Studio Visit and Interview with Nerrida Parfitt

In August, I had the privilege of visiting Nerrida Parfitt at her lovely home in Ballarat to preview the new pieces for her solo exhibition, Pause. Nerrida’s studio is a sun-drenched room perched on the top floor of her house. The bright and airy space, filled with natural light, is a stark contrast to the moody, introspective, and at times mysterious nocturnal scenes she masterfully brings to life on canvas. Each work reflects her unique ability to transport viewers into a world of quiet wonder and suspense.

Pause is an absolutely stunning exhibition by Nerrida Parfitt and is open to the public from November 6th through 16th.

Studio Visit and Interview with Allison Taplin

For many years, we've had the pleasure of working with landscape artist, Allison Taplin. Her stunning interpretations of Australia's vast and magnificent skies have made her one of our most beloved artists. With each brushstroke, Allison captures the serene beauty of the open sky, drawing viewers into a tranquil world where the peaceful expanse of blue seems to stretch endlessly. Her art invites us to pause, breathe, and experience the quiet stillness of nature.

First & Last is Allison’s first solo exhibition with us here at The Corner Store Gallery. We invite you to take a walk through Allison’s peaceful paddocks with us this October 9th - 19th. Join us for drinks with the artist on Saturday October 12th from 2pm and find out more about what makes Allison tick.

Studio Visit and Interview with Naomi Lawler

Naomi Lawler has been a beloved artist at The Corner Store Gallery since 2019, when she won our inaugural Mini Series Art Prize. A self-taught and highly talented painter, Naomi brings a unique personal touch to her work, often exploring themes with a distinctive blend of modern surrealism and darkness.

We are excited to present her second solo exhibition, The Things We Collect, on display from September 25th to October 7th. We warmly invite you to join us for the Opening Night on Friday, September 27th at 6pm.

Q and A with Jason McDonald

We first discovered Jason McDonald’s work as a finalist in our first ever Mini Series Art Prize back in 2019. Jason’s magnificent, unique and quirky photography work has been a favourite of our audience ever since. This August we are excited to present Jason’s new exhibition here at The Corner Store Gallery. He has created two new series, "Diorama Melodrama” AND “Portraits of Maggie”. Jason’s clever play on words and Australian culture are always a joy and this exhibition will be no exception.

The exhibition will be on display from August 28th until September 7th with an Opening Night Celebration on Friday August 30th from 6pm, we’d love to see you there.

We caught up with Jason recently to find out more about these new series and what makes him tick…

Studio Visit with Karlie Simring

Karlie's work is a masterful interplay of composition, texture, pattern, and materialism. Her distinct voice in the realm of modern textile art is remarkable. This solo exhibition is the result of her outstanding talent being recognized by our bi-annual Mini Series Art Prize in 2023. Selected unanimously by our panel of judges—Anne Masters, Larissa Blake, and myself—we are proud to present Unseen by Karlie Simring.

Q and A with Michelle Ball

This July, I am thrilled to welcome a new artist, Michelle Ball, to The Corner Store Gallery. Just four short weeks ago, I extended an invitation to artists for a last-minute exhibition, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Michelle Ball’s artwork stood out with its exquisite beauty, and I knew it would be a perfect addition to our exhibition calendar.

Michelle is a talented still life and landscape painter from the Northern Beaches of Sydney. Her surroundings of bushland and water clearly serve as a rich source of inspiration for her work. Her paintings capture the serene and vibrant essence of her environment, bringing a unique perspective to our gallery. We are confident that visitors will be as enchanted by her work as we are, and we look forward to showcasing her work Flora 24 at the gallery this July 3rd to 13th.

Michelle will be taking up residency in the gallery from Saturday the 6th of July until the close of the exhibition. Make sure you pop in and visit her while she creates new work in our beautiful space.

Studio Visit with Daniel Rivers

Daniel Rivers first showcased his work at The Corner Store Gallery in 2022 as a finalist for Inside This Box. I've been a fan of his style ever since and was thrilled when he agreed to hold his first solo exhibition with us this year.

Daniel possesses a unique talent for composition and colour. Using soft pastels, his landscapes and suburban scenes exude an ethereal quality. His eye for portraying light over the course of a day or throughout the seasons is magnificent.

I recently visited Daniel in his sun-drenched home in Thirroul just before he packed up and moved to the Newcastle area. Under Sandstone Skies is Daniel’s first solo exhibition, showcasing his deep affection for the landscape surrounding Thirroul on the South Coast. It is an ode to the scenery that has surrounded his home for the past seven years.

Q and A with Georgia Bragg

We caught up with one of our brand new artists Georgia Bragg before Heart Place, a new group exhibition with Colleen Southwell, Skye Bragg and Maggie Mackellar. Four artists with a shared history of common ground explore connection to place, the concept of feeling at one with a landscape, and the ways these bring them together.

Heart Place is on exhibition from May 22nd through to June 2nd. Online sales launch at 8pm May 21st. We’ll be hosting an informal “meet the artists” Q & A with Graziher Editor Victoria Carey on Saturday May 25th at 2pm, followed by afternoon tea and drinks sponsored by Heifer Station Wines. We’d love to see you there!

Studio Visit with Skye Bragg

Skye Bragg is a silversmith based in Peak Hill and is exhibiting as part of our new group exhibition Heart Place opening this Wednesday. Skye’s work is heavily inspired by nature and in particular the Australia bush. Immaculate silver gum nuts and leaves sit amongst the real thing in tiny cubed shelves in Skye’s studio. Skye is a collector of beautiful things, in particular dried leaves, pieces of bark, seed pods and gum nuts etc. These treasures are dotted through out the studio and provide endless inspiration. Scribbly gum bark is mimicked and emulated in silver using a rolling press. Many different techniques are used to create intricate representations of nature.

Q and A with Colleen Southwell

We caught up with one of our all-time favourite artists Colleen Southwell before Heart Place, a new group exhibition with Skye Bragg, Georgia Bragg and Maggie Mackellar. Four artists with a shared history of common ground explore connection to place, the concept of feeling at one with a landscape, and the ways these bring us together.

Heart Place is on exhibition from May 22nd through to June 2nd. Online sales launch at 8pm May 21st. We’ll be hosting an informal “meet the artists” Q & A with Graziher Editor Victoria Carey on Saturday May 25th at 2pm, followed by afternoon tea and drinks sponsored by Heifer Station Wines. We’d love to see you there!

Studio Visit with Pippita Bennett

Pippita Bennet is a wonderfully clever textile and fibre artist based in the Blue Mountains in NSW. Pippita has exhibited work with us over the past couple of years as part of group exhibitions and art prizes we’ve held at The Corner Store Gallery. I was immediately drawn to Pippita’s work due to it’s uniqueness, attention to detail and quality of work.

Pippita uses vintage and plant-dyed textiles with thrifted threads to create immaculate, stitched landscapes and other scenery. The colours and patterns are stunning along with the textures created by the different fabrics and fibres used. The incredible amount of work that goes into these pieces is evident, Pippita finds the process very therapeutic and finds herself with needle in hand most of the day.

Studio Visit with Amanda Holman

Local painter Amanda Holman has been consistently exhibiting with The Corner Store Gallery for a number of years now. We first discovered Amanda through one of our many group exhibition opportunities, as we do many of our fabulous artists. From one entry comes many, and her popularity has grown exponentially during this time resulting in Amanda’s first solo exhibition Beyond 4 Walls opening this April at The Corner Store Gallery.

Amanda Holman is a truly lovely and warm person, as well as a wonderful artist in her own right. Her quiet and beautiful depictions of the Australian landscape begin with field trips and drives across this beautiful country we call home. Sometimes painted within the landscape, sometimes painted form photographs back in her home studio. Amanda’s studio is the stuff of dreams, located on the ground floor of her home, accessible via a courtyard from the street. It’s here I first played eyes upon the new body of work for Beyond 4 Walls. Take a look and find out more about Amanda’s practice.