2024 TENANT ART SHOWCASE
Artist Catalogue
Thank you to the artists for sharing your work and your stories.
Some of the artwork displayed today is for sale. If you are interested in a particular piece, check the label for the price and visit our sales desk. If you purchase any artwork today, please wait until the end of the event to take the artwork home. We will provide stickers to indicate items that have been sold. Thank you for attending and supporting our Tenant Art Showcase for 2024.
We are extremely lucky to be able to celebrate our talented tenants and support their hobbies, passions and artistic journeys.
We are always looking to celebrate new tenant artists. To be involved in our ongoing art display and next year's showcase contact Alex Kepes on alex.kepes@hcau.org.au or via 0437 887 675.
Our Artists
Allan Tinley 1
Jay Downey 21
Simon Marchment 42
Anton Klinac 2
Joe Cook 22
Stephanie Kooy 43
Audrey Foote 3
Joel Davies 23
Stephen Bai 44
Ben Chivers 4
Kandi Spindler 24
Susan Gresham 45
Bharti Jaglan 5
Kylie Parmenter 25
Suzanne Vollebregt 46
Bronwyn Cotterill 6
Leanne Manado 26
Sydney Phillips 47
David Darwin 7
Len James 27
Tania Lamont 48
Denise Hadlow 8
Leslie Pickett 28
Tina Kelly 49
Doug Vorpagel 9
Lilli Johns 29
Trish & George Tamms 50
Edward Wake 10
Lucas Maslin 30
Elizabeth Bin Sarin 11
Malcolm Guy 31
Elliot Lewis 12
Matthew Landgren 32
Fiona Dipietro 13
Melanie Hawkes 33
Glen Starkey 14
Monique Mortimore 34
Hayley Prout 15
Noeline Kaye 35
Hodette Gazzone 16
Paul Forrester 36
Ian Goodhew 17
Paul Jarman 37
Ivan Vuletich 18
Penney McLean 38
Jacqueline Mackenzie 19
Quillum Stark 39
Janet Crocker 20
Raymond Smith 40
Sheryl Hamilton 41
Allan Tinley ARTIST PROFILE
To me art is about sharing stories, culture, and story lines. I grew up in Southern Africa with close ties to nature, philosophy and poetry. I have been interested in many art forms but I have stuck with portraiture as I feel it is the most involved, complex, and psychological art form you can find. I am drawn to the yin and yang of the polarity of the portraits as I have strong ties to mysticism and Zen philosophy. I have now held two solo exhibitions of my portraiture work and I continue to explore colour and different techniques. I have been exploring different tools to create my paintings including towels, cloths, spatulas and paintbrushes. I want my portraits to be alive and vibrant like a human being standing under a waterfall; with light dancing and lots of movement and expression and character of that person. I call it a bit like watching a Shakespearean play on the stage of life because that is what I like my portraits to look like.
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ARTIST PROFILE Anton Klinac
Anton first got into photography when he was 14 years old - focusing on black and white pictures. It was about 15 years ago that Anton got back into photography as a hobby and was amazed with the results of a cheap camera. Anton is an observer of life and takes unique photos from his commutes and travels around Perth - whether it is a person, building or object - Anton finds an angle of interest. This year one of Anton’s photographs is of a mop, which triggers a joyful memory for him. When asking his late partner what she wanted for Christmas and rather than anything sentimental or precious - she asked for a mop.
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ARTIST PROFILE Audrey Foote
I find it easier to convey my thoughts and emotions through the written word. I began writing free verse poetry at the age of 13.
I am really passionate about social justice and am involved in a few different committees and volunteer groups including the Soroptimists. I an currently studying Creative Writing and Social Justice at Curtin University so I can put my passions together.
The poem I submitted for this art show was inspired by the negative comments I have been hearing about people experiencing homelessness.
People need to be kind to each other as you never know when circumstances could change, and you could be in that position.
This poem also links to my partner Len’s artwork Homeless in Australia - both pieces aim to raise awareness about homelessness.
Excerpt from The Homeless Man
He watches as the people approaching him Look downwards or cross the street It’s as if they fear that even by looking at him They will risk catching the plague Of homelessness None of them know his secret None of them care that he was once like them
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ARTIST PROFILE Ben Chivers
My name is Ben Chivers and I’ve been a quadriplegic since 2006 due to a diving accident. Before my accident I didn’t have an artistic bone in my body. When I was going through rehab I made a chess board with great intentions of one day being able to make the chess pieces as well. I got a helping hand and started engraving for a couple years and then I was introduced to pyrography (wood burning art) and from then on the rest is history. I still haven’t made those chess pieces, one day hopefully I’ll get around to it. If it wasn’t for my good friend and amazing mentors Laith Kingsbury, Jodi Power and Jeremy Hall I’d still be a mushroom watching midday TV. These guys got me into my art. I would be completely lost without the occupational therapists at Fiona Stanley Hospital and Leo Bradley who have made all of my splints and safety equipment to make my art possible. Also the support staff from Directions, Blue Sky and David Pike who has been my left hand man at numerous events that I have participated in.
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Bharti Jaglan ARTIST PROFILE
Recently I have been getting back into painting directly onto glass. I like that there is a lot of room to experiment. You have to act quickly because of how the oil in the paint reacts to the glass. I called this piece ‘Time Flow’ because I find I lose myself in painting and lose track of time. Art is something we can get lost in but also something that connects us.
I have painted since I was a child and have won art competitions in the past at school in India. I moved to Australia over 16 years ago and to WA four years ago. I use art as a way to express myself, it keeps be busy and positive, it is like a therapy for my mind. I like trying different art mediums. I started working with clay last year and since then have been making necklaces, bracelets, hangings and incense holders.
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Bronwyn Cotterill ARTIST PROFILE
I am a Yamaji woman and my hometown is Yalgoo, a small mining town about 100km inland from Geraldton. I am a self taught artist and I have been doing art for five years now. I paint because it de-stresses me, it’s my time to relax. I like to paint about my family, history and culture. It brings me peace and I love seeing the different reactions people have to my art. This painting is called ‘Blood Connection’ and tells a story about my ancestors, my grandparents and their eight children, coming from a small gold mining town in the Midwest in the heart of wildflower country. I have eight small circles representing my father’s siblings and two large ones for my grandparents. The mixture of colours represent the wildflowers, when in season there is colour everywhere. The circles on the side represent places that are very significant to our family.
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David Darwin ARTIST PROFILE
David studied at the Claremont School of Art from 1982-1984 where he was able to hone his drawing, painting, screen printing and portraiture skills.
David often paints straight from his imagination with most of his pieces inspired by religion. One piece on display is called ‘For Thine is the Kingdom’ which depicts Christ as a crucified king with a crown of thorns.
David chose charcoal as a medium to make the image devoid of glorification highlighting the challenges Christ faced.
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Denise Hadlow ARTIST PROFILE
Denise is a hobby artist who has a love for art and crafts. She enjoys knitting, cross stitch and scrapbooking and was introduced to tapestry when she was young by her mother who loved doing tapestry herself.
Denise finds craft really relaxing and often makes practical creations like bags.
This year, Denise has branched out to have a go at painting and said she really enjoyed expressing herself and had a ball trying out different designs.
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Doug Vorpagel ARTIST PROFILE
I think art is the oldest creative form- it's simple. Children today don't draw as much as we used to because they are into technology. Going back to basics is important. I like colour and still life. I came second in the state for a TAFE art competition in 1982. The pieces I am showing this year I painted specifically for this exhibit. I have really enjoyed using oil paints again.
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Edward Wake ARTIST PROFILE
Edward is currently in his 80’s and attended Art Collage in Sunderland in the UK during the 1950’s. He worked in advertising as an illustrator, but fine arts has always been his passion.
He paints in the Old Masters style and currently paints for six hours a day. One painting can take him up to three weeks.
A lot of what he paints are images from the 40’s and 50’s in Sunderland. Edward wants all his artwork to tell a story of a time and place.
One painting Edward has on display is of shipyard workers in Sunderland. He was born two miles from there and used to play in that exact spot on the weekends when the workers had the day off.
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Elizabeth Bin Sarin ARTIST PROFILE
Why I enjoy art? My art has helped ever since I was a child. My mother lived with depression and at times it was a hard environment to grow up in. Art was a really positive and therapeutic outlet for me.
I have always found that using colour by painting with acrylics on canvas has boosted my mood. I am always inspired by nature.
Being involved in this art show has inspired me to paint more which is great feeling.
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Elliot Lewis ARTIST PROFILE
Since then, I have been able to explore photography through different angles and focal lengths as well as different colour grading techniques. I look forward to continuing to build up my skills and continue my love for photography. One of my photos in the showcase is called Morning Rain and captures the beauty of droplets stuck in time upon a leaf. The way the colour contrasts from green to purple on the many leaves is a beautiful reminder of the different stages leaves go through during the seasons.
I have always been interested in art of all forms from music and digital art to photography. In this showcase I have focused on photography. From a young age I have always been photographing anything and everything on my phone. Being interested in the craft, I took a photography class at Murdoch Uni and fell in love with it. I had never used a real camera before then having only used my phone camera. I built up my skills using the camera and learnt how to take a unique photo but also edit it using software in post-production.
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Fiona Dipietro ARTIST PROFILE
Fiona has been attending art, pottery and glass art sessions with Tricia at The Art Corner in Pinjarra for approximately 10 years. During this time Fiona has worked extremely hard and the work she produces is a testament to this. Fiona is never afraid to try different techniques and her work is evolving all the time. At The Art Corner all the artists work without a support worker which means their work is 100% their own and unique to them.
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Glen Starkey ARTIST PROFILE
Housing Choices WA staff discovered a wonderland of tracks, buildings, bridges, lights and moving race cars when visiting Glen’s home a few years ago.
Glen has a background in engineering and completed his first hand made moving toy more than 30 years ago for his grandchild and now he has great grandchildren.
10 years ago he took up model building as a hobby. Glen crafts his models from a variety of recycled materials and takes great pride in his unique creations.
While we could only take a few of Glenn’s buildings to display, it provides a glimpse into the wonderful recycled city in his home.
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Hayley Prout ARTIST PROFILE
Hayley enjoys card making, painting, photography, reading, cooking and karaoke. Hayley’s photos and unique paint pour creations are on display for the first time this year. Hayley has previously volunteered for the children’s charity Camp Quality and is currently applying to volunteer at Ronald McDonald House - all in the spirit of giving back some of the help she received from these foundations as a child. Hayley says she could not be where she is without the unwavering support and help of her family.
At 9 years old Hayley underwent high risk surgery to remove a brain tumour, and while the operation was successful, it caused a range of lifelong issues like hearing/vision loss and left side paralysis. While completing year 12 Hayley had to undertake radiation therapy for the parts of the tumour that couldn't be removed and amazingly, she stuck with her studies and graduated that year. Hayley has been stable since she was 16 and lives a fun and full life. While she says her disabilities can be challenging they don’t get in the way of her bright personality and positive outlook on life.
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Hodette Gazzone ARTIST PROFILE
Hodette is an amazing upcycler and artist, who has won awards at our 2022 and 2023 showcase. Six months ago Hodette started work on her two unique pieces for this year’s show. ‘The Wish and Dream Tree’ is an interactive creation made of cardboard and recycled vintage dresses. Hodette has provided leaf hangings for visitors to write their wishes and dreams and hang them on the tree throughout the day. Hodette plans to donate the tree to Housing Choices WA as a memento from our 2024 showcase capturing the hopes of our tenants and broader community. Hodette’s other special entry is a fantasy inspired throne made from layers of cardboard mache featuring real stones and not so real cat! Hodette says she was inspired by the 1980's movie The Dark Crystal for this design.
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Ian Goodhew ARTIST PROFILE
I used to paint a while ago but only really started painting again after my wife passed away unexpectedly. I found painting was the only way to get out of my bereavement and overcome my grief. I have done more than 100 paintings since August 2021. I am 88 years old and have travelled a lot. My paintings are from all over the world and I use postcards and calendar photos as inspiration for my paintings.
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Ivan Vuletich ARTIST PROFILE
Ivan is new to our art show this year but has been painting since he was 19. His art journey started at Graylands Hospital when he took part in an art therapy group. Once he got out of hospital he continued going to the art program for eight years. Ivan says that art helped him with his mental health recovery and continues to help him keep well. When asked about the impact of art on his life Ivan says it is a character building and reflective practice. For the past 4 years Ivan has been a regular participant at DADAA (Disability in the Arts, Disadvantage in the Arts, Australia). Ivan loves to be creative with colour sees his art style as a type of graffiti art - referencing bold colours and designs in his work.
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Jacqueline MacKenzie ARTIST PROFILE
My interest in jewellery began way back when I was in high school, when friendship pins were traded amongst classmates.
I took it a step further and made necklaces with fishing line. Then a step further again which brings me to my jewellery design and technical skills of today.
I will never learn enough about this art form and my work is always evolving.
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Janet Crocker ARTIST PROFILE
I spent many years on the streets fighting with sickness and I found art through Alma Street. They put me in touch with DADAA and I have been going for around 20 years.
I find art very therapeutic and I wouldn’t be here today without my art. My world was black and art introduced colour into my life.
I find art very personal and emotional, what I feel is in my artwork. One of the pieces on display this year is a painting I did following the death of my mother which was a very sad time for me. The piece is called ‘The Matriarch’.
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Jay Downey ARTIST PROFILE
I have been doing art since I was a young child and have just become more passionate about it over the years. I really enjoy a wide range of mediums but mainly acrylic or oil painting. My art helps calm me down mentally and engages the fullness of my mind while doing it. I really think that art is a big part of keeping me well and keeping me out of hospital. I go to DAADA 4 days a week and have been trying out new techniques. I have enjoyed incorporating digital art into my work as well. One of my paintings from last year’s showcase was bought by Housing Choices and was selected to feature in Housing Choices’ Diversity Strategy.
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Joe Cook ARTIST PROFILE
Joe is originally from Northern Ireland and attended art college in the 1970's studying silversmithing and jewellery making and moved to Australia shortly after. For his 30th birthday a friend gifted him wood carving chisels and since then wood carving has become his passion. In the 90's Joe made a living making wooden crafts, magnets and keyrings for the tourist market which he enjoyed before mass-production took over. Joe has been involved in the wood carver’s guild for many years. He was once one of the youngest in the guild and now he is one of many retirees.
Joe loves woodcarving as a hobby, it brings him a lot of pleasure to work with different woods and create unique pieces. In this showcase Joe is showing a series of pieces that take us through the evolution of carving a frog. Starting with a marked out wood block, then an outline cut with bandsaw to a partially carved and then fully carved frog. This reminded Joe of of an old woodcaver’s joke - if you want to carve a frog, find a piece of wood and cut off all the bits that don’t look like a frog!
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Joel Davies ARTIST PROFILE
Joel is a Bunbury tenant who began his venture into photography in 2016 and soon became obsessed with the fundamentals that make a great photographer such as lighting, balance, composition, and use of space. Joel’s photography is driven by a deep appreciation of landscapes and a commitment to preserving their beauty. Through his photography Joel seeks to inspire his audience to have the same awe and respect for the natural world. Joel has his own photography business called JDPHT Photography which can be found online via his Instagram, Facebook and website. He also regularly participates in markets around Perth.
jdpht.net
instagram.com/jdpht
facebook.com/www.joeldavies.jdpht
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Kandi Spindler ARTIST PROFILE
I have only just started trying to paint this year! I find it very relaxing and good for calming my mind and stress levels. I mainly use acrylic paint in my work.
The sunset painting on display was inspired by a photo my daughter Lilli had taken from Geographe Bay with the Busselton Jetty in the distance.
I love that both her photograph and my painting of the sunset are on display side by side at this year’s art show.
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Kylie Parmenter ARTIST PROFILE
Kylie taught herself to crochet over 30 years ago but it was only in the last five years that she has been inspired to take her crochet to the next level and start her own small business called Yarning Dove.
Kylie’s creativity led her to develop her own unique and intricate spiral pattern which has become a signature design for her.
Due to Kylie’s chronic health challenges, crocheting is just a wellbeing hobby for now however Kylie still sells her unique design patterns on her website so other people can try it out and hopefully get the same physical and mental benefits as Kylie has had. Kylie said her crocheting continues to bring joy to her family and friends and we are thrilled to have Kylie’s beautiful crochet designs at our art show for the first time this year.
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Leanne Manado ARTIST PROFILE
Leanne is a 61 year old Indigenous woman with ties to to the Dampier peninsula of the Kimberley. Leanne is descended from the Nyul-Nyul and Nimanburr people. Her mother was a non-Indigenous woman from Adelaide which is where Leanne was born. Leanne’s art is often linked to her spirituality and identity. In 2020 Leanne displayed a collection of her artworks at our Rivervale office during NAIDOC Week. Leanne displayed a range of water colour and acrylic paintings alongside photographs and other memorabilia that told stories about her life, connection to country and art.
We are thrilled to have Leanne back displaying her artwork with Housing Choices. This year she is featuring a range of paintings and weavings.
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Len James ARTIST PROFILE
I’ve enjoyed drawing since I was very young. I find creating art therapeutic. I get lost in my art and forget about any stress or worries for a while.
I am very passionate about social justice. I am a lived experience advocate and I want to highlight that in my art. I want to break down stigma and stereotypes around homelessness and shed light on injustices. Recently I was on ABC news sharing my lived experience and commenting on the increase in hostile architecture in Perth making it even more challenging for people experiencing homelessness to find a safe place to sleep at night.
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Leslie Pickett ARTIST PROFILE
Leslie is a Noongar woman who has been a tenant with Housing Choices for 20 years. Art is a relaxing hobby for Leslie who has learnt to paint from her sisters.
Leslie’s art is inspired by the land with many of her pieces this year depicting animals wandering and traveling for food and water.
A piece of artwork Leslie displayed in 2022 called ‘Bush tucker’ was selected to go on Housing Choices stationery and will feature on Housing Choices’ Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan this year.
Alongside painting Leslie also etches designs onto emu eggs.
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Lilli Johns ARTIST PROFILE
I have been extremely connected to country since I was born.
My passion to care for and nurture animals, nature and wildlife has become stronger over years of volunteering on different wildlife projects within WA.
I also work at the Bunbury Wildlife Park, which I absolutely love. I have been photographing nature and wildlife since my early teens and I am now 19 years old.
Photography keeps my connection to country close to my heart and captures the beauty of nature at its best.
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Lucas Maslin ARTIST PROFILE
Lucas has a passion for painting and a unique philosophy regarding the use of colour. When he paints he works solely with the three primary colours- red, blue and yellow.
He uses high permanency oil paints mixed with high grade refined linseed oil to create a unique colour palette for each painting.
Lucas finds painting relaxing and beneficial for his health, he says he often paints in the quiet of night when he can concentrate and enjoy the peace.
One piece Lucas has on display is of the Indiana Tea House in Cottesloe. He remembers the hot, windy day vividly as he dotted paint on the canvas with a palette knife to capture the moment.
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Malcolm Guy ARTIST PROFILE
Over the years I have been in and out of photography and in 2018 I developed an interest and love of bird photography. I love the peace and tranquillity that I get from nature photography. One of my photos on display this year is called ‘The Gathering’. This was the first photo that I had taken that I liked enough to have it printed and framed. It is still one of my favourites to this day.
I remember boarding the first ferry of the day to Penguin Island in Rockingham to photograph the Pelicans that nest there for the breeding season.
I was on a small beach to the left of the Jetty on the Island, and looking back towards Safety Bay and I saw this gathering of Pelicans on a sandbank some distance away. Even though it was a very grey overcast morning, the red beaks of the mating season males stood out. It was at 9.30am that a small break in the clouds created just enough light to capture this photograph.
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Matthew Landgren ARTIST PROFILE
I have been a member of the Fremantle Men’s Community Shed for 10 years and do a lot of woodworking.
I make lots of bread boards and different sculptural pieces using woods like pine, marri and jarrah.
I have really enjoyed experimenting with my sculptures. I get lots of inspiration to create and try new things. I often find lots of interesting and good quality things at road side collection and I love seeing how I can repurpose those things and make something new.
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Melanie Hawkes ARTIST PROFILE
This year, returning artist Melanie is displaying a unique form of art - a bonsai.
Bonsai is the art of growing ornamental, dwarfed varieties of trees in small pots. It is known for being a challenging art form requiring care and commitment. Melanie has shown her commitment to this art form by caring for the same jade tree since 2003! That is over 20 years of caring for the same plant. Melanie does not let her disability stop her from doing the detailed work of pruning and nurturing her many trees. Melanie is a member of the Bonsai Society of WA and three of her trees were selected to be shown at the National Bonsai Convention in Perth last year. Bonsai is just one of Melanie’s creative outlets alongside working, and being on our Advisory Committee of Tenants.
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Monique Mortimore ARTIST PROFILE
Monique painted her piece called ‘Life is a constant journey’ in 9 days while she was ill. Monique had lost her voice and was very unwell so didn’t speak or see anyone over this period. Monique decided to channel how she was feeling into a painting, returning to the piece each day to add more layers of colour. Instead of using paintbrushes Monique used her fingers to create the unique swirling patterns which reflected the swirling and foggy sensation she felt at the time. Within the painting Monique added tiny beads given to her by her grandchildren which reflect in the light. Painting each day gave Monique something positive to focus on during this painful and isolating time.
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Noeline Kay ARTIST PROFILE
Noeline is an 89 year old Bunbury tenant whose grandmother taught her to knit when she was 5 years old. Her love of knitting and volunteering has resulted in her creating more than 200 trauma teddies and rabbits for her local hospital over the past year. The inspiration came from her great grandson being saved by Darwin Hospital staff and a neighbour suggesting that Bunbury Regional Hospital could benefit from the knitted teddies. Her love of volunteering has seen her work in the Vinnies Op Shop, cook for the foodbank and make meals for the homeless. This year Noeline is displaying hand knitted and crocheted dolls clothing inspired by vintage fashion. Following the art show these dolls will be donated to Solaris Cancer Care Op Shop which raises funds to support people affected by cancer.
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Paul Forrester ARTIST PROFILE
Paul enjoys a variety of artistic pursuits including drawing, writing, sketching and playing music. He has a very unique art style, creating hieroglyphic like shapes within his work.
Paul attends DADAA (Disability in the Arts, Disadvantage in the Arts, Australia) art classes and frequently goes to the Fremantle Men’s Community Shed.
During a recent art class, Paul was given a photograph of a moose and was asked to create his own interpretations which resulted in the colourful and greyscale abstract pieces on display this year.
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Paul Jarman ARTIST PROFILE
Paul started painting around 18 months ago, and has been improving his technique and building confidence through online tutorials. Since then, he has created numerous paintings on canvas and filled an entire art book with colourful paintings inspired by nature. Art has blossomed into a family affair for Paul, his wife Tamara, and their daughter. Tamara showcased her own work last year, and their daughter has since launched her own art business.
Paul is extremely proud of his daughter; seeing the success she has had and how much she enjoys painting. For Paul, art has been a therapeutic. Unable to continue his physical job due to an injury, he needed a positive outlet and found it in painting. Paul's willingness to try new things has led to significant improvement in his artwork. Above all, he cherishes how art has become a passion that he can share with his family.
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Penney McLean ARTIST PROFILE
I studied art at TAFE in New Zealand and completed an adult teaching certificate. I then worked at the Grow Residential Community as an art therapist teacher. I use art as an outlet for my own mental health. I also help others tell their stories through art. For this piece I was inspired by the changing seasons in life. I am turning 66 this year and about to become a senior so this is a new season of life for me. As women we go through many seasons in life as mothers, then empty nesters and for me now becoming a senior.
These transitions in life come with both light and dark.
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Quillum Stark ARTIST PROFILE
Last year Quillum won the Favourite Artist award for his digital remix art.
This year Quillum has been using photoshop and it’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) program called Firefly. This program generates unique images based on text descriptions. Quillum has been having fun testing the limits of this program and exploring his creativity. He says to create this art you need to have the inspiration and clear vision of what you want and have a conversation with the AI to achieve it. The series of prints Quillum has created for this display all feature different moons. Quillum says he has always had a fascination with the moon since he was young - his first full sentence as a child being ‘I see the moon’. Quillum says that art continues to be a life saver for him in dealing with his depression and helps him get through the day.
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Raymond Smith ARTIST PROFILE
Raymond does art because it helps with his bad anxiety. It also helps to get him outside and socialise more when there are art displays on.
Raymond has a unique and recognisable art style which features bold colours, different textures and mixed media. Both large paintings in this display are based on photos Raymond took in his local area of Mandurah. The smaller of Raymond’s work are part of a series that depicted different forms of mapping - a textured piece with sand and rocks showing the mapping of an ant nest and a fluorescent piece representing the mapping of neurons in the brain.
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Sheryl Hamilton ARTIST PROFILE
I was shown how to sew by hand and machine by both of my grandmothers when I was five. Both of them were dressmakers in the town I grew up in.
I did all my own dressmaking from an early age. I had my own sewing machine that I bought myself with my pocket money. I made all my own bridesmaids dresses and when my own children got married, I made some of their outfits. I started to do machine embroidery work after my father passed away and he left me some money. I bought the best embroidery machine that money could buy and worked hard to learn everything about it.
I still do a lot of sewing these days. It really is a passion for me and keeps me very busy.
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Simon Marchment ARTIST PROFILE
Simon has lived in a Housing Choices property for more than 20 years, and in that time has filled his storage room with rows of beautiful paintings.
Working primarily in acrylics and favouring a bold colour palette, Simon has won many prizes and credits over the years for his vibrant, expressionist works that focus on portraiture - often of famous people, and local buildings and landmarks that inspire him. Since 1999 Simon has been a regular participant at DADAA (Disability in the Arts, Disadvantage in the Arts, Australia) which is where he completes most of his paintings. He has also exhibited his work at DADAA multiple times over the years. Simon’s other favourite past times are delving into art history books, for artistic inspiration, listening to his 70s vinyl music collection and composing songs on his acoustic guitar.
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Stephanie Kooy ARTIST PROFILE
Steph has had formal art training at Claremont Technical College, but has always been around art having worked in screen printing, graphic art and antique dealing. Steph says she enjoyed art school but is a disrupter and anarchist at heart, like many artists are. When she got accepted into art college her grandmother said she shouldn’t go as she didn’t want her to become a beatnik - Steph’s response years later is that she thinks beatnik are born not made. A piece of work that is quite different from Steph’s usual style is called ‘After the War’ and is a self portrait that expresses the effects of her PTSD when it’s at its worst.
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Stephen Bai ARTIST PROFILE
Stephen is a passionate and diverse artist whose interests include photography, painting, sculpture and drawing. The most unique form of expression that Stephen has been exploring is digital art, and more specifically, circuit bending and data bending which is altering or merging old and new technologies to create something unique and interesting.
Stephen’s home is a treasure trove of retro electronics including cameras, TV’s, VCRs, gaming consoles and electronic toys that span from the 1950's to the 1990's.
These items don’t remain static in Stephen’s home but are vehicles for his creativity. He is even exploring ‘creative corruption’ which involves purposefully corrupting digital files to see what interesting visuals and audio is produced. For this exhibit Stephen is showing a selection of paintings he completed 10 years ago. These were painted during an energetic time for Stephen as his medication was adjusted and painting was a healthy outlet for this energy.
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Susan Gresham ARTIST PROFILE
I am a self taught abstract artist for over 20 years now. Painting on large scale canvases is my favourite thing to do. I love to make my surroundings colourful. I believe colours can change the atmosphere and mood of any room. Painting always takes me to a place of peace, it’s a form of meditation for me. There is never a plan and I never know how each piece will turn out. Many of my pieces have the illusion of faces appearing which are quite mysterious and definitely a talking point. My work is inspired by my love for colour, textures and my time alone spent in the forest over the years.
My children are my biggest influences in life. One of my biggest artistic inspirations is Gerhard Richter, and I was fortunate enough to view his work during a European trip in 2018 with my son. With solo exhibitions and private sales over the last few years I feel I’ve been fortunate to live out a little of part of my dream of one day becoming a full time artist. I have a solo exhibition coming up early 2025 at Mandurah Performing Art centre with hopes that my paintings will reflect the beauty and depth that can be achieved through art.
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Suzanne Vollebregt ARTIST PROFILE
Suzanne enjoys painting landscapes, animals and flowers and loves using watercolour because of its flow of paint.
Last year she submitted a painting of a black cockatoo and was inspired by the beauty of this bird to paint more and challenge herself to paint on bigger canvases. This has led Suzanne to submit a series of cockatoo paintings for this showcase. Housing Choices recently selected one of Suzanne’s previous works to feature on our compliment slips. It was a beautiful watercolour of a bouquet of flowers. This piece was selected from a variety of works at our 2023 showcase and was voted on by our Advisory Committee of Tenants.
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Sydney Phillips ARTIST PROFILE
As a First Nation Ballardong Yamaji Australian, my cultural connection to Country stretches from one end of WA to the other. I am an intuitive artist, which means my work evolves from within my cultural connection to Boodja (country). In my documentary Finding Moort (family), I look back along the paths travelled by my ancestors and connect the dots between my Noongar and English heritage.
I am also a two time winner of the Aboriginal Artist Award at the Minnawarra Art Awards and am once again entering the competition this year.
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Tania Lamont ARTIST PROFILE
Tania does art as a release of tension and spend hours creating pieces of art called mixed media. She has enjoyed art even from a young age, and has made everything from game boards and cards to painting, drawing and sketching. Tania has a diploma in Art Psychotherapy from Ikon Institute of Australia which she says has given her a new way of looking at life and has helped her heal. She uses her qualification to help neighbours, family and friends to use art to heal from previous trauma. Tania’s mixed media art is like therapy for her and can take a number of days to plan out the theme, composition and layers of the piece. Her favourite in this exhibit is her steampunk inspired work.
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Tina Kelly ARTIST PROFILE
Tina has enjoyed doing art off and on all her life as a hobby. She received high marks for art in school and has attended some art classes but is mostly self- taught. About 10 years ago Tina became passionate about abstract art which is now her preferred art form. Tina loves abstract art because each piece is unique - it comes from one’s own mind and imagination and can’t be copied. Tina loves to work with colour. The piece she has submitted this year is called ‘Evolving’ in reference to how she has evolved as an artist but also how this painting evolved over time. As Tina painted she added more layers and colours over time and the artwork changed significantly and evolved into what it is now.
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Trish & George Tamms ARTIST PROFILE
Trish and George have been navigating life together for 52 years.
While they have both submitted art separately in previous exhibits, this year they are submitting a number of partnered pieces they created together. Recently Trish and George learnt the art of acrylic pour painting. When acrylic paint is combined with a liquid medium it creates natural and unique flowing patterns on canvas. Trish and George have submitted paintings that use a range of techniques including dutch pour, cell activator and string and chain pull. All of which they did with each other as a mindful and stress relieving activity. Each set of paintings have a special story. From being inspired by their first date picking orchids at 11 and 13 to their many travels on the road together in the north of WA - Trish and George tell a story of their lives together in each set of paintings.
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