TREE-O Gallery opened its 10th Featured Artist Showcase on Saturday 23 July, which was described by Sarah Andersen, Tree-o partner, as a resoundingly successful event, attended and enjoyed by many.

The exhibition welcomes four headlining artists; Nick Warfield, Alf Blakey, David Hooper and Dell Lennox who bring, “ingenious, creative, colourful and incredible pieces with wow factor,” Sarah, who curates the exhibitions, told News Of The Area.

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Natural wood sculptor Dell Lennox has always found beauty in wood.

Living rurally between Dorrigo and Ebor, “It’s something I’ve done since I was a child, lugging home bits of wood to make art with,” Dell told NOTA.

She describes her passion for what she does through a prize piece which sits in the centre of a table in the middle of the ground floor space of the gallery.

“I like to keep the original look of the wood and extend its life.

“I found this piece of wood in the Bellinger River after the 2019 fire; it came off a big old tree that was burnt … a bloodwood, a big eucalypt.

“All the colours have come through beautifully; it has a special depth to it,” said Dell.

“It’s beautiful to have something come out of the devastation of the fires.”

Dell eyes her woodwork lovingly, then says, “I learned only quite recently you can’t hold on to your pieces; ‘You’ve got to let it go’, Nick Warfield told me.”

Nick is a featured artist in the exhibition whose work emerges from found objects.

“It’s a strange process,” Nick told NOTA who lives with his family in Bowraville.

“It’s subconscious,” likened to an invitation from the found object to reinvent as something else.

“That’s part of the fun,” he said, looking at his Rocking Chair With Mug, which uses an old rocking chair crafted into a kangaroo sculpture.

“You have to be discerning about the cuts.

“The old rocking chair leant itself to the kangaroo,” he said.

David Hooper is a long-time artist originally painting in WA, who has recently moved to Coffs Harbour, where his artistic evolution is being fuelled by the astonishing natural beauty of the Mid North Coast.

Talking with NOTA, standing in front of a set of works featuring The Promised Land in Bellingen Shire, David said he’s enjoying his current way of working in sets of three paintings.

“The first painting is realism, the second painting of exactly the same subject is in contemporary style and finally, the third and largest painting takes the best elements of the subject into an abstract style.

“I’ve been painting since high school in realism and contemporary styles and wanted to explore abstract, but I couldn’t work out how to,” he said.

“Then I discovered this three-stage process.”

David has two more sets in the showcase, featuring local beauties Dangar Falls and Diggers Beach.

“Our fourth featured artist, Alf Blakey was unable to attend the opening event but his incredible found-metal sculptures captivated our visitors and the only piece of his that was for sale sold immediately.

“He will consider commission orders which we can help facilitate,” said Sarah.

Outside of the Featured Artists Showcase there is a raft of other new local artist pieces set out amongst the furniture made in-house by the resident trio of designer/makers.

Tree-o co-founder, Bim Morton’s Blackbutt Chest of Drawers with his signature organically flowing carved handles for each drawer front really makes a statement, especially when paired with his curved mirrors in a variety of hardwood timbers.

Fellow co-founder, Trevor Oliver-King has crafted two new dining tables – each incorporating unique and different glass features that highlight the beautiful grain in the timber and show alternative ways to combine materials with stunning results.

While Sarah doesn’t have any new furniture pieces in this Showcase, her creative flair and eye for detail is evident in the combination of artists, selection of pieces and the overall curation of the gallery’s artworks.

The 10th Showcase is on until November and new works will soon replace those sold on opening night.

“We look forward to welcoming you to Tree-o Gallery soon,” she said.

By Andrea FERRARI