Simon Hemsley

I appreciate the simplicity of watercolour and try in my art works to keep the subject matter as uncomplicated as possible. Watercolour is a wonderfully unpredictable medium, which lends itself to surprising effects.

In order to accentuate this, I allow spontaneous mixing of my pigments on the paper picking up pure fresh pigment with each brush stroke and do not blend paint on a palette. This preserves the crisp clean luminous hues of the watercolour medium.

I have transferred these techniques to oil painting and have resisted the temptation to use tried and trusted methods to apply pigment. Pigments are again mixed not on the palette, with paint applied directly to the canvas and a variety of techniques used to move it around. The results are, at times disappointing and need to be discarded. However at other times the results can be unique.

Since moving to the East Kimberly based in Kununurra, I have spent time with some of the aboriginal artists in the area and am experimenting with different natural mediums including ochres and natural tree saps

I also have a special interest in life drawing and have spent years drawing on a regular basis.

Good drawing skills are fundamental to good art works. It is often the simplicity of the drawings, subject matter and paucity of line that is so appealing.

If you can capture the essence of a mood or emotion with some simple lines, often no more is required. 

 I feel that the Kimberley has a male and female aspect to it.

 Close up it is hard, overbearing and unforgiving with extremes of temperature and rain that can be fatal.

 However from a distance the colours are more muted with a feminine softness and roundness with very female shapes.

Using life drawing sessions with models and then deliberately distorting these images I have attempted to portray this on paper and canvas.

I hope you enjoy the results.

Simon Hemsley 

Exhibitions

1995 Lions Art exhibition Dunsborough

1996 Capel Fest

1997 Be Active Wetlands Exhibition prize Cyrillean Gallery

1998 Busselton Art Society, Art in the Park

1999 Millennium Chemicals acquisition prize Capel fest

1999 Lions Art Exhibition Dunsborough

2000 Shire of Busselton Acquisition prize

2000 South West Survey, Bunbury Regional Art Gallery

2000 St Hilda’s Art Exhibition

2000 Catholic College Art Extraordinaire Bunbury

2001 Yallingup Gallery Garden Art Studio

2001 Catholic College Art Extraordinaire

2002 South West survey, Bunbury Regional Art Gallery

2004 South West survey Bunbury Regional art gallery

2004 Abrolhos Pearls Gallery Geraldton  (2 Artists exhibition)

2005 Gallows Gallery Perth (2 artist exhibition)

2006 Bodylines Exhibition, Red Mill Gallery Bunbury

2006 Archibald prize entry

2006 Vat 2 exhibition (3 artist Showing)

2007 Bodylines Exhibition Bunbury Red Mill gallery

2007 Val Lishman Foundation Acquisition Bunbury

2007 Lovell gallery Kununurra combined exhibition

2007 Black Swan Portrait Exhibition, Perth

2008 Vasse Township Exhibition

2008 Portrait Commission for The Bunbury Regional Hospital

2010 Prizewinner “Threats to the Kimberley” Environmental Forum Exhibition

2010 Archibald Prize entry, Art Gallery of NSW

2010 Exhibition Bunbury Regional Art Gallery (2 Artist exhibition)