Artist Sue Kalab who has painted almost 1000 paintings in her career will exhibit her watercolour painitngs at the Collie Art Gallery at the end of the month.
Her 24th solo exhibition, Gifts from the Bush and Beach will showcase a range of Mrs Kalabs work from Saturday July 28 until September 9.
Specialising in Australian nature, her artwork ‘shines a light on nature,’ bringing the characteristics and fragments of the Australian scene alive.
The South West resident said she began painting watercolours in 1981 and slowly started to specialise in Australian nature.
“Most of my pieces are in private collections, some are overseas but most of them are in Australia and some are in corporate collections, but often they will have a conservation message,” she said.
“There are times where I use my art and nature for its kind of contemplative values but sometimes it will be about environmental justice.”
Along with her paintings, she will be bringing with her a series of public workshops and talks with specialist speakers.
Before opening night, on Friday July 27 at 12pm there will be an opportunity to meet Ms Kalab and ask questions about her work.
Following opening night on Saturday July 28 at 2pm, there will be a range of talks about birds and their curious lives, why Australia’s South West is a biodiversity hot spot and the ritual of saying goodbye - how religions and cultures have evolved to farewell loved ones for International Day of Grief.
“I hope people take advantage of having these specialists there,” she said.
Keeping within the theme there will be workshops about drawing as a form of meditation and planting trees along the Collie River bank with Friends of the Collie River and the Shire of Collie.
She said she was excited to exhibit her work in Collie for many reasons.
“I’ve got a connection with Collie, my mother Lily Reeves was born there in 1923. She was part of the Palmer family which shares early Collie history. My great grand-parents Mary Ellen and William Palmer are buried in Collie cemetery,” she said.
For more information go to www.collieartgallery.org.au or call 9734 2921.
