Works by 40 artists
All paintings and glass for sale 

In 2002 Kathy Ellem started painting and embraced the challenge of becoming an artist after trying a series of other more logical career options including teaching, financial analysis, biology and naturopathy.  Kathy struggled particularly with drawing, but acknowledging weaknesses and spending time developing these skills makes her believe that persistence, over talent, leads to success.  

 

Growing up on an apple orchard near Beechworth, Victoria, Australia, and then later living on remote cattle properties with her husband Chris and two children, challenged Kathy to be creative with the business side of art. A growing frustration at the portrayal of those involved in agriculture gave Kathy the ‘why’ for her work, wishing to quietly share that there are many who see themselves as stewards of the land and take pride in their responsibility. 

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Over the years Kathy has developed a very unusual connection to draught animals particularly horses. Interestingly after being bucked off a horse as a child, she actually detested them. But painting those seemingly gentle giants has won her over. Kathy has also found great friendships with their owners and admire their commitment to preserving history. ‘As I paint, I find myself reflecting on the values of commitment, hard work and steady calm strength’. 

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Creatively, Kathy loves the challenge of capturing accurate detail whilst also placing gems of pure colour only evident on closer inspection, using loose mark making techniques to create the impression of 3D form. Kathy has also branched out into turning junk into unique Art Nouveau inspired functional pieces with a plasma cutter. 

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Kathy has her own gallery at 45 Ford Street, Beechworth, where you will find not only a diverse range of paintings but also pieces of the incredibly unique plasma cut art. Her website has access to the most recent paintings, upcoming workshop details along with a library of recorded classes where students can learn how to understand colour and practice technique.