The daughters of an iconic Yarra Ranges artist, Jane Fitzherbert, are showcasing their mother’s work at this month’s Warburton Waterwheel exhibition.
The exhibition, Forms of Expression: Paintings and Ceramics, includes an array of abstract art in multiple mediums and runs for the month of October.
Jane was a widely celebrated artist who worked out of her Launching Place studio before she passed away in Healesville in 2021.
One of Jane’s daughters, Kate Fitzherbert, said the exhibition was an amazing opportunity to continue showcasing Jane’s work while also supporting emerging artists.
“Because this gallery doesn’t take a commission, it means we can offer them [the art] at a much reduced price which is great.
“All the proceeds from the sales are now going to support Jane’s legacy to extend her impact in the art world,” Kate said.
Through a partnership with the Baldessin Studio, the Jane Fitzherbet Memorial Residency will support upcoming artists by giving them the chance to work alongside experienced mentors.
The first recipient for the residency, a young artist Stephanie Mortlock was at the exhibition’s launch on Saturday.
“Stephanie Mortlock does beautiful work and we’re very excited to have that partnership with Balderson Studios and hopefully we’ll be able to continue it for numbers of years,” Kate said.
“My mum used to always say that she felt for young artists because the cost of materials is so high and they have no income.
“To be able to use the proceeds of those sales to support young artists into the future and help them build their art practice, I mean that’s just magic, I just love it.”
Jane’s work often features tangible subjects which evolve and morph into something more figurative, adding a sense of the surreal to everyday objects, sights and scenes.
Her style is characterised by dynamic and spontaneous brushwork, which captures an evocative energy and emotion.
Alongside her work with oil paints, Kate said she started off as a sculptor after studying fine arts at RMIT, before moving into the world of clay and pottery.
“She started working in clay and she became quite a well regarded studio potter.
“She focused on that for 20 years, but then in the mid-90s she found the heavy physical work more than she could manage,” Kate said.
Though Jane’s physicality had aged, her artistic mind certainly hadn’t, and so she moved to working with paints.
Kate said her paintings were quite varied with a strong sense of “dynamism” permeating them.
“It’s a mix, there’s serenity in some of them, and there’s energy in some of them, and there’s dynamism in some of them, and so they cover a broad spectrum of emotions.”
But what Kate appreciated most about showcasing her mother’s art was it would continue Jane’s legacy in a way that was meaningful for upcoming artists.
“The more we sell, the more support we can give to young and emerging artists. And that for me is what’s really lovely about it.”
Though Jane’s no longer with us, her soul lives on in the paint and pottery on show at the Waterwheel.
