‘Ebb & Flow’ shows paintings of the same landscapes by two different artists – Deborah Hunter Mills and Tanya Baily – who have worked from the same shared studio space for four years.

Both artists make paintings inspired by the landscape. Their processes are similar: they both work ‘en plein air’ at specific sites, and make completed works in the studio. However their work is very different. Tanya works in watercolour whereas Deborah uses oils. Each medium brings its own quality, and equally each image demonstrates its painter’s particular way of seeing.

Interested in the stark aesthetic and conceptual differences in their work, they were curious to paint the same subject matter, and observe the consequences. This took them to the waterways of the Central Coast and the Hawkesbury and the exhibition ‘Ebb & Flow’ is the result of the project.

The different works sit together in conversation, enhancing and informing each other, and illuminating the subject matter. Sharing the same space, the different perceptions and ideas don’t conflict or compete. The combined works broaden understanding and make these historical landscapes all the more intriguing.

DEBORAH HUNTER MILLS

All works are Oil on Board

“ The geometry of the man-made structures of the oyster beds, bridges and boats and the luminosity and movement of the water sets up an intriguing contrast. These waterways have been transformed by settlement and its infrastructure, but the rocky cliffs and tree-lined outcrops hark back to a time long before human settlement. I wish to capture those dichotomies – solidity and fluidity; the present and the past.”

1. Oyster Beds, Empire Bay, 2018 (46 x 60.5 cm) Oil on board $1,650

2. Mangroves, Empire Bay 2018 (46 x 60.5 cm) Oil on board $1,650

3. Mooring Poles, Empire Bay 2018 (46 x 60.5 cm) Oil on board $1,650

DEBORAH HUNTER MILLS – Poles and Crane, Dangar Island 2018 (60.5 x 46 cm) Oil on board $1,650

5. Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge 2018 (46 x 60.5 cm) Oil on board $1,650 (SOLD)

6. Sand Bar Markers, Brooklyn 2018 (46 x 60.5 cm) Oil on board $1,650

DEBORAH HUNTER MILLS -Through the Trees, Empire Bay2018 (46 x 60.5 cm) Oil on Board $1,650 (SOLD)

8. Prawning Boat, Pumpkin Creek 2018 (46 x 60.5 cm) Oil on Board $1,650 (SOLD)

9. Yellow Buoy, Dangar Island 2018 (20 x 25 cm) Oil on board $550

10. Tug Boat, Dangar Island 2018 (20 x 25 cm) Oil on Board $550 (SOLD)

11. Red Boat, Brooklyn 2018 (20 x 25 cm) Oil on Board $550

TANYA BAILY

All works are Framed Watercolour on Cotton paper

“Depicting the large open space was a challenge for me. I wanted to convey the silent, deep distance as well as the bright, splashing foreground simultaneously. In pursuit of a diverse range of marks for descriptive and emotive effect, I explored and experimented with techniques, pushing the watercolour medium to its boundaries.”