artists

he Half Dozen Group of Artists, originally comprised six members of the Royal Queensland Art Society who broke away and formed their own group in 1940. The main advocate for the move seems to have been Lilian Pedersen. The other five members were Mona Elliott (the first chairperson), Frank Sherrin, Rosalie Wilson, Leonard Shillam and Ann Ross. Their first exhibition was held in the Randall Room at the Brisbane City Hall in 1941. Although it has retained its traditional name of 'Half Dozen', it has for many years maintained between one and two hundred members. Through the nineteen-forties, fifties and sixties this nucleus of six artists was joined by a "younger generation" of aspiring artists, including Lloyd Rees, Margaret Olley, L. J. Harvey, Margaret Preston, Kenneth McQueen, Jon Molvig, Melville Haysom, William Robinson, Donald Friend, Vida Lahey, Daphne Mayo, Roy Churcher, Mervyn Moriarty, and John Rigby. These artists were later to become some of the most recognised Queensland artists of our time. Membership was initially restricted to a maximum of thirty-five. Artists wishing to join were accepted upon invitation and were expected to present a folio of work for adjudication. TODAY, the criteria for membership centers on an applicant's genuine desire to develop skill and understanding, and if possible, to participate in self-development through the weekly and other workshops provided. The applicant needs the nominations of two financial members and to be accepted by the Management Committee, although this may change at different times. The Group, with former Vice-Regal Patronage (since its inception), now has a membership of well over 100 artists and is continuing to grow. Source: www.hdg-artists.com/a-brief-history.html

Gold Coast gallery unveils rare historic collection by pioneering artist Edwin Bode “Edwin was born in England but suffered from chronic asthma or bronchitis, and there was a mass immigration to Australia in order to restore people with our better climate,” she says. “He worked in a number of labour-intense jobs here and eventually built up enough money to buy an acreage in Upper Coomera. After planting and selling fruits, he sold the property and became an artist.” Edwin became immersed in the local community, particularly Canungra, where he would paint exquisitely detailed watercolours and family portraits. The Gold Coast Gallery had to dig deep to unearth the comprehensive collection. “Despite being an accomplished watercolourist, all his artwork was in private hands,” Emma says. “It’s very rare and that’s why he’s not very well known. “Because he was so well affiliated with the Canungra area, a lot of families who have been around there have had Bode’s paintings passed down through family generations. It’s Burleigh Heads, but probably not as you know it. This 1904 watercolour of the Burleigh Heads Hotel is one of many oddly familiar scenes in the Edwin Bode: Pioneering Artist of the Gold Coast Hinterland exhibition at Gold Coast City Gallery from today. The exhibition features more than 42 works by the hinterland artist, including rarely seen private paintings on loan from the descendants of pioneers and detailed depictions of homesteads and farms near Canungra, Wonglepong, Mount Tamborine and Burleigh. MORE GOLD COAST NEWS AND GALLERIES Gold Coast City Gallery assistant curator Emma Collerton says Bode was fascinated by Gold Coast landscapes. “Edwin was born in England but suffered from chronic asthma or bronchitis, and there was a mass immigration to Australia in order to restore people with our better climate,” she says. “He worked in a number of labour-intense jobs here and eventually built up enough money to buy an acreage in Upper Coomera. After planting and selling fruits, he sold the property and became an artist.” ON SHOW: The late Edwin Bode’s depiction of Burleigh Heads, 1912 ON SHOW: The late Edwin Bode’s depiction of Burleigh Heads, 1912 Edwin became immersed in the local community, particularly Canungra, where he would paint exquisitely detailed watercolours and family portraits. The Gold Coast Gallery had to dig deep to unearth the comprehensive collection. “Despite being an accomplished watercolourist, all his artwork was in private hands,” Emma says. “It’s very rare and that’s why he’s not very well known. “Because he was so well affiliated with the Canungra area, a lot of families who have been around there have had Bode’s paintings passed down through family generations. PUBLIC SHOWCASE: This 1907 Edwin Bode watercolour shows the Numinbah Falls in Nerang PUBLIC SHOWCASE: This 1907 Edwin Bode watercolour shows the Numinbah Falls in Nerang “We have a wonderful volunteer who lived in Canungra for 40 years and she was pivotal in helping us uncover the works. “She had to gain the trust of the families who owned them, because not only did he paint landscapes and hinterlands, he did family portraits of pioneers that reveal special stories. “One is special because the son in the painting lost his life-fighting in World War I; the other, the daughter, passed under tragic circumstances. A picture really does tell a thousand words and that’s one of the qualities that makes these pieces so beautiful.” We know of Bode’s infatuation with the Gold Coast only through his paintings, though he left no written journal or other evidence. “There’s a beautiful work of the Burleigh Heads hotel that he painted a few months before it was pulled down,” Emma says. “The hotel was a favourite back in those days, and he has depicted the atmosphere perfectly. “He’s outlined the post office, a bar where people used to congregate, a horse and buggy taking people around town, a man cutting wood, and the ocean sitting pretty in the background. “He’s painted Egg Rock, Mount Tamborine, and also homesteads that sadly don’t exist anymore. With some family portrait paintings, there’s a descendant still living somewhere, yet others are simply a memory.” Source: www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/lifestyle/gold-coast-gallery...

Paula Rosenstengel had every advantage in becoming an artist. Born in Brisbane on 14 September 1920, Paula was the child of acclaimed Queensland furniture designer Edward (Ed) Rosenstengel and his wife Evelyn Smith. Paula showed a natural inclination towards the arts from an early age and Edward supported her artistic endeavors, his own success in the industry perhaps providing a model for how art could translate into a sustainable profession. But like many other Queensland artists whose vocations suffered from lack of education, professional networks, and exhibition opportunities, Paula felt isolated in a city later described as an ‘art backwater’ (Langer 1958). While other artists migrated south to Sydney or Melbourne or journeyed further afield to the Continent, a 17-year old Paula found an innovative solution to Brisbane’s paucity of art educators: private art tuition by post. Her correspondence with the English watercolorist Claude Muncaster provides a unique insight into the mind of a young woman artist struggling with self-doubt and isolation. These letters, now housed in the State Library of Queensland, reveal a young woman with a passion for art, a desire for recognition, and a yearning for experiences and education outside of her grasp. Source: adderton.org.au/stories/dear-miss-rosenstengel/