Big Scrub on Heat

Finding myself in a very different landscape than the Central Coast NSW when we relocated to the Northern Rivers I was a bit overwhelmed by the fantastic work being produced by local artists and wondered what I could do that might be different. As Paul and I set out on many bushwalks, from Byron Bay to Minyon Falls I felt strongly that the sub-tropical rainforest had to be expressed in a way that it impacted me - and that was the beautiful tangled vines and luxuriant ferns and palms. This was a 'lazy, languishing' landscape, so unlike the strong, dry bush of the Hawkesbury Sandstone region. It is a landscape that is at once seemingly exotic and yet very much Australian. It twists and curls about itself creating beautiful shapes and lines. It was almost like a 'net', impenetrable, and so the early settlers had described it 'the big scrub' as they went about hacking it down to create pastures for cattle. But not all of it has been removed, and we found a few delightful pockets where it flourished in all its luxuriant glory. My 'big scrub' series is my attempt to draw attention to its timeless beauty.

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I was born the youngest in a family of creative people. My eldest sister, Diana Webber, was a successful bronze sculptor; my eldest brother Richard Weight was also a successful Sydney artist who was a part of the Yellow House venture in Kings Cross in the early '70's along with my other brother, Greg Weight, who is still a very active professional fine art photographer, married to artist Carol Ruff. They have a gallery in Bronte, Sydney: "Gallery East".
I moved to the Netherlands in 1973 where I enrolled in the 'Vrije Psychopolis Akademie voor Beeldende Kunsten' (the free-expression academy for visual arts). While there I followed courses in painting and drawing as well as ceramics. I was a teacher of Fashion Design for one course year (I had had a fashion design business in Sydney, making suede and chamois outfits, selling to boutiques as well as personally making outfits for celebrities).
Returning to Sydney in 1976 I enrolled in a bronze casting course at the East Sydney Technical College, which is now the Sydney College of the Arts.
During my years in Sydney I worked on various movies in Wardrobe: Mad Max Thunderdome; Crocodile Dundee I and II; Young Einstein; various television series.
The following is a brief outline of exhibitions and commissions:
1982 Completed course in bronze casting, National Art School, Sydney.
Continued art practice in drawing, painting, ceramic and bronze sculpture, Sydney.
2002 Commissioned to paint ceiling of prayer/meditation room for client at Wentworth Falls, NSW.
2006-09 Led weekly classes in acrylic painting at “Artist World”, Toukley NSW.
One day workshop teaching palette knife technique at Toukley Art Society. Private classes at Coastguard Hall, Toukley
One day workshop on picture framing techniques, Newcastle Art Society
Art Prizes
2006 Finalist Gosford Art Prize: “Fan Palm” linocut
2007 Finalist Gosford Art Prize: “Bohemian Velvet” acrylic on canvas
2008 Finalist Gosford Art Prize: “The Dance” oil on canvas
Finalist Waverley Art Prize: “Confluence” oil on canvas
2009 Finalist Gosford Art Prize: “Revival” oil on canvas
Finalist Mosman Art Prize: “Into the Heath” oil on canvas
2010 Finalist Gosford Art Prize: “Beside the Walking Track” oil on canvas
2011 Finalist Gosford Art Prize: “Beach-track 2” oil on canvas
2012 Relocate to Northern Rivers
2015 Caldera Art Prize Murwillumbah Visitor Centre:“Big Scrub on Heat” oil on canvas
2016 Border Art Prize Tweed Regional Gallery:“Mary-Anne Makes Great Hamburgers” oil pastel on 200gsm paper
Ocean Shores Art Expo 3rd Prize oil painting:“Mullumbimby Friendly Café”
2018 Mullumbimby Library Exhibition
Border Art Prize:“Old Growth” oil on canvas
Ocean Shores Art Expo Highly Commended:“Creek” oil on canvas
2019 Ocean Shores Art Expo 2nd Prize Drawing & Printmaking:“The Long Shed” charcoal on paper
2022 Grafton Regional Gallery “French Door Gallery”: solo exhibition charcoal drawings “Captivating Clarence”
2022 First Prize Clarence Valley Art Expo: oil on canvas “Decomposition”
2023 Yamba Old Kirk Gallery: solo exhibition “All Things Great and Small” mixed works: oil on canvas; acrylic; watercolour and charcoal on paper.
Exhibitions
2009 Open Studios Gosford Regional Gallery (group show)
2010 Solo exhibition Gosford Regional Gallery
2011 Solo exhibition Danielle Morrison Gallery, Wyong NSW
2012 Mackay Harrison Gallery, Ballina NSW (group show)
2017 Mullumbimby Regional Library: mixed artworks
2022 Grafton Regional Gallery solo exhibition charcoal drawings
2022 Yamba Old Kirk Gallery solo exhibition various media.
Publications
2009, 10, 11 Gosford Council Sustainability Report selected works showing local environment.
iMAG Magazine April 2011 article on exhibition at Danielle Morrison Gallery Wyong NSW