At Home with the Marvellous Movie Girls - Part 3
Today we conclude our At Home art treasures owned by the Marvellous Movie Girls group.
L.F. from Melbourne writes
I treasure this painting of Venus Bay, which was done by Susan Bayre (1958 – 2014), who was a very talented artist and family friend. Susan and I went to kindergarten together and our Mums were wonderful friends.
Susan was always very creative, and as she got older it was increasingly obvious that she was also very gifted with her painting. As Susan wrote in 2014, “I am foremost a pastellist as I love the ease of applying pastel and its tactile experience, which I’m sure harks back to my early love of finger painting. I apply the pastel in layers to make soft smudges, strong contrasts, and hard edges. Pastel offers me an incredible range of jewel-like colour.”
Susan painted for well over twenty years and annually exhibited with the Nell Street Painters in Box Hill. I attended many of Susan’s exhibitions and was thrilled to purchase three of her paintings over the years. I was particularly drawn to Susan’s painting of the Venus Bay beach for a number of reasons. This painting perfectly captured the jewel-tones of Bass Strait and the turbulence of strong currents – which often caught swimmers unawares. It also portrayed the beauty of the Ninety Mile Beach, which was perfect for children looking in rock pools and searching for shells.
I have very fond memories of Venus Bay, as we had frequent weekends and holidays there during my childhood. We fossicked in rock pools, joined the lifesaving club (as a Nipper) and got sunburnt on the golden sands with zinc cream plastered on our faces.
Therefore, when I saw Susan’s painting at her last exhibition, I was thrilled to make it mine.
R.I.P. Susan Bayre ~ YOU WERE AMAZING!
And from T.J. 'DD' Dog - the art of nature and love
DD Dog left us on 7/7/18 to cross the rainbow bridge. She was a gentle, beautiful, German Shepherd Dog.
She came from the universe, unexpected but welcome
DD Dog stood with us and by us for 10 years. She took around 12 months to settle into her new life as her previous owner had to go into care. She missed him. She adapted over time and eventually loved her life with us.
She enjoyed running in the dog park with her doggie friends, she learnt to play in the backyard, enjoyed lying in the sun, she loved the beach. She loved lying on the floor next to the couch.
Faithful, loving, calm, gorgeous and stoic girl. Always by my side. I will miss her forever; a light went out in my life when she left us.
Finally from me - Caroline - Not just any Delft Blue Vase
Long time subscribers may remember I did a post on Delft Blue, where I wrote "Jane and I have a connection with this type of pottery: we grew up with flowers in Delft vases and Delft blue plates adorned the walls...you could say it is in our Dutch genes." Refer link below.
Today I will focus on lovely memories I have relating to a special Delft Blue vase. Looking at this vase transports me like I am in a time machine to the 1980s when I used to train industrial fire teams and other workers in how to extinguish fires.
This role took me to many places in Australia to survey fire and explosion risks at various sites, from underground coal mines, to the top of grain silos, from Naval ships and submarines to airside at airports and RAAF bases, fuel refineries and gas plants to manufacturing plants.
I often asked employees about their task so I could gain an understanding of the materials used and associated risks. Whether it be people on an assembly line making Lifesaver lollies, stoking a furnace to make glass bottles, checking the quality of pharmaceuticals, or filming a television series, they were all passionate in wanting the end product to be the very best it could be.
When I relocated from Sydney to Melbourne, members of a fire team at a packaging plant that I trained gave me the beautiful Delft Blue vase pictured above. I was touched and humbled at the thoughtfulness, of this generous gift.
Over 30 years later this beautiful Delft Blue vase embodies all the wonderful people I was privileged to meet. Perhaps not artists but all artisans.
A special thank you to the Marvellous Movie Girls group for inviting us into their homes and writing of their favourite works of art.
We have learnt so much about these art pieces and the treasured relationships that brought them into their homes.