PETA WARNER


A Brief introduction

I grew up in & around Tamworth & Gunnedah in New South Wales .
Our beekeeping family travelled throughout eastern Australia & enjoyed a mixture of rural & urban activities, whilst seeing numerous new places & meeting many fresh faces.
I now live & work with my husband, Shane, those of our family who happen to be home, & father in law, on a sheep & cattle property,
23 km west of Eulo.

Living in rural & remote areas provides a nurturing environment for the imagination & allows utilization of natural materials located within my local area. Ochres, clays & found objects combine with commercial art materials in both prints & other work. This allows a greater understanding of my bush habitat & the continually changing impact of occupation by people & other creatures.

Combining different skills from various arts & crafts is fun & encourages development of new ways of seeing. It helps me to focus on possibilities for our future. Acrylics were a welcome challenge from 2001, whilst 2004 initiated experimentation with oils & charcoal.
A life long interest in learning has continued through Flying Arts, RADF workshops, USQ Summer & Winter Schools & External study through Curtin University of Technology.

History surrounds us, influencing all & has subsequently crept into some of my images.

Some paintings & prints depict our environment, emphasizing the old ways used in agricultural industries & other experiences. It has been exciting to develop
"The Fabric of Rural Life" series, in which old mended clothing & other means of patching things together have been incorporated within the artwork. Making do with what is available & use of the less expensive option is common to many family businesses.
Ours is no exception!

Recently, the main emphasis in my work has been the importance of relationships within the family & community. I have attempted to communicate how isolation & distance can create mixed blessings, some may be joyfully celebrated, whereas others bring intense distress. Perhaps these images will rekindle memories.

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