Salon Des Refuses

Kirily Thomson

"Joel Peters, Deputy Captain, Ballina 211"

My 4 year old son idolizes Fireman Sam.

When do we stop admiring firefighters and instead turn to

sports stars or celebrities for our moral compass in life?

Meet Joel Peters; 44years old; Married; 2 kids; likes to play basketball.

Sam thinks nothing of putting his life at risk to save the lives of others and their property. It’s all in a day’s work. Joel is my hero next door. He represents for me

all those real people in our community who are the nuts and bolts of society, whose very presence allows us to live lives of choice and security.  Police officers,

teachers, ambos, nurses, doctors, firefighters……  We don’t pay them much.

We don’t lavish them with riches and fame.  But we expect them to be there when

we need them.  And they are. When we are 4 we want to grow up to be just like them.  We pretend to be them.  Somehow, we are able to recognise the true wonderfulness of being a firefighter.  These are the people, who are strong and

brave and expect nothing in return; who get on with the job; who put others first.  Joel is exactly the sort of person I want in my community and

exactly the sort of person who deserves our admiration and respect.

Jill Thomas

"Mother's appearance in the 1940's"

My imagination is never still. I am always stimulated by images,

composition, colour and design. I constantly take photographs

and collect pictures old and new from different sources. I also

sketch and write down my ideas. Sometimes these develop

into more in-depth ideas and detailed images.

My work focuses on my emotional attachment to people,

animals and nature. I tend to use a loose, impressionistic

to abstract style with a composition of unusual visual angles.

I always try to portray certain energy.

This work was a true labour of love where I tried to stay true

to my Mother’s appearance in the 1940’s;

to portray that ethereal beauty and serene energy.

Using monochromatic colour scheme allowed me to focus on tone.

I moved to the Northern Rivers some years ago

to be closer to my Mother who was suffering from Dementia,

a condition that stole her ethereal beauty and serenity.

The Dementia did not end well

but I have never regretted moving to the Northern Rivers.

Jess Smith

"Dion - April 2013"

I find pleasure in showing the simplicity of the subject

while also finding the beauty in the detail,

whether it’s a blade of grass, a strand of hair

or a freckle on the nose.

There is a cleanness/purity to my works,

I like to cut out the background “noise” of my chosen image

and focus in on the subject of my piece.

Simplicity also extends to my chosen mediums;

I find enjoyment in taking basic taking basic artist supplies

like a mechanical pencil, a progresso, white pastel

or charcoal and some gorgeous thick paper

to create something wondrous.

My heart lies with drawing people

and other living beauties.

I love capturing a look, the attitude/ego, life,

and the light of and in my subject.

Dan McDonnell

"On Stage - Jimmy Willing"

I wanted to portray

 Jimmy Willing’s stage presence in the painting

and capture the essence of live performance.

He is an artist in many ways,

a natural performer, musician and a painter.

I first met Jimmy when he was painting the backdrop canvas

at the Railway Friendly Bar in Byron.

 He is a very active artist

and is part of the life blood of the NR art community.

He granted permission for the portrait prize

after the painting was completed.

Sabrina Simoni

"Phil Browning: Aboriginal field officer, remote areas fire fighter"

Phil is one of many good men who serve in the NR community.

From Aboriginal and Scottish blood, he is a gentle, intelligent

traditional man who is naturally connected to this land and region.

His job requires jumping out of helicopters to get to remote areas

to fight fires. Positioned in Wollombin, Murwillumbah, Mount Warning

area, Phil is a cultural representation to national parks.

His knowledge of the land is immense;

talking to Phil you always learn something….

Hard worker, wise, courageous and generous

- those are some of the great qualities that people speak of Phil.

Phil is a special man.

Mishelle Caine Moran

"2013 Masterchef - Luke Southwood" 

The Professionals contestant, Luke Southwood, has been a

good friend since my move to Bangalow from Melbourne, in 2004.

Luke epitomises the type of person that decides to call the NR home.

Having a mind that delves and a rich history of travel and

life experiences, a complete story, under his belt before beginning

his NR journey. Growing up in England, Spain and Australia. Learning

to cook in the traditional Spanish way, Luke’s gastronomical skills

have been a draw card to the area, for food lovers, since his move

here in 2003. A weekly guest at our dinner table, Luke has no

problem dining on a humble Sunday roast, or other simple fare,

despite professional successes of winning a Chiefs Hat three years

in a row at Dish Restaurant and Raw Bar and his masterchef appearance.

My reasons for immortalising Luke are his wonderful

calm outlook and his great face! His mad hair and piercing eye

belie his humble, honest and deep philosophic approach to life.

Rendered in acrylic paint and black marker in the colours

of a traditional Paella, saffron yellow, seafood pink and white,

I hope I’ve captured some of the ingredients of Luke.

Marie-Lise Laviolette

"Her Wisdom Destroys the Roots of My Miseries - JanAnn Fleming"

I first met JanAnn 12 months ago.

We instantly became fast firm friends.

 Both of us are artists, both us wee ‘Scottish’ folk…

JanAnn Fleming was born here in Lismore and has a legion

of close friends, here in Lismore in the surrounding hills...& beyond.

 We are all blessed, those of us who get to hang out with JanAnn,

with whom conversation flows easily

 and where big laffs are always welcome.

 The work is a monoprint on tracing paper with acetate elements

“floating” underneath. My aim was to show JanAnn’s grace, dignity,

her humanity, the multi-layered aspects of her personality

and her personal story. This work can also be viewed

as a transparent piece, much like a stained glass window.

 The unorthodox choice of medium was deliberate.

My work practice is diverse and includes printmaking,

 photography, painting and large site-specific installation work.

Ann Reynolds

"Sandy"

Sandy Darab & I met in London in the mid 70s.  She was from Newcastle and

I was from Wollongong. We worked, flatted and travelled together. We came home, had families and Sandy did it tough as a single mother studying for a PHD

in Social Science. She always had a strong social conscience and when she gained

a lecturing position at Southern Cross Uni Sandy continued this passion through her professional and personal life, doing research in the community to produce socially just outcomes and protect the environment.  She is active in the CSG movement, was on a committee to stop the Optus tower being built in Clunes

and has done significant research on the effects of ‘WorkChoices’ and the

 welfare-to-work reforms on people in the Northern Rivers region. She is currently

 engaged in a project researching the housing situations and needs of single,

 older women in the region....something that is dear to both our hearts.

Nicola Harris

“Who is Andy Travis?”

Andy Travis comes into your home on Monday’s at 9am if you tune your radio

to 99.9 on the ‘BayFM’ frequency. The radio filters through the speakers creating a background noise to which people carry on their daily lives. The ‘Lighthouse lounge’ enables Andy’s faceless intelligence to explore and peruse his and others’ spiritual journey, knowledge and enlightenment. He opens his heart and mind and shares himself and the wisdom of others with his listening audience yet he remains

behind the mask of radio. The materials for this portrait were chosen to reflect

this enigmatic component of this voluntary radio DJ. The silicon portrait sits

between the viewer and their mirror image. The viewer is both in the picture,

and viewing the portrait simultaneously. When the focus is drawn to recognising

the viewer’s reflection the fragmented pieces appear to float like sound waves

 from the radio. “Who is Andy Travis?” provides a visual trigger to the

 impact and importance of community radio to our region.

Scott Whittingham

"Beyond The Anti-Aesthetic Veil of Criticality - Mark Searle"

Mark Searle is an endearing individual, employed as a technical officer

at Southern Cross University. Many students of past and present comment

on his friendliness, approachability and enthusiasm.  Mark was a musician,

(‘Earl’s Court’ 1966-1970, Go-Set Top 60#24) boat builder, carpenter, parent, and

has recently helped design a portable solar power unit for the Byron Bay Blues Fest.

It is good to acknowledge those behind events. We first met at 'The Boat'

in Lismore, which was part of 'Art In The Heart' whilst supporting poets,

musicians and performance artists. Mark lives by the river in Ballina and

he enthusiastically revealed, "You can hear the sound of the river from within".

The turgid water is a metaphor for toil and struggle, like the rising and

subsiding of tides, our emotions ebb and flow. My oeuvre is influenced by the

philosopher, Jean Baudrillard. (1929-2007), as indicated by the ‘Guardian’ UK, ‘

 …blurred the boundaries between reality and simulation’. I am influenced in

 style by Guy Maestri, Ben Quilty and Vincent Van Gogh. Most of us look

in the mirror on a daily basis, and we may reflect upon the ageing process,

memory, and the fragility and sometimes uncertainty of life.

Gareth Lindsay Deakin

"Janelle Buckley"

Janelle is the owner and manager of

Gallery 33.3 at 273 Keen Street, Lismore.

Janelle is a talented painter and photographer,

exhibiting in and curating numerous Gallery shows each year.

She has trained and exhibited as far away as London

and as near as the University of the Southern Cross.

With Gallery 33.3 Janelle provides an accessible exhibition venue for local artisans, alongside affordable studio and performance spaces.

As a privately based and community oriented promoter of cultural events,

Janelle forms a valued epicentre in the constellation of Lismore Arts.

Leah Thiessen

"Existence (Self Portrait)"

“Who weeps in all his thoughts.” Dante

I was instantly drawn to the immense weight of the words

expressed in ‘cantos 1’, from ‘The Divine Comedy’ by Dante.

Being inspired by the deepness of human emotion, these words became

a catalyst for my painting. I chose to paint myself as a subject,

being a direct response to the inner experience and rawness

of our individual emotions. My painting portrays the inherent

fragility and transient nature of the human existence.

I let the paint express emotion through mark making;

be it through drawing over, scraping back and dripping paint.

My image explores aspects of the human condition,

encompassing all its beauty and horror, strengths and weaknesses.

I am out to create a visceral response and a sense of existence.