News
8 February, 2024
Familiar faces are coming to life
Copying a master’s painting has been a great learning tradition for art students for centuries and continues today - even in the Somerset Region!
The Kilcoy Courthouse Art Gallery’s Artist of the Month for February is not one but 22 artists for an exciting exhibition titled “Paint Like a Master.”
Our artists have chosen their favourite work painted by a master artist and have copied the work as a learning exercise from the chosen artist.
Copying a master’s work is a way of developing the techniques and styles of the old masters such as the European artists Van Gogh, Da Vinci, Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Monet, and our own Australian artists such as Streeton and McCubbin.
So, in February when you enter the Kilcoy Courthouse Art Gallery, you may think you are entering a European Art Gallery when you see “The Girl with the Pearl Earring,” “The Starry Night,” “Nude Sitting on a Divan,” or “The Kiss.”
Local textile artist Wendy Houston was inspired by the colours in Klimt’s oil painting “The Kiss” to produce an outstanding textile.
“I loved exploring the combination of the golds alongside the deep blacks to try and bring about the brilliance that Klimt has in his work,” Wendy said.
“I’ve enjoyed the exercise immensely.”
Portrait artist Lisa May had fun with Vermeer’s “The Girl with the Pearl Earring” by putting her very own Aussie touch on her version of “Girl with a Kangaroo Earring.”
Our first Foggy Friday for 2024 will be held at 2pm this Friday on the Lakeside Deck at the gallery, and we have asked a few of our artists who participated in “Paint Like a Master” to talk about their piece, why they chose it, and how they went about creating their version!
It will be an interesting and fun afternoon, so please come along.
Entry is $10 at the door, and afternoon tea and beverages are available.
The Artist of the Month Exhibition opens concurrently with the opening of the three-month exhibition changeover this Thursday.
The Exhibition Opening event will be held at 2pm on Sunday, on the Lakeside Deck at the gallery.
Cost is $10, and nibbles will be served.
All attendees will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite master painting in the “People’s Choice Award” and also have an opportunity to buy one. Join us!
A huge thank you and congratulations also to our January Artist of the Month, Lisa May, for her wonderful exhibition “You are not what you look like,” which included 14 KASI member portraits and their bios.
The exhibition drew fabulous interest and feedback, and now Lisa plans to enter three of the portraits in the 2024 Percival’s Portrait competition being run by the Townsville local government, under the title A Salute to Regional Arts Volunteers - Three Women - Kilcoy. Good luck, Lisa!
The Kilcoy Courthouse Art Gallery is open Thursday to Monday, 9am to 1pm.
