Melbourne Affordable Art Fair: Exhibiting Artists
Get ready, Melbourne! The Affordable Art Fair is back at the magnificent Royal Exhibition Building, and anticipation is high for this art-filled event. Keep reading to discover fifteen talented artists exhibiting with Bluethumb.
Amanda Rubenstein
Canberra-based artist Amanda Rubenstein’s painted tablescapes feature vibrant fruits and vegetables selected for their striking colours and unique shapes. Her use of sharp lines and a careful balance of light and shadow brings these scenes to life, creating dramatic contrasts. She often incorporates folded cloth into her compositions, adding movement to her artwork.
Brad Gunn
Melbourne-based sculptor Brad Gunn’s Fuzzles series offers a nostalgic journey back to childhood storybooks and morning cartoons. These playful, imaginative figures evoke a sense of nostalgia and explore the values these characters embody, sparking a joyful sense of wonder and playfulness in viewers.
Carrie Matheson
The colours and organic shapes of the natural world inspire Carrie Matheson. Her abstract artworks explore the psychological impact of negative space, using it to create balance and harmony. Carrie’s portfolio includes bold, vibrant pieces that energise a room and more subdued tones that offer a calming presence.
Charlie Nanos
Melbourne-based artist Charlie Nanos has made a dramatic shift from tradesman to full-time artist in recent years. Diagnosed with a congenital heart condition at 34, he turned to art as a form of healing. Charlie’s art brings to life Melbourne’s iconic buildings, trams, and charming Victorian homes, offering a fresh and engaging perspective on the city’s architectural landscape.
Eve Sellars
Eve Sellars is a full-time artist and painter living off-grid in central Victoria on expansive, untamed land. Nestled in the bush and surrounded by gum trees and vibrant birdlife, her studio offers views of the mountains and pasture near the Goulburn River. Eve’s art vividly reflects her environment, with amplified natural colours woven into familiar compositions.
Jen Shewring
Melbourne-based contemporary artist Jen Shewring is renowned for her vibrant floral and landscape artworks. Using an abstract impressionist style, Jen skillfully curates her colour palettes to evoke joy and serenity. Her pieces, crafted with bright pastels, create tranquil and meditative spaces that invite viewers into a realm of beauty and peace.
Julie Lynch
Sydney-based artist Julie Lynch uses a dramatic colour palette, bold graphic style, and impasto techniques and collages to craft unique and tactile still lifes. By integrating vintage and contemporary objects, each with its own story, she provides viewers with a richly layered and textured experience.
Lydie Paton
South Australian artist Lydie Paton channels her childhood spent in nature and her background in landscape design into her work. Raised by environmentalist parents, Lydie spent her days exploring the desert’s shifting colours, an experience that profoundly influenced her work. With a deep love for oil paints, Lydie embraces their texture, brush marks, and rich colours.
Madeline Ryan
Melbourne-based emerging artist Madeline Ryan is making waves with her textured, 3D abstract works. Using a palette knife and piping bag, Madeline crafts striking 3D effects that have become a favourite among interior designers, adding colour and textural intrigue to any space.
Sally Browne
Sydney-based artist Sally Browne turned drawing, her childhood escape, into a lifelong passion, leaving school at 16 to study art. Originally from England, Sally now captures the native flora and fauna of Australia’s suburbs with a distinctive eye. Her latest abstract works offer a serene blend of familiar forms and tranquil beauty.
Sarah Morrow
Mount Martha artist Sarah Morrow captures landscapes’ resilience with immediate, fluid brushstrokes, reflecting her deep concern for environmental health. Her work portrays nature as a vital habitat and serves as a direct response to environmental destruction in the name of progress.
Shannon Camden
Brisbane-based artist Shannon Camden is fast making a name for herself for her hyper-realistic paintings of sweets, pantry items, and still-life scenes. Nostalgic, playful, and colourful, Shannon’s sweet treats have certainly resonated with people. Shannon’s works don’t require much wall space, so they are perfect for small-space living and bookshelf styling.
Paula Starrs
Born and raised in Mallee, Paula Starrs finds endless inspiration in the vast rural landscape, capturing the rich red-coloured sandy soils, eucalypt trees, and the shadows they cast. Based in Swan Hill, Paula spends most of her days painting alongside her golden retriever, gardening and making the occasional martini.
Rebecca James
Warrnambool-based artist Rebecca James has an undeniable compulsion to paint. Once she starts, she finds it difficult to stop. Through her unique talent and perspective, Rebecca invites viewers into a world where everyday moments and the beauty of raw, intense emotions converge seamlessly. Her artworks offer viewers relief from their worries and concerns.
Pete Conroy
Echuca-based artist Pete Conroy brings the human form to life with his sharp wit and distinctive portrait style, often satirising and exaggerating features. Since a 2017 surfing accident left him a high-functioning paraplegic, Pete has honed a unique and consistent style that resonates with collectors, solidifying his place in the art world.
Find Bluethumb at the Affordable Art Fair in Booth C4 from Thursday, August 29th, to Sunday, September 1st! Click here to claim free tickets.