Julie Silvester

A watercolour artist at first, Julie Silvester turned her hand to pastels in 1999 and now works solely in the medium. A lifelong fascination with water has been a constant inspiration for Julie, who spent a year camping along the coastline of Australia with her family in 1998.

Her love of Western Australian land and seascapes is evident in the accuracy with which she manages to capture the fleeting movement of water, the dry dust of a lake bed or a coral bed rippling under the low tide. The coast line of Rottnest and rural Perth have been rendered in utmost detail for this Artist of the Month exhibition, Silvester balancing blue skies, sandy shores and crystal clear seas to create harmonious compositions. Her seascapes are both delicate and vibrant, Silvester having mastered the difficult art of achieving a tactile patina in pastels. The exhibition will run throughout January so pop in for a chance to view this impressive body of work by Julie Silvester.

JULIE SILVESTER

Julie was born in Perth 1962.

Julie has been drawing and painting for as long as she can remember. She began painting in watercolours at the age of 30 and in 1999 changed to pastels due to their vibrancy, immediacy and the fact there was no drying time!

As a child she entered numerous art competitions through school and the local community. Julie Silvester has received over 70 awards since she began exhibiting her work in 1992.

“From the age of twenty I’ve had the travel bug, travelling to the Eastern States, Asia, and Europe and in 1998 had the greatest pleasure spending a year long camping trip with my family around the magnificent coastline of Australia”.

Julie goes to many locations that interest her and then intensively photographs them. The photographs are then her information source for details. The overall experience of being at the actual place helps her to complete the work with her own interpretation.

“Water, in all its aspects, has fascinated me for years. I’ve enjoyed painting its reflection, its rapid movement and its overall incorporation with mankind and the coastal landscape”.

“My art is constantly evolving. The journey of self expression with paint or pastel is an exciting and fulfilling one for me. Through my artwork I try to capture moments in time and hope these works bring enjoyment spiritually and visually to the viewer as much as it did for me creating them.”

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2006   “On the Beach” – open art studio – Mullaloo
2004   “Coastal Aspects” – Albrecht Fear Real estate              “Where Land Meets Sea” – Evans and Tate winery – Margaret river
2003   “Classic Waters” – Evans and Tate Winery – Margaret River
2002   West Stirling Neighbourhood House – Doubleview
2001   West Stirling Neighbourhood House – Doubleview

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2006 “Dash of Red” – Tresillian Community Centre – Nedlands “Summer Arts Exhibition” – Garden Art Studio – Yallingup
2005 “Just Coasting” – Tresillian Community Centre – Nedlands “C – Big Blue Wobbly Thing That Mermaids Live In” – Fetish Gallery – Cottesloe “Visions of Six” – Old Royal George Gallery – Fremantle2004 “Birds of a Feather” – Tresillian Community Centre – Nedlands2003 “Diversity of Five” – Houghtons winery – Swan Valley

RECENT AND PROMINENT AWARDS
2014 Shark Bay Waters – 2nd Prize Shire of Morawa – Best Work on Paper Gascoyne Art Award – Best Open
2013 Pinjarra Rotary Club – Highly commended / Peoples choice WA Pastel Society – 1st Prize Pastel Victoria Park awards – Best work on paper
2012 Wongan Hills – Highly commended Wagin Woolarama – Presidents Vote City of Belmont – Acquisition Open Art Award St Marys Anglican Exhibition – Peoples Choice Beverley Art Awards – 1str Prize Pastel Pinjarra Rotary Art Awards – Peoples Choice
2011 City of Stirling – Best Local Artist Dalwallinu Arts Festival – Peoples Choice Arthritis Foundation Art Awards – Peoples Choice Victoria Park Art Awards – Peoples Choice Newdegate Art Exhibition – 1st Prize Pastel
2010 Perth Royal Show – Peoples Choice Kondinin Art Show – Peoples Choice Bassendean Art Awards – Peoples Choice Newdegate Art Exhibition – Peoples Choice Morawa Shire – 1st Prize Overall WA Pastel Society   – Peoples Choice Victoria Park Art Awards – 2D Award Wagin Woolararma – 1st Prize Pastel
2009 Katanning Art Awards – Peoples Choice Dalwallinu Arts Festival – 1st Prize Pastel Newdegate Art Exhibition – !st Prize Pastel Pastel Society – Peoples Choice Belmont Art Awards – People’s Choice
2008 Wagin Woolarama – Best overall Wagin Woolarama – 1st Prize Pastel Beverley Art Awards – !st Prize Dry Media
2007 Bayswater Art Award   –    Peoples Choice Dalwallinu Arts Festival –    1st Prize Pastel / Peoples Choice Wanneroo Art Society   –    Peoples Choice Belmont Art Awards –   Peoples Choice Victoria Park Art Awards – Peoples Choice Pinjarra Rotary Art Awards – Peoples Choice Wagin Woolarama   – 1st Prize Pastel Wagin Woolorama – 1st Prize Pastel
2006   Gascoyne Regional Art Award – Best Seascape             Gascoyne Regional Art Award – Best painting depicting Gascoyne Region             City of Melville – People’s Choice             Cossack Art Award – Highly Commended             Perth Royal Show – Judges Commended             Trinity College – People’s Choice
2005 Bayswater Art Award – People’s choice            City of Wanneroo – People’s choice            City of Stirling – Councils choice and highly commended             Victoria Park Art Awards – People’s choice             W.A. Pastel Society – People’s choice 2005 Cossack Art Award – Highly commended             Wanneroo Art Society – People’s choice
2004 Wagin Woolarama – Best overall exhibit             Gascoyne Regional Art Award – Best overall exhibit             Bayswater Art award – People’s choice Cockburn Art award – 1st prize mixed media             Wanneroo Art Society – People’s choice             Rockingham Regional Art award – Best overall exhibit             Williams Art Awards – 1st Prize pastel
2003   Wanneroo Art Society – People’s choice             Rotary Club Pinjarra – 1st prize pastel             Melville City Art Award – People’s choice             Williams Art Awards – 1st Prize pastel

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