Heavenly Beverley : Spring Is Most Definitely In The Air @ the East End Gallery

Thursday 12 September 2019

Spring Is Most Definitely In The Air @ the East End Gallery

Last Thursday was fairly brisk in the East End Gallery. The fire was lit, my heater was warming my knees and I was wearing my usual winter uniform of four layers, my boots and a partridge in a pear tree.

What a difference to this week. The doors to the Gallery are flung open, the fire has been rendered unnecessary, I am wearing only two layers, a gentle breeze is blowing and the sky is blue for as far as the eye can see.

The canola is reaching its crescendo in local pastures. To quote one of the divine Jan George's haikus, "Canola is a strident, loud, BELLOW yellow!" I couldn't have said it better myself...

A most entertaining Artists' Play Day has been enjoyed by all. Very little art was actually accomplished, however, the easy tempo of convivial chatting filled the space. Michael, Phil, Jan and Sharon filled a few exceedingly casual hours, discussing life, art, writing and country towns. And we'll do it all again next Thursday.

Meanwhile, the East End Gallery is bursting with colour and drama and beauty. We have welcomed new artists Lori Ellen Neuzerling, Natalie Davy (Atkins) and Noela O'Keefe.

Lori grew up on a Soldier Settlement farm in south-western Western Australia and produces exquisite botanical-based and fauna paintings. After living overseas, she has returned to familiar surroundings and was an absolute hit with us when she visited the Gallery as a guest.

Natalie is a Brookton girl and a wonderful photographer, Only in her early thirties, she is experimenting with a drone for aerial images and has produced two outstanding photos on aluminium - "Curious Cows" and "Yenyening", and "Seeding" on canvas.

Noela is a cousin of the King of Australian rock n' roll and has fallen in love with Beverley where her son is currently principal at our local school. Noela's watercolours explode off the surface with vivid hues and daring combinations. Very much influenced by the Wheatbelt, any one of her works would draw attention.

Spring has also seen an upsurge in guests through the front door and some pleasing sales for our artists. Andrew Taylor, Jenny Cotter, Marg Harding, John Kaye, Beverley V, Pat Lane and David Lillico have all had their pieces go to new, enthusiastic homes. My most comical story concerns a local lass who came in to browse for a landscape for her Beverley house and ended up with Neil Elliott's "Salvador the Rabbit" on layby instead.

The East End Gallery is now selling regularly. When we see the disappointment on our guests' faces when their favourite piece has been bought by Somebody Else, we are always heartbroken.

The moral of this story? When visiting the East End Gallery and seeing the artwork of your dreams, for heaven's sake, let me know so I can slap an orange sticker on the label. Then we can decide if a layby or instant sale is on the cards...

So, what are you waiting for? We are looking forward to a gloriously sunny weekend with perfect spring temperatures for wandering around Heavenly Beverley and her surrounds.

See you soon!