IN FOCUS: ARCHIVE

“Owning your own life, defining yourself, independence and freedom of thought” are the cornerstones of creativity, according to Birgitte Hansen, the Blue Mountains painter and muralist, who works on large-scale community works as well as high profile personal projects. Her own home is one of these, and its location on the Great Western Highway ensures high visibility for its colourful, controversial mural-covered presence.

Birgitte is an example of an artist who found her calling early. She started art school at the age of 16 and has been a practicing artist since 1968, producing public art, community art, commissions, murals, ceramic tiles, trade union banners and paintings for 20 years in Newcastle before moving to Blackheath, where her creative output continues.

There is always a political or personal issue at the heart of Birgitte’s work, hence her natural affinity for working with the union movement and communities. As a migrant female, from a working class background; a young mother struggling financially, she gained strength and found her own story and sense of place, which fed into her art. “Being poor, not being fashionable, and walking to my own beat” were Birgitte’s early challenges, which she faced head-on by being strong-willed in her vision, and remaining true to herself and her art.   MORE

Getting sprung by the boss while drawing images of co-workers could easily have resulted in punishment, but for Elizabeth Johnson it turned out to be a step in the right direction. Her employer noticed her talents and moved her to the company’s art department to be trained in graphic art. This was the beginning of a very successful 13 years as a graphic designer in Las Vegas.

The artist, who is currently producing abstract canvases in large sizes, creates work which offers something for those with a positive perspective on life. The large abstracts, for instance, are an exercise in contrast and texture with loosely composed themes to strum the intellect. She also creates educational materials and comics that promote messages through humour; portraiture for the sentimentally inclined, and aspects of nature for those who are thrilled by the beauty of creation.

Portraits, porcelains, landscapes and perspectives of architecture are favourites of Elizabeth; who also likes to sculpt with clay, wood, sandstone, semi-precious stones and metal. Despite her day job as a teacher at TAFE NSW taking up a large chunk of time, Elizabeth is still managing to study Mechanical Engineering so that she can work more effectively with metals.   MORE

“The texture of bark, the vein pattern in a leaf, the colour of a flower or the shape of a cloud”. Each of these is inspiration enough for Elena Parashko. The artist, who paints, teaches and writes about art, channels a love of life and nature’s beauty into the creation of her works, which focus on the natural world, “those small details that usually go unnoticed in the busyness of our lives."

Elena creates custom designed paintings for both private and corporate art-appreciators, maintaining her artistic practice while also running art classes for children and adults and writing articles on different aspects of art for several national and international magazines.

Conveying a positive message, and reflecting Elena’s belief in the healing power of art, her paintings are vibrant and joyous pieces created specially for their new owners to love looking at. Works that lift the heart rather than furrow the brow, with an emotional rather than intellectual bent.   MORE

When he’s not sculpting, he’s dreaming about sculpting. Will Coles, for as long as he can remember, has been creating works with a conceptual edge. Inspired by the idea of free art for the people, Coles loves the idea of art in the everyday, his works providing both statement and stimulus at street level.

The sideways kinds of artistic things we just happen to come across without expecting them can be the most intriguing of all.

Using concrete or fibre glass resin casts from objects such as TVs, mobile phones, toys or remote controls, Coles carves upon them words designed to engage and provoke thought. The artist installs his works in public places, giving people the opportunity to stumble across concrete televisions with words such as ‘numb’, ‘silence’ and ‘life is fleeting’, suitcases labelled ‘burden’ and ‘memories’, a box tied with string proclaiming ‘this is not a bomb’ – and to think about what’s *really* being said here.

Technology is an abiding interest, and Coles’ thematic angle takes in technology’s potential to improve humanity, as well as its misuse by those who need to “keep us dumb”.   MORE

Baulkham Hills artist Patrick Shirvington believes painting is more than merely imitating life - it is a process of expression, creation, and self-knowledge.

He uses painting to convey a deep spiritual connection to the landscape. With over 35 years experience as an artist, Shirvington’s inspiration comes from the resilience of nature; this resilience is a primary concern in his painting.

“Art to me is more than picture making. It is being conscious of the inner forces and allowing them to grow.”

Shirvington’s artistic career began when his grandmother gave him a set of oil paints as a birthday gift. Painting and studying art in his spare time, he originally started his career in accountancy. In 1975, Shirvington followed his passion for art to Europe, where he visited renowned art galleries and attended a drawing course at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere in Paris. Some favourable sales and an exhibition at a gallery in Cornwall extended his stay overseas.   MORE

Bringing together young people from across the Western Sydney region, Powerhouse Youth Theatre (PYT) creates new, imaginative and inclusive performing arts projects. The company is no stranger to innovative approaches, using multimedia platforms to comment on what’s happening in the world.

Western Sydney’s leading youth theatre company engages professional artists to work with young people to produce work that packs a punch and opens up connections with new audiences. With collaboration and participation at the heart of its ethos, PYT fosters skills in performance making and helps build foundations for social change.

PYT harnesses the creative voice of Western Sydney’s youth and enables growth of community spirit in the region through a range of projects, events and opportunities for artistic and cultural development.   MORE