The Heart of the Flame Burns Blue

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US-born Maureen Whitaker is an award-winning artist/graphic designer based on the Mornington Peninsula. She graduated with Highest Honours from Platt College of Art & Design in Colorado and was a freelance graphic designer for over 15 years before adding a paintbrush to her toolbox.

Best known for her quirky mixed-media pieces, Maureen has a passion for abstract work. “My abstracts are moody, expressive and gestural; they are more concerned with colour, line, form, and texture than subject matter. They are not based on reality; instead they are reflections of the moods and emotions I’m feeling at the time, which could explain why my work is so eclectic. I don’t pre-plan my abstract works; instead, I allow them to happen organically. I love to experiment with an array of media and colour palettes, as well as textiles, papers, organic objects and recycled bits and pieces, and enjoy the challenge of finding interesting ways to incorporate and manipulate them to create complex, textured pieces with depth and a sense of mystery. I look for original and unusual ways to translate the images in my head onto the canvas, giving them an ‘element of surprise’ that draws people in. I take inspiration from the fabric of Australian life, from the natural land and beachscapes to industrial, urban cityscapes.”

Maureen is a regular exhibitor at art shows and galleries in the Melbourne metro area and on the Mornington Peninsula. Her works are held in private collections in the USA, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Japan, Ireland and Australia.

Awards & Commendations include:
• "Best Abstract", 2018 Warranwood Art Show for “Let Me Dream Again” (Acrylic/Mixed Media on Canvas)
• "Best Abstract", 2017 Warranwood Art Show for “Rust & Leather” (Acrylic/Mixed Media on Canvas)
• Bay City Holden “Award of Excellence in Art”, 2015 Derinya Art & Craft Exhibition for “Tangled Up in Blue” (Acrylic/Mixed Media on Canvas)
• “President’s Packer’s Award”, 2015 Flinders Art Show for “Love in a Time of War” (Acrylic/Mixed Media on Board)
• Finalist, 2015 “She” Competition & Exhibition, Walker Street Gallery, Dandenong for “Love in a Time of War” (Acrylic/Mixed Media on Board)
• “Best 2D Artwork”, 2015 33-1/3 “Colours of Our Grief” Art Exhibition for “Love in a Time of War” (Acrylic/Mixed Media on Board)
• “Best Contemporary”, 2014 Bayside Art Exhibition, Sandringham for “Memories of Melbourne” (Acrylic/Mixed Media on Canvas)
• “Best Mixed”, 2011 Derinya Art & Craft Exhibition for “Deep Blue” (Acrylic/Mixed Media on Canvas Board)
• Finalist, 2011 Rob McNamara Exhibition, Collingwood Gallery, Collingwood for "Post No Bills" (Acrylic/Mixed Media on Canvas)
• “Best in Show”, 2009 Somerville Council Skatebord Design Exhibition for “Frangipanis on Safari” (Acrylic on Skatedeck Board)
• Feature Artist, 2017 Mount View Art Show
• “Highly Commended”, 2016 Derinya Art & Craft Exhibition for “Rust & Leather” (Acrylic/Mixed Media on Canvas)
• “Highly Commended”, 2015 Mornington Rotary Show for “Postcards From Port Philip” (Acrylic/Mixed Media on Canvas)
• “Highly Commended”, 2014 Great Art Show, Berwick for “Victorian Vintage II” (Acrylic/Mixed Media on Canvas)
• “Highly Commended”, 2013 Dromana Art Show for “Trinity” (Acrylic/Mixed Media on Canvas)