Somerset artists promise exciting event this September

GALLERY hosts collection of art from array of talented Somerset artists.

IMPRESSIONIST BOUQUET: Sue Howard will be displaying three of her watercolour impressionistic pieces in the upcoming Somerset Art Society exhibition. Picture: Contributed

ARTISTS in the Somerset region have been working hard, tapping into their creativity to produce pieces for an upcoming exhibition.

Every month, Glen Rock Art Gallery hosts Somerset Art Society Inc exhibitions, rotating through featured artists but sometimes featuring collections created by a number of different artists.

Though she planned to display three pieces in the upcoming collaborative exhibition, Toogoolawah's Sue Howard said she would be unable to attend the exhibition as she would be in France attending a week-long art workshop.

She said she regularly attended the SASI Mount Beppo art group on Wednesdays.

Mrs Howard said her love of nature inspired her art and her style of painting was influenced by impressionists like Monet.

"I paint wet on wet, which means having a wet French art paper and before it dries I start painting so it just flows,” she said.

"I don't like hard edges or any of those types of things.”

The watercolour artist said her main subject to paint was flowers but the exhibition was drawing plenty of variety to the gallery.

Mrs Howard began painting when she was a small child.

"I was brought up in the bush and every time my father went mustering, I would take off,” she said.

"It was a bit of a bribery - if I did my maths or whatever, I was supposed to go walking in the bush painting wild flowers.”

Fellow Mount Beppo art group member Joanne Hegney also planned to feature two pieces in the gallery, though she hadn't decided which ones.

"There are two small pieces I've done, one of lorikeets set on an abstract background,” she said.

Mrs Hegney had been painting "on and off” for a long time and was enjoying being part of the art group.

"I was spending a lot of time doing watercolours and botanicals,” she said.

However lately she had been delving into a new style, trying her hand at abstract.

"This is me breaking away from being so detailed with botanical work, fine arts and watercolours,” she said.

"Just to push myself in a different direction for a change.”

Mrs Hegney said the collaborative exhibition meant there was less pressure on a single artist.

"As part of a group, it's so much easier because you don't have to produce as much, you don't have to produce a whole gallery,” she said.