Lorna Grear

Close to Home

OPENS SATURDAY 29 November 4 to 6 pm

Flinders Street Gallery

Exhibition continues until Sat 20 December 2025. Gallery open Wed-Sat 11 am – 6 pm

PH: 02 9380 5663 info@flindersstreetgallery.com. 61 Flinders St Surry Hills 2010 Sydney

Photo: Two Kinds of Yellow. 150 cm x 150 cm acrylic on stretched canvas.

Lorna Grear has exhibited widely. It is her 4th solo show at Flinders Street Gallery in Sydney, her last show was 2 years ago in 2023. Her work has been selected for the Mosman Art Prize, The Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing, The Portia Geach Memorial Prize, 9 x 5 Waverley Woollahra Landscape Prize, The Paddington Art Prize, The Fleurieu Art Prize plus more.

She says,

My paintings in my solo show, Close to Home have been painted over 4 seasons twice; and reflect the cold, pale, winter months to the burst of spring with its wild flowers and bird song. 

My colour palette changes as the rain, sun, wind and patterns change. I like landscape as an idea- it allows me to play and experiment with structures according to moods or feelings. 

I’ve also included a range of studies- these are painted according to my temperament in one sitting. You’ll see some ‘wind’ and ‘stormy’ paintings, then calmer reflective paintings. They are usually painted quickly but are vital to my overall body of work. Sometimes the ideas I find in the smaller works take a year or more to be revealed in a larger work. 

These paintings are offerings of hope. It is in this spirit which I share these paintings with you. 

Delineations II

Delineations II

I have 4 small works in the group show with Marina Finlay, Kevin McKay, Daniel McDonald, Lisa McKimmie, Fiona Somerville, Nick Swann & Paul Thomas

Image: Lorna Grear, Storm I, 20 x 15 cm, framed, acrylic on board.

FLINDERS STREET GALLERY
Opening drinks 4 – 6 pm. Saturday 26th April 

The exhibition runs until Saturday 10th May 2025 Gallery hours: 11am – 6pm, Wed – Sat or by appointment
61 Flinders Street Surry Hills, NSW, 2010 Phone 61 2 93805663

info@flindersstreetgallery.com

http://www.flindersstreetgallery.com

Screenshot

Storm II 20 x 15 cm, acrylic on board, framed, 2025

Storm III 20 x 15 cm, acrylic on board, 2025

Storm IV 20 x 15 cm, acrylic on board, 2025

Big Yellow Sun

Lorna Grear at Flinders Street Gallery, 61 Flinders Street, Surryhills, NSW

OPENING SATURDAY 25 NOVEMBER 2023 4- 6 pm

It’s my 3rd solo exhibition at Flinders Street Gallery- the majority of this work started on my sabbatical last year and has carried through to this year. Mostly are small paintings, paintings which I have been able to carry through the bush – some painted directly en plein air, others, painted in the studio from memory.

Paintings are from Gundungurru and Wiradjuri Country, (Charbon and Southern Highlands); acrylic, gouache and oil on plywood.

It was a good time for me, painting and exploring different rhythms and emotions. Other the years, getting to know different areas of the bush, has taught me many things, the change in seasons; looking at and feeling the wind, hearing birdsong and observing light. I understand how fortunate we are, living in this vast and beautiful country whilst there is so much turmoil in the world.

If you can’t make it to the opening, I’ll be at the gallery on Fridays and Saturdays; 12- 4pm if you’d like to say hi, grab a coffee or just a look… or call in to the gallery at other times to see the show; Wed- Sat, 11- 6pm. Show continues until Saturday 16 November.

Peace. x Lorna

Tea Tree Haze – Glebe Art Show 2023

My painting, Tea Tree Haze was painted during a long stint in the bush. It was just before Spring and there was a lot of rain around- I could smell the tea tree everywhere. As the water dries- a mist forms above the tea tree bush- my painting is a memory of this.

I always love painting slightly away from the subject as it allows for a poetic interpretation of painting, filled with personal rhythms and imaginative clusters. It’s like a dream.

Tea Tree Haze 76 x 91 cm, acrylic on canvas. Drop Shadow series

The 2023 Glebe Art Show will be held from the 18th to the 22nd of October at the Tramsheds, 1 Dalgal Way, Forest Lodge. The Glebe Art Show is a non-selective, non-acquisitive art show held annually since 1997, with prizes across several categories and all artwork offered for sale. The show aims to support and encourage both emerging and established artists currently living, working or studying within the City of Sydney and Inner West Council boundaries. Entries close on the 8th of October or earlier if hanging capacity is reached.

TEXTA

I have works in TEXTA- opens Thursday 5 October, 2023- Thurs- Sat 11- 5, Sun 12- 5 –

31 A Enmore Road, Enmore, Sydney, NSW – curated by Daniel Pressart. All welcome! https://drawspace.org/

DRAW Space, an independent artist-run space, provides a unique opportunity for artists to engage in new drawing research and showcase innovative works. Following a series of experimental solo and group shows, DRAW Space is thrilled to present the community-inclusive group show TEXTA in October 2023.

Textas, or felt pens, are a ubiquitous medium that many grew up with. These pens encourage a drive to create and a sense of play. Often overlooked as a fine art medium, this exhibit shows how these humble pens can produce bold, forceful artworks that call for attention.

  • TEXTA will open at 6pm on Thursday 5 October.
  • TEXTA features 9 unique practices that use the medium: Quinn Chen, Jake Alexander Cruz, Lorna Grear, Lily Langley, Jacqueline McIntyre, Ngarra, Charmaine Pike, Jeremy Smith and Yuck.
  • The exhibition features a community drawing table at the centre of the room, allowing the attendees to draw and add to an ever-changing work.
  • The exhibition runs from Thursday 5 October to Sunday 5 November. 
  • Exhibiting artists will give an artist talk at midday Saturday 7 October, chaired by curator Daniel Press.
  • A special showing of community drawings from the drawing table will then show for one night at 6pm on Tuesday 7 November.

Featured artists also contributed to a colouring book / catalogue essay hybrid that plays on the childhood and lowbrow connotations of the medium. The hybrid book features word puzzles, comics, and academic essays on the medium.

Lorna Grear is represented by Flinders Street Gallery.

Charmaine Pike is represented by Defiance Gallery.

Ngarra is represented by Mossenson Galleries. Ngarra drawings courtesy of Mossenson Galleries and Mossenson Art Foundation.

Jeremy Smith is represented by .M Contemporary.

Mosman Art Prize 2022

 2022 Mosman Art Prize, installation view, Mosman Art Gallery. Image courtesy Mosman Art Gallery and © the artists. Photograph: Jacquie Manning.

Painting, titled TwoOpen is a studio painting- I call them secret shed paintings; they’re spontaneous and brave and can be about many things.

Here’s what I wrote; ‘Two Open is a painting which celebrates painting. It is a culmination of looking at landscape over the last few years as an entry into what lays beneath the obvious subject. Other ideas are always at play when painting; light, rhythm, pattern, favourite influences. This painting has a little bit of everything which I love.’

Lorna Grear is represented by Flinders Street Gallery and held her recent solo show in June 2022. Her work has previously been selected for the Portia Geach Memorial Art Prize, The Paddington Art Prize, The Adelaide Drawing Prize, Fishers Ghose Art Award and the Liverpool Art Prize.

Fishers Ghost Art Award

The Fisher’s Ghost Art Award is an annual art prize inviting artists to submit works in a variety of artistic categories and mediums. The Open Award is acquisitive to the Campbelltown City Council collection and in 2022, in celebration of the 60th Anniversary; the award is valued at $60,000. The exhibition will be open to the public from Saturday 29 October until Friday 9 December, 10 am – 4pm

My painting, titled Snakes And Ladders; 150 x 130 cm, acrylic on canvas, is selected as a finalist.

This painting originally took its subject from Bannaby Creek in the Southern Highlands. After a decade of no rain we now have fast, running, wild waters in this creek. It’s beautiful – with its twists and turns, over rocks and river stones. You can hear a cacophony of feral goats whilst being surrounded by a hundred Xanthorrhoea, or Balga Grass Plants. This painting is my tribute to the creek.

Fisher’s Ghost Art Award 2022

For painting enquiries go to Campbelltown Arts Centre or contact Jason Martin info@flindersstreetgallery.com

Greenway Art Prize 2022

My work, titled, Greenway Upclose: 90 x 95 cm, acrylic on board, framed is currently on view at the Greenway Art Prize, Sydney Bus Museum, Leichhardt.

This work was made in the studio after a texta drawing of a secluded area near Marion Street Light Rail station on the Greenway. It’s a place I’ve taken friends – it reminds me of the bush- there are little walking tracks amongst a myriad of textures and colours through the bush. It is also one of the sites of bush regeneration done by volunteers of Greenway Bushcare.

My painting is an explosion of colour- it is a close up view, painted from memory with a feeling of enclosure within a green space.

Tara Morelos Curator GreenWay Art Prize

Framers; Frameart, Parramatta Road, Sydney

EXHIBITION VENUE: Sydney Bus Museum, Leichhardt

Undergrowth

This work is painted from memory- it has the feeling of an enclosed scrub area. I go there to get lost. Once I discovered a snake skin whilst sitting there, another time I came across a wild pig with her babies in the same spot. It doesn’t feel like many people have ever sat here- it’s in a remote area – you can only reach it by foot. For years the creek that runs close to this was dry- it now has running water with small rapids.

I was trying to paint the feeling of looking through scrub and seeing glimpses of the creek through tea tree bush and spikey leaves.

Of course the work has fave influences of Cubism, geometry and Cezanne . It was exhibited in the Drop Shadow show at Flinders Street Gallery, Sydney and framed by Frameart Sydney.

Not available- Sold/ Private collection …. Gouache on art board- 73 x 83 cm framed

2022 – Works on art board- gouache

These works were painted as small studies – actually at the time they were not studies at all – I didn’t paint them to think about making other works from – they are works within themselves. They are reactions to light and space and atmosphere. The works represent impulsive and intuitive inspirations to paint.

Works available. Contact Lornagrear@hotmail.com or Flinders Street Gallery; flinderstgallery@bigpond.com

Texta works

My texta works tell a different story. I had been in the bush for a while by myself and had used up all my resources. I found a packet of textas. I used these to create my first texta work. It was made out of necessity.

The texta work gave me a freedom to look at form and composition. I had to find a way to simplify and enhance. The medium allowed me to delve into my love of pattern and complicated space. Conflicting harmonies even kaleidoscopic structures appeared.

I use landscape as the structure on which to realise my daily perceptions about the world we share.

For all enquiries contact Lorna Grear lornagrear@hotmail.com or Insta lornagrear_studio

Drop Shadow at Flinders St Gallery

OPENS SATURDAY 4 JUNE 2022, 4-6pm

Early bird enquiries contact Jason Martin; flindersstgallery@bigpond.com

I’ll be showing unseen gouaches and paintings.

Sky Above, gouache on art card, 15 x 20cm, 2021, framed

DROP SHADOW

These works play with the many beautiful and varied possibilities within painting and drawing.

In the past I have been a structuralist, a formalist, definately a colourist, and even at dusk – an impressionist painter! I respond to sensations, and forms and energy. This show I’m using landscape as my base – it grounds me.

I see a series of paintings like words in a sentence. Each word has significance yet the sentence provides the context. I sometimes think it would be perfect to keep the whole sentence together. But, then, poets are good at using singular words- to draw attention to moments. Perhaps, then, each of these paintings, are like moments in the specific time period.

At times, I like a crowded space- as though the picture plane is enveloping me like a blanket. Other times I pull it all apart and leave only the essential…

ALL WELCOME for drinks… Saturday 4 JUNE, 4-6pm; Flinders Street Gallery, 61 Flinders Street, Surryhills, NSW, Australia