Sue Smith paintings selected for Queensland Regional Art Awards 2017

Rockhampton based artist Sue Smith is delighted two of her recent paintings 'Letter from Longreach' and 'There are places I remember' have been selected by 'Flying Arts Alliance' in their Queensland Regional Art Awards.

An established Australian artist with two successful exhibitions 'Swept Away' and 'Thirty six views of Castle Hill', and works in regional council and university collections, Sue is encouraged her new work is gaining curatorial recognition. 

"Recently I have been focussing on regional Queensland identities and places which I enjoy exploring, and I work in both acrylics and oils. I enjoy creating complex compositions which keeps me interested during the long painting process".

Sue's artist statement for 'Letter from Longreach' 

"The work celebrates the independent spirit of Queensland’s iconic aviators, who shattered records and gender stereotypes and conquered the tyranny of distance. Their adventures gave Australia’s national airline QANTAS its start. Aviation is often in my thoughts, living as I do near a major regional airport and having often flown over central west Queensland. The compositional format symbolises both an aviator’s map and an airmail letter. Over this is a multi-layering of historical and contemporary narratives to add depth visually and conceptually, connecting past and present. Depicted are QANTAS co-founder Paul McGinness, on the first QANTAS commercial flight between Longreach and Winton in 1921; Brisbane aviator Lores Bonney AM MBE, the first woman to fly solo from Australia to England in 1933; and Ipswich aviator Ivy Pearce Hassard, the fastest airwoman in the Brisbane to Adelaide centenary air race 1936".

Sue's artist statement for 'There are places I remember':

"A study of childhood and an iconic custom in Queensland in the late 1950s and 1960s: school annual fancy dress competitions, once big events but now less popular. The painting projects the mixed feelings of excitement and anxiety getting ready for these events, which I still recall. The sitter is my husband as a child (Michael Walker) and the iconic street and town where he grew up (The Esplanade, Cairns) c.1960. We have often revisited The Esplanade, marvelling at the changes; it is now more developed with high rise buildings. While painting the work, I thought about how fortunate we were in enjoying idyllic childhoods. Anxiety over a fancy dress party was about the most stress one faced. Now, I worry about the problems facing my child and grandchildren, including environmental problems, climate change and a possible serious south east Asian regional conflict into which Australia may be drawn". 

The Queensland Regional Art Awards can be viewed on line, and a 'Peoples Choice' vote can be made here 
https://flyingarts.org.au/whats-on/peoples-choice-2017/