ON Sunday 15 August, the Nexus Community Gallery at the Old Butter Factory in Bellingen will host the opening of two exhibitions which showcase the works of four local artists.

The Gallery hosts four members’ group shows each year and month-long exhibitions by solo artists or groups of artists.

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It is run solely by volunteers and is an important exhibition and gathering place for local artists and friends.

This month, the Main Gallery will display clay works by Suellen Stubbs and paintings by Gunda Loebau.

Ms Loebau works mainly with layers of acrylic and frequently uses pastels, pencils and charcoal for mark making and texture.

She is inspired by her childhood memories of flora and fauna such as wild flowers, poppies in wheat fields, irises and roses.

Ms Loebau said, “I believe we live in a culture that is obsessed with technology and we are losing the ability to pause and observe the beauty of nature which is all around us.”

Ms Stubbs discovered clay late in life and decided to attend TAFE to learn as much as she could about a material she found to be addictive.

She said, “All my figures decide themselves how they will evolve and as long as they have expressive faces and some appearance of movement, I let them do their thing.”

The Studio Gallery will display basketry and fibre art by Linda Coomber and paintings by Guus Brunnekreef.

Ms Coomber also developed the passion for her art later in life and incorporates natural materials from her immediate environment into her works.

She said, “Anything that catches my eye is harvested and salvaged, later to be incorporated into beautiful textural pieces and sculptures, as well as more functional pieces like baskets, vases and bowls.”

Mr Brunnekreef describes his work as a variety of small and large detailed pencil and watercolour to create a selection of human, animal and landscape images.

He said, “The fun and satisfaction of painting for me is to try and capture the beauty or those special moments in life that are so very precious.”

The exhibitions will run until 10 September.

By Andrew VIVIAN