Biography

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

Libby in her Studio, doing a demo for Put Some Colour in Your Life. Available on You Tube.

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

  1.   2 person exhibition at Warragul Arts Centre
  2.   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