Top 10 Still Life Artists of 2023
Still life artists capture inanimate objects from the natural and man-made world so that you can appreciate them repeatedly! In no particular order, we present our top 10 still life artists of 2023. Check out this week’s curation showcasing artwork from the Top Still Life Artists of 2023.
1. Peter Tankey
The Bluethumb Art Prize 2022 Still Life Category Award winner, Peter Tankey, creates hyper-realistic oil paintings that suggest a narrative by juxtaposing unrelated objects. Peter captures conventional subject matter in his morning ritual series, including miscellaneous kitchen items like milk jugs, teapots, espresso cups and coffee beans.
Coffee Still Life (Study) by Peter Tankey.
2. Ashleigh Menzies
Still life artist, Ashleigh Menzies, is known for utilising bright colour palettes and high contrast to create minimalistic and aesthetically pleasing compositions. Her love of floristry heavily inspires Ashleigh’s subject matter. Contrasted against a solid black background, her acrylic still life depictions of flowers make for a fabulous statement piece for any space!
Overachiever No.1 by Ashleigh Menzies is available in our Adelaide gallery.
3. Alina Hayes
Western Australia-based artist, Alina Hayes, is inspired by Australia’s diverse natural environment. Armed with a paintbrush, Alina often paints imagined representations of native flora. With vibrant acrylic and oil-based paints, she weaves realistic and abstract concepts on the canvas and explores the relationship between composition and pattern.
Banksia and Lemons by Aline Hayes.
4. Alicia Cornwell
The Bluethumb Art Prize 2021 Still Life Category Award winner, Alicia Cornwell, eternalises floral bouquets rich in colour and visual intrigue. Having worked in the antique industry before pursuing painting full-time, she often incorporates vintage design elements into her artworks. Alicia’s excellent acquisition of art principles is evident in her expressing a sense of movement in the fabric of her backdrops.
Gum Nuts on 60’s Boucle – Eucalyptus Walking by Alicia Cornwell.
5. Amanda Cutlack
Bluethumb Art Prize 2022 finalist, Amanda Cutlack, is a still life artist passionate about bold colour based in Sydney. Her still life paintings are inspired by an appreciation of plants, born from a childhood spent in the garden exploring the great outdoors. Whether working with oil, watercolour or gouache, Amanda’s gradual blend of colour has a calming quality that invites the viewer to bask in its tranquillity.
Flowering Gum by Amanda Cutlack is available to view in our Melbourne gallery.
6. Dean Spinks
Sydney-based artist Dean Spinks is known for his still life drawings of crumpled cans. Dean brings the iconic Aussie beer cans to life on paper by layering Copic ink markers and adding fine crosshatched detail. Achieving his photorealistic style can take over 50 hours, but the colour-saturated result is worth the effort. Watch Dean’s work-in-progress video to see him in action!
VB Bear Can by Dean Spinks.
7. Kirsty McIntyre
Kirsty McIntire is a Melbourne-based still life artist who primarily paints lively bouquets of native florals and fruit enticing enough to eat! Using a palette knife, she applies thick oil paint to the background of her paintings to create a textured impasto surface. Her artfully-placed shadows and highlights add a visual depth and realistic quality to her still life artworks. Kirsty has both original oil paintings and reproduction prints available to purchase.
White Gum Blossom with Three Pears by Kirsty McIntyre is available in our Melbourne gallery.
8. Andria Beighton
After several years working as a florist and designer, it’s no wonder Andria Beighton’s geometric still life paintings often feature florals. Renowned for her clear-cut use of colour and balance, Andria’s style is heavily influenced by bold vintage textiles and the graphic nature of 20th-century poster art. For more Andria content, read our artist Q&A, Andria Beighton: a Modernist’s Approach to Nostalgia.
Still Life no. 203 from the ‘Pleasant Avenue’ collection by Andria Beighton.
9. Dianne Gall
Feel the nostalgic warmth of a summer tea party with Dianne Gall’s latest limited edition prints of her original paintings. This capsule release includes six still life prints that celebrate sunshine and happiness. The series comprises delicate poppies and tulips, a treasured fine-china teacup alluding to an afternoon of social indulgence and gorgeous tea cakes! Explore Dianne’s previous Neon + Noir print collection to see her ever-evolving artistic repertoire.
Joyful Dance by Dianne Gall.
10. Nadia Culph
Bluethumb Art Prize 2021 and 2022 finalist Nadia Culph is a still life photographer that captures the movement and vivid colours of local Australian flora. Her compositions are simply beautiful. Nadia’s stunning photographs aim to bring the intricate details of nature to the forefront of the viewer’s mind. Her artworks are a visual reminder to stop and smell the roses, slow down, and appreciate the little things – the true essence of still life!
Golden Wattle by Nadia Culph.
Check out this week’s curation for more artworks created by the Top Still Life Artists of 2023!
Very beautiful artwork
Very interesting to read! Thank you so much!
Astonishing talent. Really excellent work!