Hallidays Point artist Fred Bullen will give a solo exhibition at the Macleay Valley Community Art Gallery in Gladstone from February 28 to March 3.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The exhibition is titled 'Let me take you there' and includes more than 70 artworks.
"The works give visitors the opportunity to explore places they haven’t yet visited or remind them of places which will bring back a heartfelt memory," said Fred.
All are priced to sell and a competition will see one viewer offered their favourite artwork at a 50 per cent discount. Entry to the gallery and the competition is free.
The hobby artist, who lives at Tallwoods Village, attended formal art classes on the weekend as a schoolboy and later painted with the Parramatta Art Society.
He abandoned art to concentrate on his career as an engineering designer for the next 40 years.
A few years ago he retired and with his wife Patrice, moved to the Mid North Coast and decided to take up the challenge of starting back into art.
He joined the local art society where he was guided in his artistic endeavours by dedicated and competent local artists who give up their time to teach.
In addition, he participated in workshops run by visiting tutors in quite diverse artistic media and subjects.
Fred started by painting traditional landscapes on canvas and then moving on to large format boards for abstract works, often with very heavily textured surfaces.
His inspiration comes from the local bush and beach which are then reproduced in one of many styles such as ‘abstract realism’, ‘2½ D’ or in a more traditional style.
He has won awards for his works which are currently displayed in galleries in Forster, Taree and Port Macquarie as well as local cafes. He also enters his work in the regional annual show and art societies' exhibitions.
As much as Fred enjoys the challenge of painting a wide variety of subjects using an equally wide range of techniques, his greatest pleasure comes from hearing that an artwork has unlocked a heartfelt memory for the viewer.
While you're with us…
Did you know the Manning River Times is now offering breaking news alerts and a weekly email newsletter? Keep up-to-date with all the local news: sign up here.