A MANSFIELD artist who sees the unique spirit and character in each of the animals she loves to paint, is holding an exhibition at the Art Gallery on Ovens in Wangaratta.
Renowned Australian artist Carolyn Sheather works from her studio in Beechworth, but it was growing up on the family farm in Cheshunt where her love for animals and the natural world began.
Carolyn said she and her 10 siblings were raised on the productive property surrounded by cattle, where they also grew their own vegetables, and she attended secondary school in Wangaratta.
While having studied and gone on to teach extensively both locally, interstate and overseas, when it comes to her own paintings today, animals often take centre stage.
"I find that animals come naturally to me because I grew up with them," she said.
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"I see animals as companions not commodities and they are sentient - they have feelings whether we like it or not.
"But I don't want to make a political statement - I'm never going to paint anything I don't want to manifest.
"I think art is very powerful so I don't want to paint angst, I paint happy things."
While Carolyn has worked for many years in a variety of different mediums including pastels, watercolours and acrylics, it was after establishing her Beechworth 18 months ago that she began concentrating on oil painting.
She set herself a challenge to paint 100 paintings in three months, and much of this body of work, from small studies to larger scale pieces, are showcased in the exhibition she has called Menagerie.
"I became a much better painter with oils by doing the challenge," she said.
"I'm in love with oils which I think comes through in the work."
"My heartfelt gratitude goes to the Mayday Hills Art Society for the opportunity they have given me in my amazing studio space - it has allowed me to 'become'."
Carolyn said she has a attracted a worldwide following from art lovers who find her character-filled portraits enchanting, and she said it's a pleasure to bring joy to people.
She says it's her ability to look animals in the eye and "to paint less information, but give more" which has become her strength, and is something she wants to get even better at.
"I really want to explore the relationships between animals too - they have these incredible relationships between themselves, not just between us and them," she said.
See Menagerie at the Art Gallery on Ovens on Monday, Thursday and Friday from 10am until 4pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 10am until 2pm until February 3.
