the artists

Danielle Pirrie is a professional portraiture artist living on the Far South Coast of Australia whose vibrant, colourful work is characterized by her passion for the complexities and fascination of the human state and her outstanding ability to capture something essential of the subject and their world. Danielle's latest exhibition 'Maestro and Muse' at the Ivy Hill Gallery in Wapengo, NSW in 2012, was a great success. featuring a series of portraits and figurative pieces based on her interest in Renaissance Art, her links to Italy and the visit of a famous Italian Viol da Gamba player Paolo Pandolfo in 2010. Born in Melbourne, Australia in 1965, Danielle Pirrie comes from an artistic family with father Kenneth Pirrie a well known fashion designer in the 1960's and 70's, and mother Eve an art collector, designer and creative consultant.

Since 1980 Danielle has accepted regular portrait commission with works now in private collections in Australia, the U.K., Italy and the USA.  On leaving Australia to live abroad, she was the artist on an independent feature film production 'Against the Tide', has taught privately and won a 20metre mural commission in the USA, studied the nude at the Academia di Belle Arti and taught in a art studio backing onto a 3000 year old Etruscan wall in Perugia, Italy. Returning to Australia in 1999 Danielle was a member of the Brighton and Mentone Arts Societies and since moving to the Bega Valley in 2004, has concentrated on teaching and building her career in Portraiture. 

Graduated from the Australian National University National Institute of the Arts in 2002 with first class honours majoring in painting. Further study includes, Botanical Drawing, Life Drawing, Water Colour, Bronze Casting, Sculpture and etching. I have had a couple of solo exhibitions since graduating, participated in several joint exhibitions in Canberra Bega and Sydney and been hung in numerous exhibitions.

I have paintings in private collections including the ANU Drill Hall Gallery and John XXIII College and have completed a number of commissions including illustration of a children's book and large scenery backdrops for several ballet performances. For several years I participated in curating the annual Wyndham Art Show.

Awards and prizes:

2013 Bega Regional gallery, NSW, Winner of The 2013 Bega Valley Art Awards, 
2011 Bega Regional Gallery, NSW, Diversion 2011 - The Art of Waste, 
Seniors Category - First Place 
2004 ACT Arts Funding Program, 
2004 Emerging Artists assistance for Passages exhibition at Bega Regional Gallery 
2001 ANU Art Collection Acquisition Award 
2001 KPMG Acquisition Award 2001 Network Economics Consulting Group 
Acquisition Award 
2001 Spring into Life, People's Choice Award 
2000 Spring into Life, People's Choice Award

I have always been interested in nature, its form, symmetry and intricacies and I have a suspicion that these forms have an influence on the psyche. I think that there is inherent knowledge in each of us of symmetry, caves, holes, shiny slime, cobwebs, mist, wetness, velvety surfaces etc and this comes from experiences that we have had during our evolution, where we were safe. My idea is that there is therefore a "primal instinct" in each of us for shapes, patterns and forms and that the viewer's recognition originates below the normal visual surface, at the molecular level. My usual art practice involves interpreting these natural phenomena using large works of oil on canvas often working from microscopic images. I describe these as molecular landscapes.

Working as a behind the scenes artist in the feature film "Life Class" was a great opportunity to produce literal works and enjoy the experience of film making – a fantastic experience.

Artworks by Tony Sweeting

Artworks by Michael Bennett

A first generation Turkish-Kurdish Australian, Ozlem was born and raised in Sydney up until her early 20s and trained as a Fine Artist at Meadowbank. Ozlem has lived in regional NSW since then and has put her hand to country living skills, arts and crafts, business management and is also a qualified Social Worker. She is currently undertaking a Masters in Creative Therapies and continues to practice and exhibit as an artist on the NSW Far South Coast where she lives. 

Lynette Walton works from her home and open studio in South Durras on the NSW Nature Coast. She studied Fine Arts at Northern Suburbs Institute  of Tafe and at CoFA, UNSW. Trained as a printmaker, Lynette creates works on paper. Her mediums of choice are dry point etching  charcoal and soft pastel. Although passionate about Life drawing , her current work is informed by the glorious environment she lives in. She has participated in numerous mixed exhibitions  and one solo show. Her work is held in the collection of the University of NSW, Tafe NSW and various private collections.

Artworks by Lynette Walton

Artworks by Jeni McMillan

Tony Hastings' artworks were all produced live, on set, during filming. A successful artist who has had several solo exhibitions, won prizes, and sells most of his work. He strives to portray not only the appearance of a scene, but to also convey the related emotions.

Artworks by Tony Hastings

Born in Bavaria Germany, Dörte went through a High School specialized in Art & Music, worked as a Doctor’s receptionist for 10 years and migrated with her husband to Australia.They started the family business of manufacturing custom designed fine jewellery. 30 years of sharing the knowledge in goldsmithing and design, graduating in Tafe Courses for Small Business Skills, Drawing Skills, Tour Guiding, gaining her Workplace Trainer certificate, Trampoline and Gymnastics accreditations and running her own Gymnastics Club lead her to tutoring art, craft & jewellery making skills and Argentine Tango. The two children contributed to life being continuously developing in a never-ending learning process. The range of activities she offered in her courses and her own creations included Pearl-threading, Drawing & sculpturing in various materials and uses different techniques like carving or embossing, also water-colour, soft pastels, charcoal, pencil, pen & ink drawings, regular design & life-drawing practice sessions, Silk painting, pyrography, silver wire work, beading, copper foil embossing, Linocuts, mono-print, Collages, Mosaic, Pottery, Batik, Makramé, basketry, leatherwork, fabric dying & printing, lace making, weaving, sewing, embroidery, crochet, knitting, Viking braid cord making, Nalbinding, finger looping, candle & glass bead making. 

I grew up in an artistic and musical family of Goldsmiths in the Bega Valley, NSW, Australia where I had the opportunity to work with many different materials and to begin expressing myself artistically at a very young age. Since the age of 10 I have exhibited in Galleries in the Bega Valley and Canberra and have won prizes and the people's choice award at various exhibitions including at the Spiral Gallery in Bega and at the Australian National University Students' Art Competitions. I have been doing commission Artworks in Australia and Germany for over 5 years. I specialize in Portraits and Landscapes and use a variety of media including charcoal, pastel, acrylic and oil. I also enjoy experimenting with natural materials and incorporating these into my art. As well as painting and drawing I also work with clay, wood and textiles, designing and manufacturing clothing  and functional yet beautiful items. 

My philosophy and my aim in my Artwork is to create beautiful and meaningful pieces that move people and tell stories about our world and our minds, holding messages but also bringing pure beauty to our hearts. My greatest joy is to capture a soul, a personality, an emotion or an idea within a beautiful Artwork and to know that it also brings something special and unique to those that behold it. I draw inspiration primarily from nature and the people I meet as well as the stories and places I encounter in my travels. My work as an archaeologist and biological anthropologist has enabled me to travel and immerse myself in different cultures of the past and present in Southeast Asia, Australia and Europe, which has influenced my way of thinking, my skills and my artwork. I am currently living and working in Bavaria Germany, excavating and drawing the human past by day and expressing my experiences artistically in every free minute I have.

Artworks by Vera Planert

Jodie Dickinson is a photographer and cinematographer creating works that reflect the people and landscapes in her rural remote community. Jodie along with a small group of local women embarked on a journey in 2009 to create 'Big Jack Films' nestled in the hinterlands on the South Coast of NSW, making short films for and about their community. Their bio pic 'Hooping Mad' opened Flickerfest in 2014. Jodie is Director and Teacher of the Rocky Hall Preschool dedicated advocate for the children and families in her community with a love of animals and the environment, which is revealed in her works.

Producer/Art Director/Production Manager

Anelia had wanted to go into a film making career in the late 1970’s but there were no courses available for students straight out of high school, and she ended up with a degree in Architecture from UNSW. Since 1988 Anelia has had her own Architectural practice and specialises in domestic fit out and colour consulting. In 2012 Anelia attended the Sydney Film School in a effort to gain an insight into film making so that she can focus on documentary style filming of the many building processes she had experienced and prepare Built Environment education material.

While at Film school was involved in numerous short films both for Sydney Film School and AFTERS.

•“The Unknown Man” Role: Producer 
Awarded Best Producer for Part -1 Drama.
• “Sid’s House” Role: 3rd AD and Model Maker for house model that could be destroyed and reassembled after each take. 
• The 2012 IAB Pitch Finalists: ‘Lost Child’ 
Roles: Production Manager/Unit Manager & Caterer.
• AFTRS - Masters Project - “Godel Incomplete”Director: Martha Goddar. Role: Unit Manager and Caterer. Assisted Production Designer with sourcing props.
• AFTRS  “The Fence”, “Bad Blood” & “Stick"Caterer.
• “Team Robinson” (Boxing) Producer and Editor. 
• “Many Hands” Producer and Director 
(Teaching the Collaborative Design Process)

In 2012 Anelia set up her film production company Vumax Pty Ltd.

In early 2013 joined Tom Cowan to jointly produce Life Class the feature and set up AT Cinema Pty Ltd.

Artworks by Anelia Bozinovska