By Callum Ludwig
A pair of Yarra Ranges artists have brought their differing skills together for the latest exhibition in the gallery at the Warburton Waterwheel.
Sharmain Lowe’s ‘Ombré’ display consists of the paintings adorning the walls while Laura Windmill’s ceramic work is titled ‘Earthworks’.
Ms Lowe said she has contributed 27 pieces to the exhibition.
“I’m an abstract acrylic artist and I only do large works. I’m not so into the smaller works because I do a lot of detail and I seem to be able to get more of it on a larger scale,” she said.
“I choose a colour and I go from there, and often a lot of my works look like aerial views. I came from a domestic arts background with knitting, sewing, and embroidery, and that’s how I feel about my artwork. Each little line is a stitch of embroidery or knitting.”
Ms Lowe has been painting since 2010, and has been doing so full-time for about six years.
Ms Lowe said it is nice to have her work paired up in the exhibition with a different medium.
“I think they complement each other very well, and I love the colours of her work. I’ve actually never met Laura, but we’re going to catch up after this exhibition after she’s gone away,” she said.
“It’s a beautiful gallery, a beautiful space even nicer than some down in the city and it was nice to actually get some paintings out on the wall and looking more professional which I hadn’t done for a while because of Covid.”
Ms Windmill first began experimenting with pottery when she was 14 at a community art centre.
Ms Windmill said she has always enjoyed playing with clay and taking opportunities that pop up every so often to showcase her work.
“I use fine porcelain clay, it’s just a lovely feeling running through my hands and it’s pretty magical when it works. Once you start playing with pottery, you never leave it,” she said.
“A lot of people think of pottery as being a very functional thing, but it can just be something to sit there and look at. In my work, I see different patterns as people would see in a painting.”
Ms Windmill uses a soda-firing process when her work is put into a sealed brick box with chemicals and combustible items and placed into the kiln.
Ms Windmill said the atmosphere inside the box causes all the different patterns on her work.
“The best way to describe it is a kiln within a kiln, and it’s thrown in there with sawdust and other combustibles, such as seaweed, banana skins, leaves, pine needles and some chemicals such as copper carbonate and rock salt,” she said.
“My work is also really influenced by some of the natural places that I’ve visited, such as the Kimberley and Central Australian Deserts, and what I call my fire and ice range which is mainly influenced by volcanoes and glaciers from my visits in Canada, Iceland and New Zealand.”
The exhibition can be viewed from 10am to 4pm at the Warburton Waterwheel throughout April. All artwork is available for purchase.
