The recent bushfires, and now Covid-19, have brought a major impact to the South East. From the ashes of the fires that destroyed so much of our region there has also come warmth, generosity and a collective community spirit that comes from so many sharing the same traumas and emotions.
Denise Straty was one of the many recovery personnel called into the region after the fires. She saw for herself the impact and she learnt of the lives of those affected.
By way of a meeting with Amanda, of Amanda's at Mogo, Denise learnt of the impact to the many South East artists and of their responses by way of art to the bushfires.
Wanting to do what she could for those she met she returned to Sydney with an idea. To hold an ‘Out of the Ashes’ exhibition next month at The Wellington Gallery – a stunningly chic warehouse space in the inner-city Sydney suburb of Waterloo.
Gallery owners Mark and Ray had generously offered the use of their exquisite venue and kindly waived any commission so that the full proceeds of each art sale would flow through to the participating South Coast artists.
Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, they have had to put the dream of a physical exhibition on hold for the moment, but the good news is they’ve created the exhibition as a Facebook e-gallery where they invite visitors to read artists’ posts describing their individual tales of survival during the unprecedented deadly fire season and view their spectacular artworks. The artists profiled in this Beagle series is Amanda Williams Amanda Williams
Pastel artist.
Amanda attended the National Art School in East Sydney attaining a Diploma of Fine Arts in 1990. She then returned to the South Coast, and with her mother Stephanie, bought an art supply store in Mogo in 1999, creating the much loved, Amanda’s of Mogo.
She paints pastel landscapes from various painting trips, and some more modern works with mixed media and collage. She captures the light, shadows, shape and form of the country and sea, and the beauty and feelings it evokes.
She is the president of the South Coast Pastel Society inc. based in the Eurobodalla Shire.
Quirky Floral 1
Pastel and mixed media
Framed size is 77cm x 76cm
Image size is 48cm x 48cm
$900 framed .
Quirky Floral 3
Pastel and mixed media
Framed size is 62cm x 74cm
Image size is 37cm x 47cm
$750 framed
