Thursday Artists

Next date: Saturday, 22 February 2025 | 06:00 PM to Sunday, 18 May 2025 | 05:00 PM

"Thursday Artists" is a group of artists living and working around Lake Macquarie who meet every Thursay to work on their art projects and develop their creative ideas. The group has been running since 2009 with several foundation members still meeting each week. The exhibition showcases the rich diversity of works made by the stable of artists across a range of mediums including oil painting, mosaics, drawing, fibre art, and works on paper. The show is a rich expression of creative concepts, friendships, and innovative works.

"Thursday Artists" meet at Yara Balba Art Studio on a farm in Mandalong. The group has been getting together for over 15 years, making artworks, running workshops, participating in “Open Studios”, “Meet the Makers”, and various local art competitions and shows over that period. Specialist workshops are held often, focusing on various mediums and techniques, with guest professional artist who facilitate the classes. We love innovation and diversity. 

The collaborative environment has helped each of us to elevate our skill levels and advance our creative expression. Several of us are now leading workshops and classes,  achieving success in competitions, exhibitions and with sales of our work.

Thursday afternoons have become the highlight of our week.

Contributing Artists

Margrete Erling

Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Margrete Erling is an artist and Community Cultural Development (CCD) strategist based in Mandalong, NSW. Margrete has been engaged in public arts projects, exhibiting works and coordinating community arts events for many years in Sydney and since 1997, on and off, across the Hunter Region and Central Coast. You may know some of her local works, permanently installed in parks and community centres within the area.

Margrete is also a qualified Adult Educator and Trainer (Grad.Dip.VET.UTS) teaching for many years with TAFE NSW in Sydney and Newcastle (teaching fine arts photography and events management). In 2005, Margrete launched her successful business, Artevents Training & Development working on numerous large scale Public Art and community projects for Gosford City Council and Wyong Shire Council (now Central Coast Council), Lake Macquarie City Council, Newcastle City Council and more. Her work inluded sculptural works made from stainless steel, coreten steel, hardwood timber, sandstone, concrete molded spheres, abstract molded sculptures mosaics, painted murals, photographic works and digital media

Her work experience includes her appointment as Community and Public Artist at Wyong Shire Council (2006- 2011), as Events Coordinator at Marrickville Council (1998-2001), employed in numerous CCD arts positions (Community Artist @ Neami Inc. Disabilities, Youth Artsworker @ Wyong Neighbourhood Centre, Project Officer @ Octapod, Multicultural Arts Coordinator @ Ethnic Community Councils in Newcastle and Blacktown, Art Teacher @ Cessnock and Silverwater Correctional Centres and Teacher/ Lecturer @ TAFENSW). Margrete studied art at James Ruse Agricultural High School, Hornsby College of TAFE, UNSW College of Fine Arts (BA Fine Arts).

In 2015, Margrete formed Yara Balba Stables Pty Ltd combining Artevents with Yara Balba Art Studio and horse activities delivering the Equestriam Australia Accredited ‘Learn to Ride’ programs and is a foundation Member & Accredited Centre of Pony Club Australia. She continues to work in both the arts and horse world, making artworks for Exhibitions and Projects, facilitating arts workshops (at her farm studio each week) and running integrated, accredited riding lessons each week.

Pam Garfoot

Pam is a painter and illustrator from Lake Macquarie, NSW. She works in watercolour, pen and ink, charcoal, and oils. Always keen to try new media she has also worked in pastels, collage, alcohol inks, acrylic pouring, gel printing and collage. Her greatest love is portraiture and sketching random strangers on trains and in cafes. Inspiration comes from the people around her, the places she sees on her travels, and the beauty of Lake Macquarie which she witnesses daily.

Pam’s paintings have been exhibited in locally: Open Studios at Yara Balba Art Studio (various years), Launchpad at Swansea Library in 2018, the Waste to Art, Doubletake Café artists’ space, the Yarramalong Valley Art Show, Tackshed Gallery in Mandalong, and MAC Gallery (Art in the Community). Her work has been awarded at the Morisset Show, including being awarded 1^st Prize in Oils at the 2023 Morisset Show.

She has combined her passion for writing and art by providing black and white illustrations for two recently published anthologies, Beneath the Surface and Out of the Shadows.

Sandra Irwin

Born in England, Sandra immigrated with her family during the year of 1974, arriving in Sydney to this beautiful, strange place called Australia.Her family moved to Gosford where  Sandra attended high school, her focus during those early days was needlework, dressmaking, agriculture and art, subjects that she excelled in.During her later school years, Sandra sent an application to an art school. She was extremely excited when my submission was accepted, however this never came to fruition due to family finances.

It wasn't till much later in her life that Sandra began working with ceramics, creating all sorts of items vases and decorative figurines. Although she still had a hunger for new ways to expand my knowledge and build on her interests. Sandra began folk art classes, and this became the beginning of her artistic painting experience, she has a love of gardening and thus painting flowers has become her passion.

Sandra lives on an acreage with her husband, and they have 4 children all with various artistic abilities. she appreciate the beauty in nature and of all things living. Her creative talent is inspired by this as she develops new techniques, using the beauty of the organic world in which we live. Producing artworks on canvas, predominantly with acrylics. Sandra is always eager to explore other mediums with recently new creative works in mosaics, utilizing unearthed pottery and tiles. 

Since joining Yara Balba Art studios in Mandalong, her creative flair has begun a new journey, the artists are incredibly supportive and encouraging as we learn each week from one another, building on our professional skills and knowledge.

Dianne Powell

Dianne Powell is a local artist from the tranquil region of Lake Macquarie. Her artistic journey is deeply influenced by the natural environment and the diverse landscapes surrounding her. Over many years, Dianne has honed her craft, working alongside other skilled artists at the Yarabalba Art Studios in Mandalong. Dianne's current art project is a compelling portrait series that celebrates Australian explorers and renowned women, showcasing her dedication to capturing the essence of her subjects. Since 2016, she has been actively exhibiting her work across the Hunter region. The foundation of Dianne's love for art was built through the inspiring influence of her mother, who often took her to local art shows and galleries. This early exposure to the world of art ignited a passion that continuees to drive Dianne's creative expression today. 

Through her artwork, Dianne aims to convey the beauty and complexity of the natural world, inviting viewers to connect with the landscapes and stories she portrays. 

Coralie Smyth

Coralie has been a member of Yara Balba Art Studio for over five years under the professional guidance of Margrete Erling. She has presented various workshops including: “Learn Watercolours”, “Learn Acrylic Pouring”, “Be a Better Painter”. In 2021 she enrolled in a Fine Arts degree at Curtin University.

Painting is Coralie's opportunity to create something that didn't exist before and that she wants to share with others. Sometimes it’s realistic, other times it’s through using a little abstraction or looseness to create a different view of the world. Her subject matter is usually nature -- landscapes, seascapes, buildings or portraits, but always the challenge of capturing light is the focus. For Coralie, art should be beautiful and/or different.

Coralie has always enjoyed painting with water colours and acrylics, but now she is discovering how exciting it is to be working with water-mixable oils. Painting is a fascinating journey of learning and un-learning.

Rosalie Ferguson

Rosalie Ferguson is a 71 years old artist who has been attending Yara Balba art classes for 2 years. Her medium is water colours, acrylic, oils, pastels, pencil & pens.  

 

 

 

 

When

Location

Belmont Library, 19 Ernest St, Belmont, 2280, View in Google Maps