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Elgin Artists is a diverse group of people who love creating drawings, paintings and sculpture.  We encourage and foster all types of visual art – and all styles of expression including traditional realism, impressionism, surrealism, abstraction and printmaking. We have distinctive styles and paint using a range of media such as watercolour, oils and acrylics.
 
We encourage our members to express their feelings and imaginations through their art. We now share a studio space in Elgin Place, Hawthorn, around the corner from our original studio in Elgin Street. The studio provides a venue for painting, socialising, sharing resources, and further developing our artistic knowledge and skills.

Evan Walker established the studio after his retirement from public life in 2005. Following a distinguished career in architecture and politics, Evan wanted to pursue his passion for the visual arts by sharing ideas about drawing and painting with other artists.

Currently, we have seventeen members.  We paint together in the studio on a few days each week but members have access to the studio all round the clock enabling them to work in solitude if they wish. Most importantly, we enjoy each other’s company. Most of the fun is in the company we keep and the discussion and banter over morning coffee. We enjoy travelling together to art exhibitions in Melbourne and provincial galleries, as well as en plein air expeditions in Australia and abroad.

In addition to our normal annual open studio exhibition we welcome you to our second virtual open studio exhibition. Please enjoy reviewing the works and should you wish to view and/or buy an artwork please contact the artist directly via their  email address or telephone number which are displayed next to their name. Note that postage or delivery fees have NOT been included in the price.

All images are owned by the artists and are not to be reproduced without their permission - thank you.                

Recent works by:Derek Skues, Dee Clements, Peter Jones, Rodney Wulff, Ron Muller, John Maynard, Gordon Carter, Peter Sanders, Jenny Moles, Ian Cunningham, Ron Hunt, David Jellie, Liz Montgomery, Mick Adamson
Gordon Carter, Peter Sanders, David Jellie, Derek Skues, Dee Clements


​DEREK SKUES   

Having commenced painting in 2010 I joined the Elgin Artists in late 2013 and have exhibited at its subsequent annual exhibitions. I have also held two solo exhibitions; one based on exploring the sights of Rome and the other based on local subjects and the Elgin Artists’ trip to Rajasthan in 2017; entitled, “Black Rock to Bharatpur”.

This year, I exhibit eight paintings based on the Elgin Artists’ time at Wilson’s Promontory in March, my best yet.
            
 Contact  M 0418 893 676   E  skues.derek@gmail.com


​RODNEY WULFF 
                 
As a professional landscape architect, I have been sketching the natural and built environment for close to fifty years. Traditionally, I have used ink pen and pencil.  Some of these works have been compiled into my 2015 book, Sketches. More recently I have been experimenting with less conventional and more abstract subjects using watercolours. This direction forms the foundation of the paintings exhibited. 

INTENT AND INSPIRATION
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I am exhibiting a small number of paintings done from October 2020 to October 2021. 
 
The paintings were carried out on 260 x 360 cold pressed medium 300 GSM watercolour paper.
I have selected paintings that celebrate lighting effect, perception of depth and overall composition as well as character and emotion. While a few of the paintings show natural or waterscape scenes, they were not intended to be formal photographic reproductions.  The intention was to provide a more abstract and interpretive response to feelings and experiences both from early childhood and more recently. 

Specifically, I focused on the subjects of Wagga Wagga (NSW) and Wye River (Victoria). Having been born in Wagga Wagga and having spent the first 10 years of my life there, the countryside and the Murrumbidgee River have always influenced my work. Wye River has been a family coastal retreat for nearly forty years and provides another strong influence on my art. While there are high contrasts between the two areas, the common underlying theme is the water and its relationship to land and the sky. 

In my work I particularly tried to address three specific matters:
  • To use minimal lines to define forms (my use of lines stems from my many years of sketching) – i.e. use tones rather than lines and particularly expressing shadows. 
  • To use more low light settings, i.e. early morning or late evening times, even including moonlight – the ‘magic’ hours rather than the ‘high’ light of mid-day. 
  • To create depth and expression by emphasising the tonal differences for the foreground, middle ground, and background and at times exaggerating the perspective quality of the scene. 
MEDIUM

All works have been painted on watercolour paper. The prices quoted are for a Giclee print (limited editions of 38 for each image) on cotton rag with a foam core mounting board. An unmounted print is $30 less. The cost of postage is not included. All images are owned by the author and are not to be reproduced without the permission of the author.

​ Contact  M 0419 532 935 E rwulff@tract.net.au


​RON MULLER

After retiring from my ‘real job’, I revived my boyhood interest in art. I soon found my natural medium in water colour as it seemed to best suit my inclination to express the light, atmosphere and beauty of the natural environment, especially the Australian landscape. Not surprisingly, I was influenced by the work of Hans Heysen and the Romantic tradition, especially JW Turner and Romantic poets. The light of early morning and late afternoon are for me, ‘the magic hours’ and I seek to often interpret subjects with the aim of creating ’visual poetry’. 
 
Art can be a rather solitary pursuit and I have enjoyed the balance of teaching and taking workshops, especially overseas in Tuscany and France. After doing a demonstration for the Elgin Artists in 2014, I joined the group not only to paint at the studio but to enjoy the stimulation of socialising with like minded people who find continuing satisfaction in the creative process.
 
For more information about my background, images of my work, awards etc, please refer to my website www.ronmuller.com.au

Contact M 0428 748 113  E ron.muller@me.com
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​DEE CLEMENTS

I joined Elgin Artists in 2012. Since that time we have ventured together overseas to France, India and Japan, exploring and painting. Each person paints and draws in their own style, enjoying the inspiration and encouragement we get from one another. The group has also painted en plein air within Victoria and has taken excursions to galleries in Melbourne and regionally.  We participated in Life Drawing Lessons in the last couple of years but normally we paint without a teacher. I participated in Regina Hona’s workshops in Sicily, Greece and Adelaide in 2017/18.  I paint en plein air and in a studio. 
 
Workshops
Marion East (oil) Warren Curry (oil).  Andrew Gemmill  (watercolor), Charlotte Thodey (acrylic), Helen Gauchat (acrylic), Michelle Zuccolo (Life Drawing), Regina Hona (pastel, pen and wash), 8 weeks (Term 4, 2021) Geelong Art Society, Jill Shalles: Pastel portraiture.
 
Exhibitions
Elgin Artists Annual Exhibition 2012 - 2021
Birregurra Art Exhibition 2015, 2016 
Mansfield Art Exhibition 2017, 2018
“Harvest”, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney. 2018
“Fragile Beauty – Friends of the Barwon Heads Estuary.” 2018
Private Exhibition at Barwon Heads - Easter 2021
 
Contact Mobile : 0418 328 605  Email: deeclem1@bigpond.com


​LIZ MONTGOMERY

I have been painting for a few years now, and since joining this Elgin Group in 2015, not only have I had much fun, education, encouragement and expansion of horizons in art, but the chance to socialise and have fun with a greatly diverse group of artistic people. In all that time, I have had the opportunity, to exhibit along with the group in their annual exhibitions, even despite the difficulties incurred because of lockdown.

Lockdown has provided me with the challenge to continue painting without the support of the group, and these four paintings were completed in this last year. Two of the four works are of birds, which have always fascinated and entranced me, and which I see in numbers every day during my “escape “ lockdown location on the coast at Moggs Creek. 

It was when I joined the group that I began to explore  watercolour as my medium of choice for the first time as compared to oil, which was what I had previously used, and therein was a huge challenge.  I still have so much to learn: but that’s the best thing about this subject of Art; there is such a source of inspiration, example and chance to learn from the wealth of work previous artists have left us to explore.

Contact ​  M 0425 706 474 ​E elysiam@bigpond.com


GORDON CARTER

​I paint in oil and have been producing representational works of subject matters of still life, animals and birds, and during the warmer month’s landscapes en plein air - always a challenge against nature! 

During ‘lockdown’ I found myself exploring all of these subjects as well as attempting portraiture and as with so many other painters I turned to ‘Zoom’ to be my resource and teacher and hopefully that has allowed me to broaden my skills and expand my knowledge for 2022.

Contact Mobile : 0437 241 581  Email : gordon.carter@y7mail.com

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​JOHN MAYNARD

​I had been a practicing pathologist until 2012 when I retired. The requirement in pathology to recognize patterns and colours has proved to be a big assistance in my painting. I have been painting in oils for a number of years; first commencing painting in the 1970’s in Dandenong, under the late John Balmain who was my teacher and a pupil in Max Meldrum’s tonal school. I have had one exhibition in the 1970’s as well as exhibiting for the last three years with the Elgin Artists group.  

I have recently taken a greater interest in sketching with pencil, charcoal, with Taylors chalk, and recently with rapid watercolour impressions. I always take a sketch book and watercolour pad with me when travelling. In recent years I have visited my family in Connecticut USA and captured many happy moments with them. Spending summer at Blairgowrie on the Mornington Peninsula provides a challenge to my watercolour painting. 
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​The unframed nature of the work is due to framers being closed over COVID.

​Contact M 0417 371 757 E maynardjohn@ozemail.com.au
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DAVID JELLIE

My artistic output over the last few years has been minimal. I thought that the enforced lockdowns for COVID might have given me plenty of time to paint, but instead, I have spent most of that time writing two and three quarter books. 
 
Two of them – Decent People and An Accidental Engineer - were released about a year ago to no fanfare because I couldn’t launch them in the traditional way. This was a disappointment but the timing was out of my control. The third book, Roads to War, cannot be completed until I can gain access to the Australian Archives in Canberra – yet another frustration of the COVID lockdown. When it is finished, I promise I will have a book launch.
 
So, in this exhibition, I am showing some of my oldies. Some have been exhibited previously and the only thing that has changed is the price. I’m sounding a bit like Harvey Norman.
 
I joined Elgin artists in 2012 and have participated in every annual exhibition since. I love the colours and shape of the Australian landscape and I strive to reflect this in my paintings.
 
I hope to get back to painting soon not only to enhance my artistic development and output, but for the company of my fellow Elgin Artists.
 
I hope you enjoy my contribution.
 
Contact M 0418 105 276   E pdjellie@hotmail.com



​PETER JONES

It has been difficult during the current Coronavirus emergency. However, courtesy of a great teacher and the magic of the internet and “Zoom”, Peter has been as active as possible over the last year or more. This has not been as productive as he would have wished so this 2021 exhibition is representative of the recent past.  
 
Welcome and enjoy the Exhibition 2021.

Contact M 0432 247 937        E  pjj0753@gmail.com

PETER SANDERS

​These paintings are impressions of landscapes – Wilsons Promontory and Emu Flat in central Victoria. Sea Bird Flight was inspired by terns at Salt Water Creek, swirling as they commence flight.

The sculptures represent two animals and a bird. Young Wombat is carved from Mount Gambier limestone, itself formed from skeletons of marine creatures, layered and compressed over millions of years. Now brought to life again. Joey was inspired from a young abandoned roo found on our local road. I tried to capture his gangly limbs, large ears and endearing disposition. Sea Bird is linked to the painting. It is patinated bronze coloured to the seabird tones.

Contact M 0412 286 807  E  peter.a.sanders@gmail.com


​JENNY MOLES

I have been a member of the Elgin Artists group since 2015 and have exhibited with them each year.
 
Despite endless available hours and days in lockdown over the last 18 months, I have produced few works in that time. This was in part due to continuing professional work and my responsibilities associated with a nine month long exercise of painting the exterior of our flats. 
 
In the last 12 months or so as ever I have succumbed to the lure of life drawing. I have also been struggling to develop a painting hand which would convert my life drawings to paintings with which I felt satisfied.
 
In this 2021 exhibition I am showing three painted works completed during or between lockdowns and two older drawings. 
 
Contact M 0400186108  E jenny.moles@bigpond.com



MICK ADAMSON 
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Since early childhood I have loved drawing. However, opportunities were limited until my retirement. I joined the Elgin Artists a few years ago and along with my wife, Mary, travelled to Japan with the group in 2018.
 
As we only had limited access to the studio this year I exhibit a number of my postcard pen and wash works from the past.
 
Contact Ph 9827 6787     mickadamson1@gmail.com

All of the sketches are framed 15 x 10 cm postcards, but are not for sale.
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RON HUNT 

I have been a member of the Elgin Artists for eight years and paint regularly at the studio as well as en plein air.
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During lockdown I have  focussed on charcoal landscape paintings and oil over charcoal sealed with shellac as well as a large commission. 
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Contact M 0418 251 006           E ronaldjhunt@gmail.com



IAN CUNNINGHAM
     
For my 11th exhibition with Elgin Studios I have focussed on the challenge of reflections in landscape. The estuary is Tidal River, Wilsons Promontory, VIC, the River in the Flinders Ranges, SA and the dam at Nulla Vale in Central VIC. 
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I have drawn inspiration from the artist Winslow Homer, whose mountain ponds contain exquisite reflections but also include shadows on the water, pebbles beneath the water and a swift flowing channel. 

Contact M 0419 591 627        E ian@nulla.com.au
 
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LOTUS GLADE
KORAKUEN GARDEN, OKAYAMA, JAPAN
 
In October 2018 the following Elgin Artists and associates undertook a three week tour of Japan: 
  • Mick and Mary Adamson    
  • Dee Clements     
  • Fran Finlay-Begg 
  • Ron Hunt and Heather Chapman
  • David and Pam Jellie
  • Jenny Moles and Chris Arup
  • Liz Montgomery
  • Barry and Margaret Pullen
  • Peter and Kathy Sanders
  • Derek Skues
  • Rodney and Maryann Wulff​
During the tour we visited many magnificent traditional gardens. We portray one of the most impressive here: The Korakuen Garden in Okayama. This garden - considered one of the three great gardens of Japan - is over 13 hectares in area with nearly two hectares of spacious lawns (most unusual for a traditional Japanese garden). 

The garden also has a series of large ponds and streams with strategically placed islands, artificial hills, tea houses, and features such as rice fields, groves of plum, cherry and maple trees and a glade of lotus plants aligning a stream (the subject of the this composite painting). All these features are connected by an extensive pathway system.

The garden (built in 1700) is designed in the Kaiyu (“Scenic Promenade”) style that is intended to provide the visitor with a new view at every turn of the path, which connects all the site features. The lotus glade is one such new view experience.
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This composite painting of the lotus glade has been created by the following Elgin Artists, based on a photograph taken by Ron Hunt on 11 October 2018:
  • Mick Adamson    
  • Bill Black
  • Gordon Carter
  • Dee Clements     
  • Ian Cunningham
  • Ron Hunt
  • David Jellie
  • Peter Jones
  • John Maynard
  • Jenny Moles
  • Liz Montgomery
  • Martin Pearce
  • Peter Sanders
  • Derek Skues
The Deputy Consul-General of Japan, Shunsuke Saito, visiting the Exhibition to view the composite painting of the Korakuen Garden in his home town of Okayama with a selection of Elgin Artists.
Picture


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