News
9 October, 2024
Family artistic roots shine
The Kilcoy Art Society Inc (KASI) is excited to announce its October Artists of the Month, mother-daughter duo Margaret Roper and Tracey Bennett, whose works will be on display at the Kilcoy Courthouse Art Gallery.
This follows a successful exhibition by September’s featured artist, Christine Hopkins, whose captivating pieces explored light and shade. Margaret Roper, a relatively new artist who began painting eight years ago.
After joining a small art class in Woodford, where her mother, Tracey, was the teacher.
Margaret draws inspiration from her rural Queensland roots, with her acrylic works often telling stories of life on the land, combining a narrative style with her love for the outback.
She describes her painting process as “joyful”, hoping viewers find the same feeling in her works too.
Tracey Bennett’s artistic journey took off in 2005 when she illustrated her sister’s children’s book, Hullabazoo.
Tracey began attending art classes with award winning artist Philip Farley in 2006, and quickly developed a love for high detail wildlife art.
Under Philip’s guidance, Tracey learned to paint in a realistic style and used this technique to complete the illustrations for Hullabazoo, which was published by Penguin Books in 2010.
Since then, she has received numerous accolades, including 1st Place and People’s Choice at the 2022 Mary Valley Art Festival and 2nd Place Open Division in the 2024 Kilcoy Show.
Tracey said she enjoys the challenge and satisfaction of capturing the detail in any subject, whether it be in the delicate petals of a flower, in the fine intricacies of a feather, or in the crispy bits of a fried egg.
She paints in acrylic and oil, but has a strong preference for acrylic on illustration board or gesso panel.
In conjunction with the art display, KASI will also host a Foggy Friday fundraiser on October 11 at 2pm, to raise funds for Beyond Blue in recognition of Australia’s Mental Health Month.
Attendees are invited to wear blue and participate in activities while enjoying afternoon tea on the Kilcoy Courthouse Art Gallery’s scenic Lakeside Deck. Entry is $10, with RSVP required for catering purposes.
Please RSVP to Julie Henley on 0414 595 262 for catering purposes.
Join KASI in celebrating local talent and supporting vital mental health initiatives this October, with Margaret and Tracey’s works being on display at the Kilcoy Courthouse Art Gallery throughout the month.
