Art for Small Spaces
It’s that time of year again and Aspire Gallery in gorgeous Paddington is holding the ‘Petite Pieces’ art competition, set to display some of Brisbane and Australia’s finest artists. If you have been searching around for new original Australian artwork and in particular pieces to suit a smaller space, create a bookcase moment or to elevate your most intimate nook then this will be the exhibition for you.
Initially conceived by Aspire Gallery’s director, Donagh Mengel, this annual art award was created to encourage and award artists that looked at their practice as a business, a vision that flowed through from Mengel’s background in industrial and interior design. With the awarding of a solo exhibition to the competition’s winner, this annual prize has attracted Australia’s finest artists to this boutique Brisbane art gallery. While the accolades for the winner will no doubt form a major highlight of this wonderful exhibition, the array of art on display is also set to excite art collectors looking to buy the next wonderful addition of original local art for their homes.
Excitingly, Smith & Brooks have two works that have been selected as finalists in the exhibition and are set to be hung alongside this incredible array of talent. The first artwork we can share that has made the exclusive cut is our delightful new piece, ‘Mountain Blue Song II’. This petite work is a 40cm x 40cm stretched canvas work framed in an Australian oak float frame and is an extension of a previous work titled ‘Mountain Blue Song’. ‘Mountain Blue Song II’ features a tumbling melody of mountain blue gum leaves painted in a palette that reflects their rich natural tones of deep red highlights against muted green-blue foliage. This native species of eucalypt is endemic to the Girraween National Park area and granite belt region in Queensland, holding a special personal connection for Kerrin.
The second original artwork by Smith & Brooks that has been selected as a finalist for the competition is ‘Radiata Still I’. This petite work at 40cm x 40cm and framed in Australian oak is a sweet little still life created with a palette inspired by the southeastern Australian landscape. Featuring foliage from the wondrous eucalyptus radiata, a species endemic to the southern coast and inland areas around Melbourne, Bass Strait and into Tasmania the work is a tribute to this integral koala habitat and food source species. Also known as narrow-leaf peppermint gum, this native species holds a special place in Jacky’s heart.
These are but two of the works included in this fine collection and there are so many more that you should have a look at. We have included a few of our favourites here but again we do insist you view the entire collection so that you don’t miss a single one of these exceptional pieces. We want to give a shout-out firstly to Wendy Peters for her ‘Prismatic Reflections’. The way she has captured light in this exquisite work is just divine and we can’t seem to go past it! We are also enamoured with ‘My Favourite Nightmare’ by Harriet Links which draws you effortlessly (and willingly) into its alluring dreamscape. ‘Polly’ by Brenda Page has also left us very intrigued. We love her technique of acrylic and screen print on metal board which has built a rich surface on which her sentimental subject matter can be found.
These are just a small sample of the beautiful and captivating works that are set to go on show with the Aspire Gallery ‘Petite Pieces’ art competition in Brisbane from the 24th of February. The exhibition as mentioned includes original artworks from not only local Brisbane artists but from artists around Australia and we will be excitedly waiting for the winner of this competition to be announced. In the meantime, you can view the full exhibition catalogue by clicking here and perhaps find the perfect new artwork to buy for your home. But you’ll need to be quick – Many of the original artworks have already sold from the pre-sale catalogue so be sure to snap up your fave before someone else does!
