Penelope Odessa
Lawie.
With two energetic young boys and four moves in six years due to the trans-global nature of my husband's career, making time for creative pursuits is challenging. Now based in Perth, Australia, we are hoping to stay put for a while....
My Art...
Through painting I am able to escape the drudgery of domesticity without leaving the house! I am transported to another world, where time stops and everything is beautiful and painful at the same time....Painting soothes my soul. Inspiration comes from my own emotional journey through life. I look within myself and express the emotions and memories that make me who I am. My paintings are often self portraits, in one way or another. In opposition to the fast-moving pace of this complex and confusing world, my paintings are about appreciating simplicity, innocence, beauty, joy and sometimes sadness and loneliness too. It is about slowing down and experiencing the emotions we may feel at any particular moment, whether positive or negative. "There is great happiness in not wanting, not being something and not going somewhere. Just being."
My Cakes...
My love for cake decorating began 16 years ago when I decided to make my own wedding cake. Since then I have been expanding my repertoire and my clientele, from Melbourne to Vancouver, and now in Perth.
I love to cook; I love to work with my hands, and I love to eat!!. Cake decorating combines these passions and I can use my creative abilities to produce edible works of art that give people so much pleasure. The fact that they are temporary, and quickly gobbled up, is part of the appeal for me...
Academic History_____________________________________
1987- High School Certificate; Marymount College, Burleigh Heads, QLD.
1993- Bachelor of Arts (Psychology); University of New England, Armidale, NSW.
1997- Certificate of Fine Art; Armidale Institute of TAFE, Armidale, NSW.
1998- Diploma of Visual Art; Casey Institute of TAFE, Dandenong, VIC.
Background______________________________________
1970-Born in England. Emigrated to Australia at 6 months old. I grew up on acreage in Tallebudgera Valley, Queensland.
1988-University of New England, Armidale NSW.
1995-Married a geologist.
1998-Moved to Melbourne and started an art course and a family (not a good combination).
2001-Vancouver, Canada. Two very enjoyable years juggling domestic and creative pursuits.
2004-A new chapter-Perth.
Exhibitions/Galleries______________________________________
2003- Fine Artists of the North Shore (FANS); Queens Rd, North Vancouver, BC.
2003- “Just Push Play” Charity Gala; Renaissance Hotel, Vancouver, BC.
2004- Life is but a Dream; Brazza Café, North Vancouver, BC.
2005/6- Linton & Kay Art Gallery, Subiaco, Perth.
2008/9- Gadfly Gallery, Nedlands, Perth.