The Northern Illawarra region has long been synonymous with art.
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Many artists have based themselves in the area, in part due to its natural beauty, from the bush of the Royal and Dharawal national parks, to the magnificent landscape of the Illawarra Escarpment and of course, the Pacific Ocean.
Now the public will be able to step inside their studios for the first time as part of the inaugural Northern Illawarra Art Trail on the weekend of November 19-20.
The art trail, which stretches from Helensburgh in the north to Bulli, will take place on the weekend of November 19-20 and has been funded by a $4000 grant from Wollongong City Council.
It was the brainchild of Stanwell Park based artist Edith McNally, who founded a committee to get it off the ground.
Event spokeswoman Leisa Thomson said Ms McNally wanted to find a way for artists to be able to showcase their work following a hard two years.
"So many artists have been struggling to get their art displayed because of COVID and Edith wanted to come up with a way for artists to be able to show their work," she said.
![Art trail: Barbara Gray is one of the artists who will open her studio to the public during the Northern Illawarra Art Trail. Picture: Facebook/Northern Illawarra Art Trail
Art trail: Barbara Gray is one of the artists who will open her studio to the public during the Northern Illawarra Art Trail. Picture: Facebook/Northern Illawarra Art Trail](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/158750039/661ec924-7423-477e-b05a-a606b73b3dd1.jpg/r0_0_600_337_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Far from being just for diehard art lovers, it promises to have something for everyone, with local restaurants and cafes also jumping on board.
Organisers are inviting visitors to explore the studios and "immerse yourself in the arts" during the two-day event.
"The artists will be showing a wonderful range of arts, ranging from abstract to realism in oils, acrylics and watercolours, prints, photography and ceramics," Thomson said.
"Enjoy the excellent wares provided by the numerous fine quality cafes, restaurants and hotels, as you wander between the studios, [and] the beautiful natural scenery and beaches, with a wide choice of cafes for coffees, brunch or lunch all the way down the coast."
So far 30 artists have come on board, including McNally herself, who will open her studio at Stanwell Park.
Born in the Netherlands in 1949, McNally arrived in Australia in 1952 and enjoyed a professional career in public education for more than 40 years, 18 of which was spent as the principal of Menai High School in Sutherland Shire.
She loves nature, long-distance walking, gardening and bushwalking and the four years she spent caravanning around Australia ignited a passion for watercolour, travel sketching and watercolour painting.
Her paintings have become larger as she mastered new strategies for sealing watercolours without the limitations imposed by requiring heavy glass protection for finished works.
She is currently exploring the world of abstract art as well as large-scale landscapes, and draws inspiration from the beaches, cliffs and bush near her home.
![Visual arts: Rebecca Brennan will also take part in the Northern Illawarra Art Trail. Picture: Facebook/Northern Illawarra Art Trail Visual arts: Rebecca Brennan will also take part in the Northern Illawarra Art Trail. Picture: Facebook/Northern Illawarra Art Trail](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/158750039/4c4bcdc6-25fe-44b3-832f-a1f18e876d8b.jpg/r0_102_526_398_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Timbermill Art Studios at 6 Molloy Street, Bulli, will also be open.
The unique creative art space is located in an iconic former timber mill and houses artisan studios, small businesses, event spaces, band rehearsal rooms and even a cafe. Among the artists who will showcase their work there are Paul Baker and Rebecca Brennan.
Brennan is an award-winning visual artists who specialises in charcoal drawings, photography and textured oil paintings of the local environment.
Clifton School of Arts will also be part of the art trail, and will feature artists Natalija Vocanec, Amanda Steere, Amanda Milliken and Claudia Halley.
This artists, who teach at the Da Vinci Art Studio at Shellharbour, have combined their works for the first time to showcase their differing styles and mediums.
Other artists to join the trail include:
Susan Bromham, of Toxteth Pottery, Austinmer
Bromham has perfected her craft over many years working with earthenware, stoneware and mid-fired ceramics, and particularly enjoys using the pottery wheel to create functional ceramic pieces.
Her latest works include a range of mid-fired coffee cups, keep cups, bowls and plates all made at her studio, which will be open to the public during the art trail.
Her coffee cup sets can be found in local cafes and she is a regular stallholder at Coledale Markets.
Barbara Gray, Coledale
Gray's inspiration comes from nature and she gathers sketches as she explores the local area and during her travels.
Responding directly to the subject, light, colours, patterns and shapes, she likes to observe everyday life and capture the moment in paint on paper, canvas or board in a contemporary vibrant style.
Experimenting and play are important parts of her creative process with mark making, to create oils, acrylics and watercolours.
She was a finalist in FLOW National Comtemporary Watercolour Prize, Ravenswood Australian Women's Art Prize, Mosman Art Prize and NSW Parliamentary Plein Air Painting Prize.
Robyn Ramsay, Thirroul
A ceramicist who creates mainly functional ware on the potter's wheel. She works with stoneware, porcelain and clay - a highly versatile medium allowing for a huge variety of creative expression.
She appreciates the discipline involved in creating balanced forms on the wheel and deciding how to glaze or decorate each piece.
She enjoys creating tableware, sets of bowls or cups, and vases or larger forms that are totally unique.
Amanda Skye Mulder, Helensburgh
Mulder's art is based on intuition. A mediumistic artist, she draws her inspiration through spiritual guidance and nature, but her art is not confined by category, style or topic, allowing her to follow her heart and explore the world of automatism to create her pieces.
Judy Bourke, Barracks Art Studios, 1 Church Street Thirroul
A printmaker, sculptor and creator of artists' books and and textiles, Bourke uses recycled materials such as electronic waste and commercial packaging as much as possible for her pieces. Her work is inspired by relationships, community events, found materials, seascapes and landscapes. Her prints have been exhibited in Spain, France, the UK, the Netherlands and Bulgaria as well as here in Australia.
Bourke is a member of the Illawarra Association for the Visual Arts (IAVA).
Ian Brown, Thirroul
A contemporary abstract painter and printmaker, Brown's works range from large, bold abstract forms and landscapes to contemporary etchings.
His works concentrate on colour and mark making, with many revealing abstracted landscapes of the local escarpment and coastline.
He has exhibited alone and in group exhibitions.
Bob McRae, Austinmer
A former art teacher at West Wollongong TAFE for almost 30 years, McRae specialises in teaching painting, drawing, printmaking and sculpture.
He has travelled all over Australia painting landscapes and natural history, including many bird species.
He has also painted naval ships from many countries and his works are displayed in many national collections, including the Australian War Memorial, Canberra; the Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney; the Northern Territory Art Gallery and Museum; Darwin Military Museum; the Royal Australian Navy (RAN); Broome City Council; and Wollongong City Council.
In 2008, he was commissioned as an official navy artist in the Persian Gulf with the RAN based on HMAS Arunta as part of a Navy History Unit visit to the Middle East. In 2019, he was the war artist aboard HMAS Ballart, where he painted and drew ship and crew during Operation Manitou in the Middle East.
Belinda Baccarini, Austinmer
Baccarini loves the Illawarra coast and escarpment and ever-changing moods of the waves and sea. She takes photos of the beach, escarpment, birds and flowers in the area and loves to capture the exquisite moment of light on the water and over the escarpment, as well as bird behaviour.
She also makes her own greeting cards, prints, magnets and acrylic tiles.
She won the photography section of the Thirroul Seaside Festival 2022.
![Printmaking: Alannah Dreise will open her studio during the art trail. Picture: Facebook/Northern Illawarra Art Trail Printmaking: Alannah Dreise will open her studio during the art trail. Picture: Facebook/Northern Illawarra Art Trail](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/158750039/c138abb4-dfc0-4a79-889d-e1fcd0a0dc3b.png/r0_210_960_751_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Alannah Dreise, Austinmer
Dreise is a printmaker and painter who also draws and works in collage.
She has 25 years' experience as an artist and has won numerous awards. She has exhibited several times at Wollongong Art Gallery and last year she was selected for an exhibition of artists from Illawarra Association for the Visual Arts, of which she is a member.
Her works are included in the public collection at Wollongong Art Gallery, Waverley Council and St Mary Star of the Sea College, Wollongong.
Sarah Rowan, Helensburgh
Rowan is a speed painter who has been painting live in front of audiences and at corporate events for two decades. Many of her works have been sold before her brush has even touched the canvas.
Her works are vibrant and often tell a story. They are a mix of landscapes, abstracts, animals and the ever-fascinating universe.
Her goal is to make art accessible and inspirational, whilst being fun and intriguing.
Bernardette Camenzuli, Helensburgh
Camenzuli's works capture the expressive nature of natural forms, capturing the mood and serenity of her subject.
She has found inspiration in the beautiful natural surroundings of north Illawarra since moving to the area.
A multifaceted artist, she is skilled in several mediums and adapts her technique to suit her subject. She incorporates drawing, photography and sculpture to create themed bodies of work.
She holds a Master of Fine Arts from UNSW and has participated in a number of group shows in Australia and her homeland Malta.
Fred Marsh, Coledale
Marsh is inspired by the diversity of mood and light, exploring the themes of light of the coast and in urban areas. He paints mainly in oils and acrylics in a contemporary impressionist style.
Graham Sinclair, Barracks Studios, 1 Church Street, Thirroul
A member of Barracks Art Studios, Thirroul, Sinclair has been a finalist and prize winner in many art shows, most recently picking up first prize at the 2022 Thirroul Seaside Art Festival. He was also a finalist in the nationally acclaimed North Sydney Art Prize.
He has received commissions and exhibited throughout Australia and overseas, and has a passion for reconstructing the landscape and still life through painting or sculpture.
He seeks inspiration from the sea and the bush, as well as the nuances of the natural and built environments that are not always apparent, but are always around us.
Jo Oliver, Austinmer
A writer and printmaker, Oliver works in linocut, woodcut and etching.
She is the writer and illustrator of four children's picture books, Pilgrim, Tatiara, The Light and The Dreaming Tree, each of which are set on the South Coast of NSW and are featured on the NSW Premier's Reading Challenge list.
She uses printmaking and coloured-in watercolour washes as illustration mediums.
During the art trail, her studio will display the development of her artwork from drawing, to preparing a plate, to printing, to colouring. Visitors will be able to speak with her about the illustration process and see her printmaking press.
Her books and prints will be for sale and can be signed by the artist. Children are welcome at her studio.
Thelma Zaracostas, Barracks Art Studios, 1 Church Street, Thirroul
Zaracostas' preferred medium is acrylic paint and she enjoys mixed media, often using recycled materials.
She has a fascination with urban and industrial landscapes that have evolved through time.
![Contemporary artist: Renee Kamaretsos is among artists who will showcase their work at The Timber Mill. Picture: Facebook/Northern Illawarra Art Trail Contemporary artist: Renee Kamaretsos is among artists who will showcase their work at The Timber Mill. Picture: Facebook/Northern Illawarra Art Trail](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/158750039/fa76004e-8190-4f6d-9435-6bbd05464bad.png/r0_69_600_408_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Renee Kamaretsos, The Timber Mill, 2-6 Molloy Street, Bulli
Kamaretsos acquires inspiration from her surroundings to create beautiful contemporary art using a variety of different genres and mediums.
She says the freedom of watercolour, the unlimited expanse in seascapes and landscapes and the curves of the human figure are all fundamental elements in the creation of her artworks, which capture the mood, harmony and rich palette of the colours of nature.
Gail Etheredge, Gail's Cliffhouse Art, Coalcliff
An intuitive modern artist who works in acrylic, mixed media and oils to produce beautiful paintings, Etheredge has explored different techniques, media and alternative ways to express herself and her art.
She draws inspiration from the beautiful surroundings of her studio to create mainly landscapes and abstracts.
Karen Roach, Stanwell Tops
A printmaker working with lino and Japanese wood block techniques, as well as print on paper, canvas and materials, Roach presents her prints in mounting and framed prints, and also uses the prints to create jewellery, cards, coasters, bags and canvas pieces.
She also creates jewellery from resin and miniature model figures.
Much of her work includes stylised visions of birds, water and trees.
Jennifer Jackson, Stanwell Tops
Jackson's mixed media images on paper and canvas reflect the landscape, places she has visited and the Illawarra. Her works range from tiny, intimate images to large bold statements.
Texture is a major element of her art, and she uses collage, found objects and mixed media to create abstracted works. She is also inspired by all forms of history and archaeology.
Jackson was awarded first prize and a medal of distinction for miniatures in the Sydney Royal Arts & Crafts Show, and was a finalist in the Paddington Art Prize for one of her landscapes.
Framed and unframed works will be for sale during the art trail.
Alison Winchester, Timbermill Art Studio, 2-6 Molloy Street, Bulli
A mixed media textile artist, Winchester creates and designs beautiful delicate glass sculptures.
She also has a strong focus on the felting process and wearable arts.
Growing up on a family-run farm in Yass and fascinated by the thousands of sheep wandering around, she evoked these childhood memories and began using wool from her brother's sheep farm at Braidwood to create art. The wool is incorporated into many of Alison's artworks and displays, which explore the natural environment around her.
Keiran Tapsell, Stanwell Park
Tapsell will open his home and beautiful gardens during the art trail.
Details: Northern Illawarra Art Trail, November 19-20, 10am-3pm daily. For more information click here
To see a map of the art trail click here
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