Well, it's true - or at least Gabby says she is coming.  She IS a tad famous for not being where she says she will be, but she sounds fairly determined this time.

The plan is she will come into the gallery around 12 and be painting for us for at least the next week.
This means all her collectors and would be collectors can come in, have a glass of wine, meet Gabby and watch her paint.  It is fascinating.

Gabby, daughter of Clifford Possum, the most famous of all Australian indigenous artists, has as much talent as her father - some think more!  Her works are traditional but have a wonderful softness and beauty to them that was not usually seen in Clifford's work.  She is a consummate artist, mixing all her own paints, fussy about her brushes, and painting to the tune of a vision she holds in her mind as her stories unfold on the canvas.

Last time Gabby visited, some of our clients were lucky enough to commission their own works and watch her paint them.  You may be able to do the same.  this photo was taken last visit: the painting is only half way through, with Gabby laying out all the elements of a 'Grandmother's country' painting - my favourite subject matter for her works.

I had a great trip to the Warlukurlangu Aboriginal Community Art Centre at Yuendumu this week to gather some superb new artworks for the gallery.  Along the 300km drive, north west of Alice Springs, the country was completely different from its usual red and brown self - a wonderful combination of greens almost completely obscured the red earth (it was almost like the Melbourne botanical gardens out there!).  And the wildflowers, with all the repeated rains, are blooming profusely in seas of yellow, white and lilac.   Cecilia Alfonso, highly dedicated Manager of the Warlukurlangu, kindly put me up at her house and I got to feel part of the busy buzz that drives this centre along.  Artists came, stopped for chats, discussed and worked on artworks and wandered off to follow other pursuits while the centre staff and volunteers contributed to make the place a hive of activity.
Also met many of the artists who work at the centre:  Highlights were the serene Ormay Nangala Gallagher who will be a new artist for our gallery, and Liddy Walker Napanangka who was busily astride a huge canvas for most of my visit.  I'm happy to say that this canvas plus many more of the brightly coloured works from this centre will be arriving in the gallery soon.... so watch this space!

Ormay Nangala Gallagher in front of her latest inspired work....

Liddy Walker Napanangka nearing completion of a masterful painting.... soon to be available in our gallery!  Just look at the texture!

Kate Owen Gallery will once again be holding an off-site exhibition, this time in the foyer of Aurora Place (The RBS Building - 88 Phillip Street, Sydney).

Art From The City - Gems From The Desert will feature around 30 works covering a large range of both sizes & prices, this exhibition is a great oppurtunity for those in the CBD who just can't find time to make it to our Rozelle location.

The exhibition dates are 1 - 28 November. Come and join us for opening drinks being held on the 4 November, 5.30 - 7.30 pm. Otherwise feel free to just stop by during the exhibition to see a great example of how our art can enhance any corporate environment! To coincide with the exhibition kate owen gallery is pleased to announce that it will be offering a free art trial to the tenants of Aurora place (offer available for the month of November only).

For more information please contact the gallery or stop by the exhibition between 11.30 - 2.30pm, when Matt will be sitting the show & ready to answer any queries!

The Canning Stock Route is one of the toughest and most remote tracks in the world. It runs to Halls Creek from Wiluna, both in Western Australia. With a total distance of 1781 km (1113 miles) it is also the longest historic stock route in the world. For the first few hundred kilometres it runs concurrent with the Tanami Track. In 2007 Patrick Tjungurrayi returned to the Canning Stock Route to retrace the journey he had made out of the desert 50 years earlier with a group of other well known artists who recreated the journey out of the desert through their dreamings. The Canning Stock Route story revolves around water. To colonists, desert water was a commercial resource necessary for a successful stock route. To the people of the desert, these waters were the social, spiritual and economic bases of their existence.

The National Museum of Australia is currently holding an exhibition to show a collection of works based the Canning Stock Route. You can find more information of both the exhibition & the route here!