An all-new exhibition that reflects upon and celebrates 2 amazing lifetimes of art by award-winning local artists.
Maryke Miller and Laurie Astill are exceptional local artists specialising in ceramics and painting respectively. This is the third time they have exhibited together at the Gallery and they are both well known and well loved.
Both artists are highly decorarted for their work. Maryke has won our Local Art Prize, won an aquisition prize for the Tenterfield Gallery and has a second prize at the highly prestigious Siliceous Award run by Ceramic Arts Queensland. Laurie is a grand prize winner at the Stanthorpe Show, has won the Southern Downs Regional Art Exhibition 2009, and the Margaret Burton memorial award for his painting titled The Picnic in the 2016 Stanthorpe Art Prize.
Maryke shows drive and courage to keep reinventing herself artistically. Maryke’s work is constantly evolving as she explores new types and styles of pottery with new skills and techniques. Her variety is certainly on display here in this exhibition.
Laurie explores the subtle effects of light on his subjects and their tones. He has honed his skills to include a variety of different mediums from oil to watercolour.
Come and see this brilliant exhibition and admire both the technical and the creative aspects of the work of these 2 award-winning local artists.
Free entry.
Most of the works are for sale - your opportunity to purchase one-of-a-kind artworks.
Maryke Miller Artist Statement
For this exhibition I decided to showcase some of my work that I have loved creating during my decades long career. I needed a challenge a number of years ago so slowly changed over to more Low Fired Work Saggar firing and Raku while still continuing with my first love High Fired Stoneware and Porcelain.
Maryke Miller Ceramic Artist Biography
I remember as a child standing in front of my Grandad’s beautiful Porcelain collection of cups and saucers etc. My love for shape and form in utilitarian objects I feel started then as it is a memory I still hold clear.
In my early thirties I went to the first ever Arts and Crafts Market at Spring Hill in Brisbane and saw a potter selling his pots and I was fascinated by the work. For me it was life changing. I was told about a potter who was giving lessons at Albion. Her name was Kitty Breeden a well known potter. I enrolled and fell in love with clay and this love is still continuing today.
To increase my knowledge and skills I enrolled at the South Brisbane TAFE in 1986 and did a three year course in Ceramics as well as working at Pottery Supplies for a year to learn more about the many materials that potters use. I attended a couple of Summer Schools in Toowoomba as well as enrolling in a number of workshops with some outstanding tutors over the years. While going to the Riverside Markets in Brisbane for many years I sold my work to many overseas visitors, locals and visitors to Brisbane as well as sending my work to many Galleries from as far as Cooper Pedy to the Atherton Tablelands ably assisted by my husband John.
Since moving to Stanthorpe I have focused more on the artistic side of ceramics and no two pots are the same unless by design. I have given a couple of workshops at the Pottery Club in Stanthorpe in wheelwork and glazing as well as a glazing workshop in Warwick, and I enjoyed doing those however I love potting on my own without too many distractions, and I love spending time with my family and friends as well as working in the garden. I have fulfilled a number of roles at the Pottery Club over the years, President, Treasurer as well as quite a number of years as Gallery Co-ordinator. I have now taken a back step but continue to be a member.
I have won a number of Awards at the Stanthorpe Show and the Local Art Prize in Warwick amongst others and have taken part in many exhibitions as well as being chosen to exhibit in the Stanthorpe Art Prize from 2008 to 2021.
Laurie Astill Artist Statement
From an early age art has always been a major part of my life journey. Over the years I’ve used many mediums including oils, acrylics, watercolours, etc and have discovered my own style with a broad range of subject matters. This exhibition is showcasing paintings from past to present whilst exploring tonal values.
Laurie Astill Artist Biography
Laurie discovered his talent for art in his school years in the 50’s ands 60’s in Brisbane and he won the Brisbane district high school junior art award.
With encouragement from his parents in 1974 Laurie attended art classes conducted by June Harvey who was a visiting teacher from Monash University. Laurie valued the knowledge learnt from her as she learnt herself from Max Meldrum with the focus being on tonal value and objective vision which Laurie practices to this day.
During the 70’s, while practising art and learning other techniques, Laurie worked for Queensland Rail for a number of years before marriage. He also thoroughly enjoyed travel visiting the Far East, Pacific Islands, NZ, England and Europe, and was inspired by his travels and the great artworks exhibited in the various galleries in those countries.
In the 80’s once married and while his children were young, Laurie was contracted to do mural work first of all for the ABC and then for his children’s primary and special schools.
In the 90’s Laurie gained his certificate in Architectural ceramics and sculpture from the Gateway Institute of Tafe Brisbane where he learnt a new medium.
In the 2000’s Laurie continued mural work at the children’s schools as well as other creative projects there with his involvement in the P&C’s associations and also did murals for private clients too by commission.
Sadly Laurie’s son passed in 2005, however he continued with his art where he was involved in painting sets for QPAC’s Out Of The Box Festival , he also worked as a teachers aid at a special school and continued with other murals at another special school.
Laurie had his first ever solo art exhibition at a friends private residence home in Tenneriffe, Brisbane. With his wife’s encouragement he enrolled in acrylic painting classes at the Brisbane Institute Of Art completing this course in 2007. He joined the ‘Half Dozen Community Art Group’ and continued to develop his passion for painting attending various workshops. Over the next few years he enjoyed hosting private art classes at his home and once his daughter finished her schooling both Laurie and his wife Anna moved to Stanthorpe.
Once in Stanthorpe Laurie was quick to discover the arts scene. He entered into the Southern Downs Regional Art Exhibition 2009 with a portrait of his daughter Megan which won the combined gallery prize. He had a successful solo exhibition as artist of the month at Lorenza’s café in 2010. Over the next few years Laurie won the champion art prize at the Stanthorpe Agricultural Show in 2011 and 2012. Laurie always loved giving back to his community and he hosted various painting workshops at Artworks on Davadi in Stanthorpe. He was also involved with painting backdrops for Stanthorpe Little Theatre and for the Stanthorpe Small Wine Makers Show.
In 2013 Laurie and Maryke Miller held a joint exhibition ‘The Canvas and Clay Connection’ at the Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery. Laurie and Maryke held their second exhibition ‘The Pots and Paints Connection’ in 2015 at the Texas Regional Art Gallery. Now ten years on they will be hosting another exhibition together ‘Reflections and Celebrations’ at Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery alongside another local artists exhibition.
Laurie was a founding member and helped set up what is now known as ‘Artworks Granite Belt’ at Stanthorpe Railway in 2014. Laurie travelled overseas to attend a plein air artist workshop in Lucignano, in Tuscany in 2015 and produced a series of paintings from that region which he brought back with him along with more inspiration for future works of art. Laurie’s paintings have been selected for the Stanthorpe Art Prize in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018. Laurie won the Margeret Burton memorial award for his painting titled The Picnic in the 2016 Art Prize.
Over the years Laurie has volunteered in a number of community art projects, some of these include creating lanterns with other artists and school children for the lantern parade for Apple and Grape Festival, volunteering at a local high school assisting with art classes, volunteering to demonstrate painting at the local C&K kindergarten. He was involved with demonstrating painting to primary and secondary school students at the local gallery and has conducted art workshops with children at Mingoola and Bonshaw as part of the travelling QPAC’s Out Of The Box festival program. He has collaborated with other artists to paint pots for Stanthorpe’s main street. He joined other artists to paint murals at the Stanthorpe Showgrounds precinct including the farm animals and historic show scene. He’s been a part of the ‘Totems Of Hope’ ceramic sculptures art installation at the Whistle Stop community gardens, along with the ones installed in the new Stanthorpe streetscape in town.
Laurie has participated in many group art exhibitions in places such as Art In The Mill, Art at Amiens, St Marks Church Warwick, Pimpima, Nest Gallery, Downlands College Toowoomba, Tenterfield, Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery, Artworks on Davadi, Stanthorpe Pottery Club and Artworks Granite Belt at Stanthorpe railway. He has been an artist in residence at our local Stanthorpe Agricultural Show for a number of years and once at Hampton Festival and also at Golden Grove Estate Wines and for Golden Grove he was involved in painting some of their wine labels. At Ballandean Estate Wines ‘Opera In The Vinyard’ one year Laurie was guest artist with a painting he did of the Opera which was auctioned off for charity. Laurie hosted art demonstrations in his home art studio as part of The Granite Belt Art Trail in 2021.
While living on The Granite Belt Laurie has happily attended a variety of community workshops to continue learning about different art techniques. He attended some local life-drawing group sessions and was a part of the U3A art group and Borderline Regional Arts Association for a number of years. Laurie and a few other local artists have been involved painting a number of murals around Stanthorpe town including ‘The Backpackers’ next to the post office, the piaza ‘Italian Streetscape’ mural and nearby to that, the public toilet block mural ‘Gone With The Wind’. In more recent years since his wife’s passing, in honour of her legacy as a mental health nurse he was involved with painting murals at ‘The Boulders’ at Stanthorpe Hospital in 2022.
Laurie has been a well-loved regular member at the local Thursday art group at the railway station and his Monday art group Laurie’s Larrikins at the showgrounds. As a hobby artist with a vivid imagination and attention to detail he has continued his love for art creating paintings for himself, by commission, for friends and also family.