FOUR local Mid North Coast artists have collaborated to bring their first exhibition, Serendipity, to Nexus Gallery at the Old Butter Factory in Bellingen.

The opening celebration is on Sunday, 14 August at 3pm.

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The exhibition will run each day from 10am – 4pm until 9 September.

The artists are Jane Hutchins from Coffs Harbour, Jill Hankinson from Mullaway, Ruth Randall-George from Nambucca Heads and Monica Rundle from Valla.

Monica, Jane and Jill met during oil painting classes and various workshops at Sawtell Art Gallery in 2009.

In 2017 the three artist friends decided to upgrade and improve their oil painting skills with international artist, Ruth Randall-George.

All four soon became very close friends with the three girls’ individual painting styles evolving under Ruth’s expert tuition.

A few years later, during what had become social painting sessions with four friends, they decided to take their individual painting styles one step further resulting in this exhibition, Serendipity with something for everyone.

International Artist Ruth Randall-George has been drawing and painting most of her life.

She has travelled extensively; living in Malaysia for two years painting and studying the Malaysian culture.

After four years in Houston, Texas continuing her art studies she travelled to England and Canada.

Ruth enjoys painting in different mediums, her first and most favourite being oils.

Her work hangs in many private collections throughout Australia, the United States, England and Malaysia.

Now residing in Nambucca Heads she is close to beautiful rainforest where she gains inspiration for her art work.

Monica has always enjoyed drawing, and art was her favourite subject at school.

The students were given no formal tuition but given a selection of poster paints and left to their own devices.

However, she spent many happy hours in the art room.

“Oil paints are my favourite medium and I enjoy using a limited palette and mixing my own colours,” Monica told News Of The Area.

Monica loves the challenge of painting a variety of subjects, becoming fascinated when a painting starts “talking” to her and a 3D image emerges from a flat surface.

Jane’s love for art began as a young girl when she saw landscape paintings by Albert Namatjira.

When she enrolled in oil painting classes in Central Queensland with a noted artist, Coral Morris, her love for painting in oils rapidly blossomed.

In 2009 Jane joined the Sawtell Art group and attended various workshops and classes where she met up with Monica and Jill.

“I love a challenge to push the boundaries with colour and to capture the character of birds, animals and landscapes,” she told NOTA.

Jill’s passion for art took hold in the 1980s when she took classes in acrylics; she has enjoyed working with this medium for many years.

In 2006 on moving to Coffs and joining Sawtell Art group she took classes and workshops using oil paints.

Jill developed a love for the vibrancy and elasticity of this medium.

This is where she met up with fellow artists Jane and Monica.

Jill described herself, “I am a traditional artist trying to be more impressionistic.

“My favourite subjects are to do with nature – people, animals, birds and plant life,” she said.

By Andrea FERRARI