Lawsons Creek runs through the backroads of the Mudgee regional landscape, ducking in and out and across farmland. It captures the glass like reflections that illuminate like stained glass, reflecting the river gums that stand like giant guardians, protecting the very existence of these pristine environments, home to platypus, frogs and koalas. This painting forms part of a series of landscape works that have become my focus since moving to the region. As part of this process, I have been working to scale up my landscapes to give a sense of immersion for the viewer and to hopefully bring attention to the importance of saving and taking care of these precious gifts.
Paintings by Kerri Kerley explore her deep embedded relationship with place and the environment. Connection and energy, a key focus in her work, providing an opportunity to respond with colour, painterly brush work and lack of detail to convey what the artist was feeling in that moment. Exposing their narratives and inviting us to be part of that moment.
‘I have a fascination for glass and water, I am interested in how they interact with their surroundings both in the natural world and within interiors. My recent works explore the landscape that I inhabit, hidden worlds and intimate spaces that in a sense are a diary of personal experiences in time. By incorporating glass and or water, it provides an opportunity to evoke a sense of magic and intrigue with light interplay, colour and reflections.’
Kerley grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney. She studied Graphic Design at Randwick TAFE and had an extensive career in advertising as an illustrator, designer, finished artist and typographer until pursuing her passion for painting in 2013. Her work has been exhibited in public and private galleries, and has many works in private collections. She was finalist in art awards including the Lethbridge 2000 Small Scale Art Award in 2022, The Doyles Art Award in 2022, The Paddington Art Prize in 2022 and The Hawksbury Art Prize 2023
