Annual summer Silverleaves art exhibition

Silverleaves’ Iluka Studio Gallery will again be holding their annual summer exhibition, with more than 100 watercolours, including from an internationally-acclaimed artist.

Iluka Studio Gallery, at 28 Settlement Road, will be holding the Good Vibrations exhibition from Saturday December 30 to Sunday January 28.

Both framed and unframed works will be on sale by local artist and well-known surfer Tom Tyrell, as well as owners of Iluka Studio Gallery Diana Edwards and David Taylor.

Diana has been an artist for 50 years and David for more than six decades, with his paintings exhibited around the world, winning more than 100 awards.

The artists describe their work as realist impressionism, with paintings depicting landscapes and beach scenes from around Phillip Island, Bass Coast and Australia.

As well as being an international judge, David teaches painting and holds workshops each week at Iluka Gallery as well as around Australia, with the couple in the past year travelling and teaching in Tasmania, Queensland and NSW.

“We often get asked how long it takes to paint one of our works and the answer is 60 years,” David said.

“It takes a long time to learn the art of being spontaneous, which is a big part of what we do; how to say more with less.

“Our paintings are about light, colour and freshness of the landscape; uncomplicated.”

Diana, who also holds weekly painting classes at Iluka, agreed.

“To me as an artist you have to feel inspired, because that’s when you are in the zone and painting from the heart. You hope the person who views the painting has that same feeling,” she said.

The title Good Vibrations was chosen to “lift people’s spirits”, said Diana, “with a sense of beauty, life and colour”.

She added their exhibitions were informal with visitors encouraged to sit on their lawn to enjoy the gardens.

The exhibition will be opened by former Watercolour Society of Victoria president Wayne Degenhardt at 2pm on December 30.

Surf

Tom grew up on Phillip Island and started Island Surfboards 37 years ago, later selling his share, and began painting in the 1980s.

He has exhibited with David and Diana since 2019, with David also his golf buddy.

“The body doesn’t allow me to surf much anymore so these days I play golf and paint,” Tom said.

“I feel blessed to be able to paint. For me, it’s not necessarily about the end product, but the whole process. If I retired from painting, I may as well retire from life.”

Paintings in the exhibition will include David’s recent works of impressionist caricatures of golfers at the Phillip Island Golf Club and even staff in the kitchen.

Good Vibrations, Saturday December 30 to Sunday January 28, open daily 10am-4.30pm, Iluka Studio Gallery, 28 Settlement Road, Silverleaves.

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