaker and painter.

His working life began as a scenic artist and stage designer for an English repertory company, playing 3 monthly seasons at a variety of theatres in Scotland, England and Wales where, in his spare time, he filled countless sketch books with drawings of landscapes, seascapes and historic sites. The tour ended at the Royal Artillery Theatre, Woolwich Arsenal, London, subsequently he moved to Chelsea for the remainder of the year to live and work in the Chelsea Arts Community.

In the summer of 1953 he worked with a fellow student Trevor Bell, joining the St. Ives group of painters in Cornwall, Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, Peter Lanyon, in what was probably the most spectacular period of the groups history.

Stocks immigrated to Tasmania, Australia in 1956 where he had his most memorable exhibition in response to hearing his composer friend, Peter Sculthorpe’s /Fifth Continent/, the ABC’s commissioned entry for the Italia Prize. Sculthorpe and Stocks shared the same cottage in Launceston where they each conceived their respective works. Peter Sulthorpe was so enthusiastic for Stocks visual interpretation of his music that he presented the artist with the original tape recording by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Thomas Matthews, to be played at the opening of the exhibition. The show was a sell-out.

After living in Tasmania for seven years Stocks moved to Melbourne, Victoria and joined the Education Department as a lecturer in design. He maintained his position for a further ten years before retiring and moving to central Victoria in 1970. He has continued his exhibition programme of at least one major show per year.

Stocks is represented in State, municipal, university and significant private collections. He has exhibited in most Australian states, England and America and has won over 60 awards including gold, silver and bronze medals in open art competitions. Stocks is represented in central Victoria by Herons Gallery, cnr. Lyttleton and Hargraves Streets, Castlemaine.