Willy (Wilamina) Russo

Ema Shin is a softly spoken textile artist born in Japan to a lineage of both Japanese and Korean family. She now lives in Melbourne with her husband and two children.  Ema uses the age old craft of embroidery and weaving to create powerful, feminine pieces. Pieces that honour the women in her life, such as her mother and her grandmother. You see in Korean family trees, it’s tradition is to track the men, namely the first born males.  In Ema’s family tree of 35 generations there is not one woman's name. Which is really interesting because it takes two to tango right? And then a woman has to give birth to a baby for the next generation of the family tree to continue.

Ema joined  me from her Melbourne studio for this week's Interview With An Artist.

You can check out Ema’s work on Instagram at the handle @ema.shin

Laura Jones cares. Behind the broad brush strokes and bold colours of her paintings there is great thought. Thought about what is happening to the environment and to our society. Laura observes the way we humans are impacting the world and responds with her paint brush. A creative evolution that has so far incorporated landscapes, still life and an Archibald finalist portrait. Laura has a breadth of talent matched by a depth of conviction and she joined me from her Sydney studio, for this week's Interview With An Artist. 

Find her work on instagram @_laura_jones_

Leah Fraser has a wild imagination. The self-confessed history and fantasy nerd paints whimsical mythical paintings. Pictures of characters who could easily have epic novels written about them. And although the artist has been away from the canvas, raising her two babes. She’s back. And she’s excited. Excited to see the evolution of her work as her life expands. Leah joined me from her Sydney studio, for this week’s Interview With An Artist.

You can check out Leah's work on instagram @lelefraser 

Looking at a painting by Beth Gibbeson is like getting a sneak peak into her soul. Her pieces are big, bold, colour rich works based on warm tones. Because Beth hates to be cold. And her life is big and bold. She has lived in Egypt, she's married and has four children, she plays her studio music LOUD. From impromptu dance parties with her kids, to finding what she was good at when she was young, to sharing her passion with the students she teaches, Beth's life is full of colour.  The Melbourne based artist joined me for this week's Interview With An Artist.

Head to her instagram @bethgibbeson to get a glorious colour fix. 

At the tender age of 12 David Hinchliffe was seduced by the bohemian artists painting in his Brisbane inner city suburb. It was the 1960's. These artists drank WINE at a time when beer was the standard. They painted all day while others toiled in "real jobs".  Drawn to creativity, David tried his hand at the canvas and found there was something there. He sold his first piece at age 12 for $20, a considerable sum given his father's weekly wage  at the time was $30. But even with the talent, the passion, and the desire, David's life took a different turn. A calling to civil service, to contribute to the city he loved, saw him enter politics. There he stayed for 25 years, painting when time permitted. David finally gave himself to the canvas full time In 2011. From his first solo show in 1976, to now being represented around the world, David Hinchliffe still has much more to give.  Head to his instagram page @davidhinchliffeartist to see his stunning work. 

He joined me from his Brisbane studio for this week's Interview With An Artist.  

Sydney based painter Eliza Gosse has a penchant for the past. More specifically, mid century architecture. Her paintings evoke feelings of nostalgia for days gone by. Think your classic 50s or 60s roadside motel with clean lines in muted colours.  And Eliza’s not the only one with fondness for the aesthetic. Since graduating from her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2017, Eliza has held a number of solo shows, finished as a finalist multiple times in the well regarded Ravenswood Female Art Award and won a number of prizes including the People Choices award in the Waverley Art Prize.

Go to her Instagram page @elizagosse and I bet you'll find yourself smiling at memories evoked by her paintings.

Western Australian artist Lori Pensini began painting out of obligation. Twenty years on, she now paints out of passion. Feverish to know if she has enough time to paint all the stories she has to tell. Stories of ancestors.  Stories of Australia. Stories of life on the land.  A legacy eight generations deep with her children the potential ninth. This emotional and spiritual connection comes through in Lori’s work. Particularly in the eyes of the people and children she paints. The complexity she captures in their stares requires more than just skill with a brush.

Head to Lori's instagram page @loripensini and you will see what I mean. 

Pip Spiro's path to much loved Australian painter has had a few detours. First a business degree. Then a period working in advertising in London. And then a move back home to mum and dad’s after quitting work to pursue her creative passion. Her first solo exhibition in 2018 sold out and since then her following has only grown.

Pip paints colour rich still lifes, with a recent series containing botanicals and shells, mother nature’s own works of art. What makes Pip’s work even more outstanding, is that she paints in water colours. If you have ever had a play with water colours you will know they are unforgiving. One wrong stroke and your picture is ruined. Pip uses layer upon layer to achieve a depth in colour that belies the medium. She joined me for this week’s Interview With An Artist from her studio in Brisbane.

You can check out Pip’s work on Instagram @pipspiro

Jumping castles inspired by mental asylums. Industrial grade confetti blowers. Copyright infringement treasure hunts. These are not your typical accoutrement to the fine art world and Cj Hendry is not your typical fine art world contender. A highly skilled, self taught drawer of hyper realistic images, Hendry knows there is a game to be played. And she’s playing it, by her own rules. 

From selling her first piece in 2013 for $10000, to now selling pieces of hundreds of thousands of dollars, Hendry has come a long way. And yet, there’s still further to go.

Check out her work at www.cjhendry.live or on Instagram @cjhendry