Education : Diploma Visual Arts 1978
Graduate Diploma in Education 1980
Located : Traralgon, Victoria, Australia
libbywitchellartgallery.com
Website page link: https://www.colourinyourlife.com.au/tv-show-ep/libby-witchell/
Youtube show link: https://youtu.be/3GlE4Vjzdp0
libbywitchellartist.com
email: libbywitchell@outlook.com
You tube : Put Some Colour In Your Life : Libby Witchell
I have a studio in Traralgon, where I teach drawing and painting to students of all ages. My studio and home are set in a beautiful garden which I have established over the past 40 years. I have a love of birds, animals, gardening and a deep connection to the land and farming but my greatest passion is my art and sharing the enthusiasm with others. I also love to recycle timber and junk items to give them new purpose and life, building, renovating, sculpture and rustic furniture etc.
In the Covid lockdown 2020 I renovated an old shearing shed to become “Grand view” Accomodation and Art Studio on my farm at Glenaladale, Victoria. I reused the outside timbers to make daddo lining around the internal walls and recycled sheep yard rails to feature as shelving and rusty tin from the roof for a studio feature wall, etc.Its a cosy 2 bedroom apartment, with a spacious Studio space.
My paintings are a mixture of traditional realist technique and a fluency with contemporary styles and mediums. I like exploring and experimenting with style and content, working with mixed mediums. I assess the topic and then I just choose the medium that best fits the task.
My artwork is a reflection of personal experiences of bushfires, drought, farming and animal welfare, most of my paintings have a story, whether its from an overseas trip or holiday or just a reflection of Gippsland where I live. At one stage I had been painting bushfire scenes for months, (getting it out of my system,) so then I felt the need to paint something bright and cheerful, so I painted some nasturtiums in bright greens with red flowers.
My exhibition in East Gippsland Gallery 2015 it was 12 months after bushfire had burned through mine and many other farms in Glenaladale district, I called the exhibition “Collected and Connected.” I gathered remnants whilst cleaning up after the fire and produced assemblages and paintings for my exhibition.
Plein Air painting is a common practise for me, a good exercise to absorb the outdoors. I also work from photographs I have taken, as a guide for details, especially when painting and drawing birds and animals.
I love to draw and teach drawing skills as its a great foundation for artworks. Portraiture is fun too, sketching or in oils. Commissions include portraiture, landscape painting and some murals.
In 2015, I illustrated a children’s book called “Here Comes the Wind” which I did in pen and watercolour wash, using my farm for inspiration. It was great fun working on this project with Sarah Corbell the author.
I have participated in solo and group exhibitions throughout Gippsland and Melbourne, also Beechworth and New Zealand.
THINGS I LOVE
Living in the Country, the open Spaces, the bushland, walking amongst and painting nature.
Being in my Garden, caring for the garden and enjoying the seasonal displays and bounty.
Spending time with my family and friends, also my extended Art Family.
Sharing a love of Art with my students and meeting other artists.
Painting in my Studio, it’s so soothing.
EXHIBITION HISTORY
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
1998 : The Ponds Gallery, Providence Ponds
2002 : Traralgon City Offices
2002 : Old Tyers Store
2005 : Neilsons Restaurant, Traralgon
2006 : Relish at the Gallery, Sale
2007 : Gippsland Art Gallery Sale
2007 : Beechworth Fine Art Gallery, Beechworth.
2008 : Neilson’s Restaurant, Traralgon
2009 Warragul at Mitsubishi- Nissan Showroom: Creative Gippsland
2010 Wild Dog Winery – Warragul : Creative Gippsland
2010 Yarram Courthouse – Yarram
2011 Traralgon Courthouse
2015 East Gippsland Art Gallery. Collected and Connected.
2015 Red tree Gallery. Jindivick
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
- 2 person exhibition at Warragul Arts Centre
- Graduate exhibition at Latrobe Regional Gallery.
Regular entry at the Tyers Art show.
2003 Selected in New Energies Exhibition, on tour of all Gippsland Art Galleries, (Bushfire Paintings)
2003 Camberwell Art Show,
2003 Alexandra Art Show
As part of Briagolong Contemporary art group,
2003 Gippsland Art Gallery. Sale
2004 Glen Eira Art Gallery, Caufield
2004 Cowwarr Art Space
2005 The BIG Gallery, Briagolong
2005 Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale
2006 Gardner Galleries, Richmond
2005 Nowa Nowa Nudes
2006 Finalist in ARC Yinnar drawing prize.
2007 Beechworth Fine Art Gallery, Beechworth.
2007 Nowa Nowa Nudes
2008 Traralgon, Gippsland Motor Body Works Showroom.
2009 Finalist “She” Exhibition, Walker St Gallery, Dandenong
2009 Warragul Arts Gippsland Expo
2009 Pink Lady Exhibition, Brighton
2009 Tyers Art show
2010 Traralgon Courthouse. (Group Exhibit)
2011 Emergence Exhibition, The Atrium, Federation Square, Melbourne.
2011 Stratford Courthouse Gallery, Stratford.
2011 St.Lukes Mental Health week,( Best in Show)
2011 Tyers Art show
2011 Traralgon Courthouse
2015 Meeniyan Gallery
2016. Bairnsdale “Glorious Gippsland Art Show”
2017 World of Wearable Art. Wellington NZ. Finalist.
2017 Tacit Gallery, Collingwood
2021 Yarram Archies
2022 East Gippsland Art Gallery WRAP exhibition
2022 Yarram Rotary Art Show
AWARDS.
2011 St.Lukes Mental Health Week, Best in Show
2009 Winner of Oils and Acrylics at the Tyers Art Show
2009 Winner of the 25th Anniversary Acquisition Award At Tyers Art Show
2009 Highly Commended, Mixed Media, Tyers Art Show
2008 Highly Commended Watercolour Tyers Art Show
Libby Witchell Art Gallery 