ELEMENTS OF CULTURE ARTS TRAIL
VANESSA CONTE
ARTIST BIO
Vanessa Conte is a multidisciplinary artist with her main discipline being abstract painting. She is enthused by colour, layering, text, mark-making, and creating spontaneously. Her inspirational attributes are landscapes, mixed media, emotional expression and working with a variety of scales. Vanessa often gets inspired by places she has visited, people who have impacted her life greatly or with sorrow, her Italian background and nostalgic feelings. Elements of these feelings and places are seen within her landscapes and colours she chooses. She makes new art about many different life events but always revisits exploring her emotions and Italy through her work. Vanessa hopes to keep Italy a strong memory, through her practice, until she can visit again.
ARTIST WORK
“FACIAL EXPRESSIONS OF THE BITTER SWEET”
PRICE $650.00
SHOP LOCATION – ECLECTICA 148 PAKINGTON STREET GEELONG WEST
‘Facial Expressions of the bitter sweet.’ came at a transitional time for me. I was feeling myself starting to burn out and fall into some kind of rut. Rightfully so two weeks later there I was, stuck, not feeling motivated to create and feeling guilty or confused as I had been creating so constantly. I had been here before and this time I chose to sit with it. I realised it was okay to let steam off in other ways then art. Of course it was going to be tough because I used my practice as an outlet so I couldn’t understand why I didn’t feel like creating but this piece in particular allowed me to reflect on all the art I had made prior. I wasn’t even sure if I liked ‘Facial Expressions of the bitter sweet’ at the time but I knew I would like it later on just like the process of an artist needing to slow down and come back to reality for a little. The less pressure I put on myself, the less I compared and the less I gave in to ‘always being productive equals worth’ the better I felt and I was soon out of my rut.
ARTIST WORK
“APPREHENSION”
PRICE $650.00
SHOP LOCATION – GEELONG FRESH FOODS 171 PAKINGTON STREET GEELONG WEST
‘Apprehensive’ was a piece about feeling unsure about the ‘bad’ emotions but also unsure about the good ones. I painted it thinking of a more content time. Again, I was escaping a painful time with a distant but somehow close memory of my time in italy. I felt a sense of relief, security and peace when I could just sit and stare at a golden mountain. When the air felt so hot I thought maybe the clouds would turn red. How every small detail in this country I had never been to felt like deja vu. Although yes, I felt apprehensive while painting this. When would I return to this sanctuary? would the air feel the same and how long will I be able to go over the same memories without my heart aching for this place and for my family and friends over there.
RASEN HADDAD
ARTIST BIO
Rasen was born in North of Iraq and now lives as a former refugee in his new hometown Geelong. Art was Rasen’s passion since early childhood; then he completed a bachelor’s degree in fine art from Mosul University. Specialises in oil, acrylic and graphic, with many inks on paper artworks that reached worldwide collectors, Australia, Canada, US and the Middle East.
ARTIST WORK
“AT THE GALLERY”
PRICE $950.00
SHOP LOCATION – GEELONG WEST POST OFFICE 210b PAKINGTON STREET GEELONG WEST
Warm and deep colours, shadow and light techniques in prominently way. This painting represents a transformation and recreation of the human anatomy mixed with elements from nature to create figures that can express deep emotions, experience and own life philosophy. Readjusting feelings, state of mind to help reach higher levels of self-acceptance to display visuals that can be strong to provide long-lasting satisfaction in different settings.
ARTIST WORK
“LIFE ELEMENTS”
PRICE $750.00
SHOP LOCATION – THE LABORATORY 151 PAKINGTON STREET GEELONG WEST
Life Elements is what defines us as living beings in a unique combination of different elements. This painting represents cohesiveness of elements in nature that can be bizarre but vital in what structure our planet. The warm and cold colours are to express the deep conflict of our emotions.
SHAHAD BAHNAN
ARTIST BIO
Shahad Bahnan originally from North of Iraq, arrived in Australia in June 2016, and happy to call Geelong a new home.
Shahad professional artist with bachelor’s degree in fine arts.
Shahad mixes between the richness, and depth of classical art and the modernism and art that suit contemporary life.
ARTIST WORK
“AFTER TIME”
PRICE $495.00
SHOP LOCATION – HEIGHTS SEWING CENTRE 176 PAKINGTON STREET GEELONG WEST
This artwork is a translation of feelings and hopes towards past life experiences when I was a refugee in Amman (painted in Orange to express seeking for a change and freedom)
Present life since I arrived in Australia (painted in dark blue representing confidence and stability) Finally, a hope for bright, peaceful future in my new country that I proudly call it home (painted in Gold, the colour of success and achievement).
ARTIST WORK
“RED POPPIES”
PRICE $450.00
SHOP LOCATION – MS OP SHOP 1/96 PAKINGTON STREET GEELONG WEST
This painting represents red poppy as a symbol of both remembrance and hope for a peaceful future. The artist also expresses through this painting the fragility and the beauty of life. It’s a reminder that life is almost overwhelmingly beautiful but that it is also tragically short. So, let’s enjoy the simplest, lightest and smallest things in our life!
RACHEL BURKE, PATTURN STUDIO
ARTIST BIO
Rachel is an artist passionate about working with recycled elements. Giving new life to old items with vintage makeovers such as lampshades covered with maps, music papers and sewing patterns. www.patturnstudio.com.au
This is a new direction for Rachel, utilizing the same method of lacquered paper lampshades with her own original photographic imagery.
ARTIST WORK
“UNDERGROUND SHORTS PLACE”
PRICE $90.00
SHOP LOCATION – PETREL HOTEL 81 PAKINGTON STREET GEELONG WEST
It’s been 10 years since Patturn Studio began and it was on Little Malop Street that it all started. One sunny day during lockdown last year, I took a stroll down this street I had missed and drank in all the colours and textures. These lamps are an ode to my favourite street…
“The magic of the street is the mingling of the errand and the epiphany.”
― Rebecca Solnit, Wanderlust: A History of Walking
ARTIST WORK
“UNDERGROUND SHORTS PLACE – GREEN”
PRICE $90.00
SHOP LOCATION – Yam Daisy 72A Weller Street Geelong West
ARTIST BIO
Texture lamps wall of Little Malop St featuring the Pop Culture board (Nothings on 2020) which would normally be covered in posters were only tattered remnants of pre-pandemic happenings.
SHOP LOCATION – Christine Couzens M.P 9/95 Pakington St
ARTIST WORK
“WHITE BRICKS SMALL”
“CONCRETE BRICKS”
“VINTAGE BRICKS”
“WHITE BRICKS LARGE”
PRICE $50.00 EACH
SHOP LOCATION – Christine Couzens M.P Shop 9/95 Pakington St
KIRI WICKS
ARTIST BIO
Kiri Wicks is a Noongar and Tuwharetoa artist that embraces traditional styles to create contemporary works.
Examining social identity and connection to each other, through bright, often large scale, pieces that can be multidisciplinary
ARTIST WORK
“PILBARA ROAMING”
PRICE $500.00
SHOP LOCATION – NAB 191 PAKINGTON STREET GEELONG WEST
Growing up on Jaburara Country, North West Australia I still dream of the colours, the deep red dirt with the spots of yellow spinifex. The lines represent contour lines like you would find on maps, but unlike traditional mapping the lines don’t have man’s influence, contour lines show the organic movement of country.
KAT MARCIUS
ARTIST BIO
Kat is a local artist inspired by colour, the ocean and her imagination.
With a passion for adventure Kat notices the small details and patterns in the world around her and reflects on her experiences visually and emotionally to create unique artwork that leaves the viewer captivated.
ARTIST WORK
“THE GORGE”
PRICE $580.00
SHOP LOCATION – BROWNS MENSLAND 158-164 PAKINGTON STREET GEELONG WEST
After spending a week in the South Australian Outback with dry rivers and red sand, we ended our trip at Mt Beauty in Victoria. Walked through the lush green grass and breathing the fresh crisp air we found The Gorge. The water was as cool as ice, clear as glass, quenching our skin while we swam between the moody rocks.
ARTIST WORK
“LOW TIDE DELIGHT”
PRICE $300.00
SHOP LOCATION – HODGES GEELONG 205 PAKINGTON STREET GEELONG WEST
Treasures between the rocks, sea weed between my toes. Low tide is a delight – to see what’s been growing below.
JENNA KERNAGHAN
ARTIST BIO
Jenna Kernaghan is a self-taught visual artist who devotes herself to expressing the most weird and wonderful depths of her psyche through creation.
A passionate painter who has been working with the medium of acrylics for over a decade, Jenna’s work celebrates the basic elements of art in complex and abstract ways.
Drawing inspiration from nature, science and spirituality, Jenna is continuously trying to push the boundaries of what the human mind is capable of perceiving and creating.
ARTIST WORK
“THE LAST WAVE”
SHOP LOCATION – THE SOURCE BULK FOODS GEELONG 210 PAKINGTON STREET GEELONG WEST
The Last Wave – inspired by the energy and light of the sun setting on the ocean
ARTIST WORK
“NEON GODDESS”
SHOP LOCATION – THE IN8 LIFE 53 HOPE STREET GEELONG WEST
Neon Goddess explores transformation of the self, and the internal journey I experienced during isolation to rediscover my light and bring it to the surface to share with the world in new and unexpected ways.
JOSHUA MAXWELL DE HOOG
ARTIST WORK
“MEMORIES OF LEAVING, THEN RETURNING”
PRICE $920.00
SHOP LOCATION – DERBYSHIRE HOMES 98 PAKINGTON STREET GEELONG WEST
The movement of the inevitable is controlled only by the recognition that it has been moving all along, and we are merely dye that permeates the current, stagnates the still and flows into transition. Our marks upon life itself are linear and harsh, showing that humanity merely interferes in it’s attempt at control.
ARTIST WORK
“MEMORIES OF RETURNING, AFTER HAVING LEFT”
PRICE $920.00
SHOP LOCATION – THE RUNNING COMPANY 2/226 PAKINGTON STREET GEELONG WEST
This painting represents red poppy as a symbol of both remembrance and hope for a peaceful future. The artist also expresses through this painting the fragility and the beauty of life. It’s a reminder that life is almost overwhelmingly beautiful but that it is also tragically short. So, let’s enjoy the simplest, lightest and smallest things in our life!
FELICITY K
Email: info@gwnh.org.au
ARTIST BIO
Felicity teaches art for adults at the Neighbourhood House. Felicity uses different art mediums including drawing, sketching, water colour, ink and many others. Classes can be found on our website www.gwnh.org.au
ARTIST WORK
PRICE N/A
LOCATION – GEELONG WEST NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSE 89 Autumn Street Geelong West