Exhibiting Artists: Pippita Bennett, Lea Durie, Christina McLean and Karlie Simring

Four artists, each rooted in the mediums of ceramics and textiles, unite in an exploration of materiality. This exhibition invites the audience on a sensory journey of earth and fiber. Through their distinct yet interconnected practices, the artists celebrate the tactile essence of these ancient materials, revealing stories of tradition, innovation, and the profound relationship between maker and medium.

Our extremely popular Art Prize INSIDE THIS BOX is back for another! Thanks to our friends at Whiteley Ironside & Shillington Solicitors AND De Salis Wines in Orange, there will be two prizes up for grabs: the overall winner, selected by Gallery Director Madeline Young, will receive $1000 in cash sponsored by Whiteley Ironside and Shillington Solicitors. There will also be a People’s Choice Award with voters choosing their favourite work announced at the close of the exhibition, the winner will receive a Magnum of 2021 Lofty Pinot Noir from De Salis Wines.

A few years ago, I felt this strong desire to paint these fascinating birds. I hadn’t paid much attention to them until I moved to Bathurst, where they became impossible to ignore. I started to notice something unique about Magpies—they don’t just glance at you like other birds; they actually stare. At first, I found them a bit intimidating, but even more so, I was captivated by their boldness. Magpies exude confidence, strutting around with an air of coolness, and their expressions can range from cheeky to downright intense. This exhibition aims to capture their playful spirit and the vibrant moods they convey.

Showcasing a thoughtfully curated selection of beautifully handcrafted wares from skilled makers across Australia, this exhibition seamlessly blends artistry and craftsmanship through a diverse collection of fine art and handmade wares. Shop in person throughout the year or explore our collection online to find one-of-a-kind treasures that celebrate Australian-made.

This collection of paintings is inspired by my experiences this year of travelling across continents and living ‘in between’ places - from the tranquil shores of Pittwater in Sydney to a wild headland above Roaring Beach in Tasmania and finally to Yunosato, a village in the forest in Japan. Even though each place is different in landscape, climate and culture I have found that they have similarities that connect them. Being surrounded by nature and these vast and beautiful environments whilst living in small humble shelters has also given me a sense of feeling grounded in each place.

This series is congruent with the artist’s wider art making practice that resonates with the notion of buildings as “guardians of identity “ and “silent witnesses” ( Alain de Botton, Architecture of Happiness 2006 ). The Central West has so many distinctive structures and scenes that tell stories of earlier lives and ongoing practices. These features exist in open space and light in a way that refresh and somehow comfort the city based artist.

Liz Wickramasinghe’s paintings explore a combination of themes around domestic crafts, such a textiles and hand-making traditions and the rugged, costal landscapes where she lives on Wadawurrung country in Victoria. By combining a range of painting, masking and relief-printmaking techniques, her works explore layering, repetition, texture, linework and pattern. This approach allows Liz to explore naturally occurring repetition and pattern found in the landscapes and botanical life of her region, highlighting the parallels with her love of weaving, patchwork and collaged imagery. This body of work includes Liz’s first attempts at portraying a still life setting, which bring together the themes and visual references so often apparent in her art practice.

Nerrida Parfitt’s oil paintings explore themes of solitude, impermanence, and the interplay between self and environment. In this exhibition titled 'Pause', she captures brooding landscapes and abandoned spaces, evoking a quiet tension through light, shadow, and profound stillness.

Spending most of her time living and working on a cattle property in Texas, Qld,  Jane Henry uses her rural surroundings as a constant inspiration for her creative artworks.

A mostly self-taught artist who enjoys blending various mediums, recently including her own individual style of fibre art. She is constantly extending the capabilities of hand stitching on archival paper with foraged natural fibres and objects creating extremely unique artworks.

These recent intricate botanical creations combine Jane’s love of Australian native flora as well as paying homage to her mother & grandmothers who passed down the skill and appreciation of slow needlework.

As a proud Nhunggabarra artist, my work is deeply rooted in the stories, traditions, and landscapes of my heritage. For the past eight years, I have dedicated myself to exploring and expressing my culture through acrylic paintings on canvas and various public murals. My art serves as a bridge between cultures, weaving together traditional teachings and contemporary perspectives. Through this fusion, I aim to share the richness of my Aboriginal identity with a broader audience. Each piece reflects my deep connection to the land, the generations before me and the stories that have been passed down through time.

Learn how to make your very own textile landscape artwork with artist Pippita Bennett. You will create your own canvas mounted stitched landscape using naturally dyed and thrifted fabric. You will also learn different embroidery stitches and experience the meditative and restorative quality of working with textiles. You will enjoy a light antipasto platter and bubbles on the Sunday, and afternoon tea on the Saturday. It’s about connecting, chatting and playing with stitch with an intimate group of people in the beautiful space of The Corner Store Gallery.

The Corner Store Gallery, in partnership with Seesaw Wines, is delighted to present a vibrant group exhibition to celebrate the Orange Wine Festival. This colourful and diverse showcase features an exciting mix of local talent alongside artists from beyond the region, all coming together at Seesaw Wines for a special event.

Exhibiting Artists: Kim Bizo, Larissa Blake, Rhonda Campbell, Mary Donnelly, Clare Dubina, Madeline Young.

This collection focuses on an obsession with the light in the sky at dawn and at dusk. The paintings were inspired by wanderings and early commuting into the rising dawn and the setting sunlight. They are imbued with a sense of peace, calm and hope unique to the start of a new day and the sense of unwinding and drawing in at day's end.

Natasha is an award-winning designer and artist based in Molong, NSW, on Wiradjuri Country. Since completing her Bachelor of Arts in Graphic and Web Design in 2004, Natasha has built a diverse career spanning design agencies, state government, higher education, and now local government. Currently, she leads a creative team in Orange, managing major design and communication projects. When she's not fulfilling her role as Chief Snack Officer at home, Natasha is busy developing websites and crafting brand identities at work. In her spare time, she enjoys experimenting with timber and paint in her shed, exploring shape, composition, and colour. Natasha's creative journey was shaped by her studies at university and her time as a Senior Creative at a Sydney design agency. Drawing inspiration from the Bauhaus and Swiss Design movements, she blends design, fine art, and craft. Her evolving process reflects this intersection, as she continually experiments with function, materials, and colour.

In my latest exhibition, "The Things We Collect," I invite you to explore the interplay between the literal and the allegorical. Initially, the concept is straightforward: the still life paintings that depict our tangible collections—objects that are familiar, safe, and pleasing to the eye. These works, though somewhat allegorical, are easily understood and offer a simple aesthetic pleasure.

Artists were invited to submit one landscape artwork of any medium (video excluded) to be judged by a panel of experts. This competition is open to emerging and established artists living in regional, rural and outback Australia. Artworks submitted may depict any type of landscape, eg. traditional, rural, arial, abstract, suburban, imagined etc.The finalist exhibition will include the most exciting and original artworks submitted for selection from artists all over regional, rural and outback Australia.

This collection of work explores domestic life centred around the dining table that occupies an important place in the artist’s home. A table of interesting dimensions, long and thin, it was made originally to fit a difficult space. It has since moved house twice, and has fitted into each new space as if it were made to be right there.

As the cold season approaches, the table becomes the place to sit in the warmth of Winter sun - to eat, to read, to work, or to talk with friends.

This diorama series is a progression of Jason’s artwork involving montage of his photography and graphic design. Each frame is a blend of two images - the flora and toy models positioned in the landscape in a single shot and then his original photograph of the animal/bird dropped into the set via digital editing.

Dioramas have historically been described as a “means to visually preserve nature as different environments change due to human involvement”. Unlike the antiquated versions which presented taxidermy animals and birds in realistic poses, Jason lets his camera lens capture the live models presenting a spectacle with the aim to “nurture a reverence for nature with its beauty and grandeur”.

To honour and celebrate of a decade of cultivating and showcasing Australian talent, The Corner Store Gallery proudly presents a commemorative exhibition featuring ten of our distinguished artists from the past decade. Each artist has created two unique 10 x 10 inch works capturing the spirit of their practice and reflecting the gallery’s enduring commitment to artistic innovation.

TEN not only celebrates the last decade of The Corner Store Gallery, but also acknowledges the vibrant community of artists who have contributed to our success. Join us as we honour the past and look forward to the future with this milestone exhibition.

Karlie Simring is an artist and designer based in Inner Sydney on Gadigal Land. Holding a Bachelor of Fashion and Textile Design, Karlie has enjoyed a creative career as a Senior and Head designer in the fashion industry for more than 25 years. Her early education also included a year at the National Art School. More recently, Karlie has explored various creative mediums, including watercolour, ceramics, basketry & weaving. Now an emerging artist, she creates contemporary textiles, focusing on surface embroidery. Art and design are Karlie’s guiding passions, with the world of textiles continually inspiring her process. Drawing from her experience in fashion, she infuses her work with a considered sense of colour, form and detail. Karlie’s process is intuitive, as she explores and observes her surroundings. Her art is an interplay of line, texture and tone, creating stories with a deep appreciation for materiality and tactility. Mark making with thread, brings the viewer into her inner world.

Time to Reflect is the latest series of paintings by Jo Fernandez.  The works feature water as a prompt for personal reflection.  The central subject is the reflection of land and sky, and although inspired by specific locations, it could be anywhere, as the artist works from intuition as well as observation.

Jo's works are representational of elements within the landscape she responds to emotionally; editing and isolating what she considers to be the core significance.  Be it the transient quality of light and atmosphere, the drama of colour and tone in cloud formations, her works convey a sense of calm and nostalgia. The artist invites the viewer to pause, reflect and restore a sense of place in nature.

Rogue Sculptors are a collective group of diverse  artists located in the Central West of NSW involved in the production of 2 and 3-dimensional artworks. The group currently comprising of around twenty members, produce a wide and dynamic range of art forms producing small to large works in varied media including ceramics, fibre, stone, plastic, wood, glass and metal. The aim of the group is to foster and promote the practice of sculpture within the region principally by exhibition.

Moving from New York back to Australia, I now live as I grew up, on the edge of a National Park. As a remote location, it is this natural environment that fills me with inspiration which I continue to learn about every day. 

Walking the local tracks and being part of the community bush care group I’m in constant awe of our Australian bush and its fragility. The unique vision of our wildflowers and endangered birds are globally understated or recognised and it is something that drives me paint and share. It is that possibility of a new story that moves me.

I see that we are all small parts of a whole. We adapt and are forever evolving, I cannot help but be influenced by situations, people and places around me and this observation makes for an ongoing story.

Through exploring dramatic tonal contrasts and examining the balance between light and shade, Nell Symonds creates dynamic still life portrayals. Composed of assorted potteries, summery lemons and curvaceous pears and pomegranates, her subjects are often selected for their shapely proportions, intrinsic colour variations, luminosity and ability to cast compelling shadows.

Working primarily with soft pastels, Rivers applies scraping and blending techniques to swiftly establish composition and colour arrangement, later refining the works with intricate marks. His experimentation with pastels yields both loose yet finely detailed drawings and paintings.

His latest collection, “Under Sandstone Skies,” invites audiences to immerse themselves in his experience of residing under towering cliffs and open skies, observing the ever shifting interplay of light, colour and distinct weather phenomena. From the glow of a solitary cloud illuminated by the morning sun to the dynamic shadows cast by drifting clouds, Rivers’ work shares his connection to these moments of transient beauty.

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.

Through their works in paper, silver and photography, and woven with the written word, the artists each interpret the land and nature as the core of belonging.  The exhibition ponders vast landscapes with the minutiae of life they nurture, and the way these are carried in our identities and personal stories.

Sydney based artist, Zoe Sernack has produced 5 new works for us that reflect forms of nature above and below the surface. Using a soft and delicate colour palette, Zoe not only paints but carves into the timber boards to really capture the flow and pulse of the Australian landscape. Her work explores the connections between landscape, memory and the subconscious. She has an instinctive understanding of colour, line and texture while balancing abstracted forms. Zoes’ objective has never been to depict but to evoke a visual connection. Whether it be a sense of place, a feeling or a memory.

Pippita Bennett creates stitched landscapes of places lived in and visited. Her home on Dharug and Gundungurra country is the source of her practice; she uses leaves, bark and flowers from her surrounds and the wild places she travels to dye the threads and textiles she works with, gathering extra inspiration from thrifted materials. Her dyed fabrics are soaked with the memory of the place they were dyed; similarly thrifted fabric holds memory of its past use.

Fiona Schofield is looking forward to being back in our gorgeous local gallery - the perfect space to showcase a new range of pieces alongside all your favourites. Whilst she has been in the industry now for over 30 years, Fiona is celebrating 20 years of Millinery and Making in Orange NSW and would love to see you visit not just the Hat Shop, but the beautiful town she chose for her home. Gather a group and make the trip to Orange to shop the range of ready made hats, or take the opportunity to pop in and be measured up, and to chat about having the perfect hat made.