Penelope Oates
Painter (Grossvale NSW)

My interest in art began early on, consuming much of my time at school, my first formal exhibition being held at the Centrepoint Tower for Art Express and then the William Wilkens’ permanent exhibition for chosen HSC Visual Arts works.

My formal training in the arts, however, began with my first Bachelor Degree at the NSW College of Fine Arts in 1989 where I majored in design. Whilst at art school I had continued my interest in theatre and applied for entry into the National Institute of Dramatic Art. A Rolf Harris scholarship helped me financially to survive three years study and practice as a stage and costume designer and attain my second Bachelor degree, this time for Dramatic Art in Design.

Following my studies I worked freelance picking up various work as a designer and illustrator. My work as a designer took me as far field as the Darwin Theatre Company and as close by as the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

My work as an illustrator included concepts for Inflatable Images Technologies and educational book publishers. The need, however, to secure a more stable working environment for myself, one that would support my increasing desire to paint, launched me into one final year of study to gain a Diploma of Education. As such, for the past ten years, I have enjoyed teaching Visual Arts to high school students, guiding students toward the development of their own artmaking practice, During this time I have also been able to devote an increasing amount of time to painting, enjoying the extra leave that teaching affords me.

For the past two years I have exhibited and sold work in the Hunter’s Hill Art Prize, the Kings Art Show and Blacktown City Art Prize for 2011.

My first love has always been the landscape, an interest that was sparked by my the many trips I was taken on as a child, by my father, to explore both bushland and coastal terrains, Even as a stage designer, texture had always been a significant visual element in my work. The colour, texture and transient quality of natural landforms is what I continue to explore and try to express through using ink on canvas. The translucent quality of coloured inks allows me to translate the feeling of a landscape through building up layers, its spontaneous quality allows me to discover rather than plan my paintings.

For information on how to purchase or commission Penny's work, please contact her below or call
0417 249 340 during business hours.

Contact Penelope Oates