For artist and farmer Wendy McDonald her creative life would struggle to exist away from the property, near the Murray River in Southwest NSW, she shares with her husband and their two children. The mixed farm on Thule Lagoon feeds inspiration for Wendy’s painting and printmaking by providing a true sense of how the landscape works. She admits she couldn’t be an artist without being a farmer and vice versa - that one could not function without the other. Her work draws from the ecology of the local environment, the ebb and flow of the creeks and rivers and the dramatic changes of the seasons. She is honoured to tell the story of the ephemeral floodplain and the joys of belonging to a small community, through her art.

 

Wendy’s country hospitality can be glimpsed in her still life work and though Glencoe’s farm gate. Known for her open-door philosophy, her kitchen, garden, skills and creative space are shared on a regular basis. An idyllic artists’ retreat for adults and children is offered at the cottage studio. Creative types of all persuasions take refuge at Thule Lagoon and soak up the inspiration and rawness of the surrounding natural canvas.

 

Wendy’s work has been shown in galleries across Regional NSW and Victoria and in Sydney and Melbourne, with pieces in private and public collections. Her works have featured in both Home Beautiful and Australian Country Style Magazine. She has been a finalist in numerous awards  including The NSW Parliament Plein Air Painting Prize 2016 & 2017, The Paddington Art Prize, The Calleen Art Prize and The Swan Hill Print & Drawing Acquisitive Prize.

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Wendy McDonald     www.wendymcdonald.com.au

Qualifications:  Bachelor of Arts (Ed), Deakin University 1984-1986

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Recent Selected Awards, Exhibitions, Projects

2017    Finalist, The NSW Parliament Plein Air Painting Prize, Parliament House, Sydney

2017    “Interior Worlds”, group exhibition, Lauriston Press, Kyneton

2017    "The Inauguration" group exhibition, Southern Buoy Studios, Melbourne

2016    Finalist, The NSW Parliament Plein Air Painting Prize, Parliament House, Sydney

2016    "LIFE, still"  group exhibition, Saint Cloche, Sydney

2016    "Twelve"  group exhibition, Koskela, Sydney

2016   “This Place” SOLO exhibition, Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery

2015    Finalist, Calleen Art Award, Cowra Regional Art Gallery

2011    Finalist, Calleen Art Award, Cowra Regional Art Gallery

2010    Landscapes from the Murray Darling, SOLO exhibition, Swan Hill  Regional Art Gallery

2010    SW Arts “Terrain” Exhibition, Griffith Regional Art Gallery

2009    Finalist, Paddington Art Prize, Sydney

2009    Finalist, Country Energy Landscape Prize, Lismore Regional Art Gallery

2009    Finalist, Calleen Art award, Cowra Regional Art Gallery

2008    Recipient, Regional Arts NSW professional development "Quicks" grant

2008    Finalist, National Print and Drawing Awards, Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery

2008    FOUR group exhibition, Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery

2008    Finalist, Stanthorpe Art Prize, Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery

2007    Professional Development Scholarship, Murrumbidgee School of  Creative Arts, Charles Sturt University

            Bibliography

2009    Paddington Art Prize Lecture, Joe Frost

2010    Home Beautiful Magazine, Nov. issue, page 101

2013    Australian Country Style Magazine, April issue

2016    Australian Country Style Magazine, March issue

 

Collections

Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery, 2016 

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