"Fragments" exhibition by Mel Andrewartha

Eternity
Oil on canvas
91.4 x 45.7 cm
$680

Ancient
Oil on canvas
51.2 x 76.8 cm
$520

Clarity
Oil on board
30 x 40 cm
$270

Infinity
Oil on canvas
91.4 x 45.7 cm
$680

Halcyon
Oil on canvas
40.6 x 50.8 cm
$380

Imminent
Oil on canvas
50.8 x 40.6 cm
$380

Serenity
Oil on canvas
40.6 x 50.8 cm
$380

Within Reach
Oil on canvas
51.2 x 76.8 cm
$520

Fulham
Oil on board
60.3 x 44.8 cm
$420

Gateway
Oil on canvas
30.5 x 41.0 cm
$270

Hideaway
Oil on board
30 x 40 cm
$270

I carve my worries into the sand and wait for the waves to carry them off; there is nothing so bad that the sea cannot ease.  There is a sense of soothing in the bittersweet breeze. This is my place to ground and centre myself, to take stock before gathering my thoughts and pushing on with life.  This is a legacy from a childhood of boats and beaches - I have always come to the coast to find my balance.

I have a healthy respect for the changes in the tides and the wind, instilled in me from a young age.  The sea is a fickle and tempestuous creature, and I am in awe of it.

I can only attempt to capture fragments of its many moods.

Mel Andrewartha is a self-taught artist from a family of painters, whose vivid seascapes capture the shifting moods of the sea and the shore.  She takes her inspiration from the diverse coastline of the south east coast of Tasmania, using painting knife to explore the many colours and textures.  

Mel’s work reflects her fascination with the intense patterns of Tasmanian weather and its effects on shaping the coastal environment, and in turn the lives of the people who live by the sea.

Mel’s current home studio is based on a farm on the outskirts of Dunalley, overlooking beautiful Norfolk Bay.