Virtual Exhibition on display

Thanks to everyone we have an exhibition of members works, not hanging on the walls at Wallarobba as we hoped but at least on display on the website, under Exhibitions.

It was a great response with over 100 works submitted, in about 4 days. And a great range of paintings, photographs, charcoal drawings and sculptures. Again thank you for all the work: producing, photographing and submitting.

Click this link and stroll through the works

Taking photos of works of art

It is always a pity to spoil a work of art with a poor photo, and with the Virtual Exhibition coming up here are some tips on how to put your work in the best light, as it were. Reading the literature on the internet gives the following tips:

  1. Put the painting in a good strong even light. Natural lighting from a window is good, direct sunlight is probably too strong. Avoid using artificial lighting such as lamps or fluorescents as their light may be coloured.
  2. Keep the painting parallel to the camera. To do this hang the painting on a wall and position the camera at the mid height, or place the painting on the floor and hold the camera directly above.
  3. Mount the camera as solidly as possible, using a tripod or table or box of the right height.
  4. Make sure the background is as simple as possible, and adjust the zoom to fill the frame with picture and have a minimum of surrounds
  5. Make sure the picture is focused on the painting.
  6. If possible use the self take timer to avoid shaking the camera when you press the button
  7. Take a few shots to give some spares if there is a problem.

Here is a link to site that explains this is some detail:

https://www.stateoftheart-gallery.com/articles/198/how-to-photograph-your-art-using-your-phone

Virtual Exhibition in lockdown

As the Members Exhibition has had to be postponed to September, we have decided to hold a ‘Virtual Exhibition’ where you can submit photos of up to 4 works you have done. They don’t have to be your entries to the exhibition so can be anything that you have worked on during the various lock downs we have had over the past year and a half.

There is an entry form on the website, under Exhibitions and called Virtual Exhibition.

Choose photos you have on your computer, or if you are taking photos using your phone you can go to the website on your phone, complete the entry form on the phone and any photos you have taken will be under photo gallery on the phone and can be attached. Then click ‘submit’ on the form.

There is also a post on the website about tips for taking photos of your works, and links to more detailed information on the internet.

The closing date for submission is 5pm Sunday 4th July. Once photos are submitted they will be added to a Photo Gallery on the website and will be available to see under Exhibitions, Virtual Exhibition from Tuesday 6th July. And being a virtual exhibition there is no need to sign up as a volunteer!

There is no charge for entry and no provision for sales of works. The other normal conditions apply but of course not size and d-rings.

Visit to Gosford Regional Gallery

  • Banksia at Pearl Beach
  • At Bouddi
  • Dead Banksia at Pearl Beach
  • Edogawa Japanese Gardens
  • Tinkle tinkle
  • Starting the walk
  • Edogawa Teahouse
    View from Teahouse

As previously mentioned, we have decided to promote art appreciation visits to various galleries in & around the Sydney area. To begin with, Gosford Regional Gallery was selected & a visit organised for last Wednesday, 19th May.

Yvette Pritchard; featured artist. We had to start somewhere to encourage you all to get out & about at other galleries and Gosford was ideal. The featured artist on display in the foyer gallery space was (and still is – until 20th. June!) Yvette Pritchard, who was mentioned here a few weeks ago. A wonderful artist with a real, almost tangible appreciation of the bush as one would expect from a plein air devotee. She used mostly pen on paper with a bold, confident style that comes from many years experience & success & this was enjoyed immensely by all of us. It might just lead to more members wishing to become plein air practitioners.

There’s more to see! As if this art work were not enough, we all enjoyed the Edogawa Gardens to the rear of the gallery. Beautifully laid out in the Japanese tradition, they feature formal ‘manicured’ plantings, meandering paths, a couple of wooden bridges, waterfall, lake, gazebo & tea house, not to forget many colourful koi & a squadron (?) of ducks. We have been visiting for years & never tire of the tranquil environment.

Then lunch in the cafe & a totally excusable spend in the gift shop;  which has a wonderful selection of art books, ceramics, glassware, accessories & my favourite; a beautiful range of greeting cards by local artists: well worth collecting just for their own sake!

A bonus exhibition. Tucked away next to the Regional Gallery is an additional treat…Another gallery space, which is the location for the many local art groups’ exhibitions & on this occasion it was the potters, with a selection of ceramics in every size & shape including a quirky example of bathing beauties of generous proportions but modestly covered, so you can display them without fear!

See for yourself! Here’s a few pictures to get you going (or should it be coming?) for our next excursion. Don’t be shy; if you have any favourite galleries; share! We’ll put them on the list!

Our visit to Toukley

From our roving gallery scouts.

Worth a Visit. We have just had a most delightful visit to the Toukley and District Art Society and Gallery. It was really worth it. On arrival we enjoyed Devonshire Tea served by one of the volunteers and then viewed the exhibition. An exhibition of Members’ works were on display, as well as an exhibition and competition of local artists’ works, which included paintings, jewellery, ceramics and a variety of other art forms. It was great. The exhibitions are rotated every two months, so there is a continuous supply of new works. There was also a rolling display of artists’ works on a monitor, which we really enjoyed. The Gallery is on the western shore of Tuggerah Lakes, just over the bridge from Toukley towards Gorokan in a beautiful park which is perfect for a picnic. There are seats in the Park and a children’s playground. See their website. We had a lovely time there.

Remagine 2021

Remagine Art Prize 2021 is calling for entries!

Artists are encouraged to enter works that relate to this year’s theme ‘Fast fashion, fast food, fast running out of natural resources. There are three categories this year, with $11,000 in total prize money. Remagine Art Prize has a focus on the environment, promoting the sustainability concept of reduce, reuse and recycle.  

Categories include: Digital Art – Stills, Mixed Media 3D/Mixed Media 2D and Painting/Drawing/ Printmaking.  There is also a new Youth Award (16-18 years) and the People’s Choice Award which is voted by the public.

The Exhibition is currently on display at Wallarobba, until Sunday 20th June. Open from 10am to 4pm.

Remagine Art Prize will be on exhibition at Wallarobba Arts and Cultural Centre, Hornsby, 4 – 20 June 2021. Entries closed on Monday 17 May 2021, for more information and to enter go to www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/remagine

POSTPONED – 2020 YOUNG ARTISTS COMPETITION

We’re so very disappointed to advise that given current conditions we are forced to postpone the 2020 Young Artists Competition which was scheduled for early April as part of Youth Week activities.


We’ve run this event in partnership with Sydney Art School for the last six years and provided lots of opportunities for the next generation of local artists to enjoy their first competition and exhibition. 


We want to keep this event going for many years to come. However, following continued spread of COVID-19 and the ongoing changes to public events issued by the Commonwealth and State Departments of Health, we’ve taken the decision that in the interests of all involved: our volunteers, the parents and families and our young artists themselves our most prudent approach is to postpone the event at this time.


We won’t use the word cancel; our competition is simply postponed – and you can rest assured we will be staging this event as soon as we can, depending on government guidelines. 


For those of you budding young artists at home – please use this time to prepare your work. The theme and the guidelines will not change, simply the timing of the exhibition.  Make use of this delay to prepare a truly spectacular work (or more than one: remember you can enter up to three works), research your theme and expand your creative imagination and artistic talents to focus on the theme of ‘space.’


For those of you who are looking for options at home, please be aware that starting in Term 2, Sydney Art School will be offering virtual web-based art classes starting on 28 April.  if you’d like more information please follow them on Facebook via the link or check out their website: https://sydneyartschool.com.au/


We hope that you all support our decision which we believe is in everyone’s best interest in these challenging times.  Our thanks for your understanding.

The team at Hornsby Art Society