Central Coast artist, Yuley Buist, has been painting since she was a child, but in the past five years her work has taken off, with a series of exhibitions at various venues.
She is now preparing for her first show at Tuggerah’s Red Tree Gallery next month.
Change of Art will feature around 40 original works, ranging in size and price.
“I don’t really characterise my artwork as any particular style,” Buist said.
“They are mostly landscapes or seascapes, but they are quirky, with lots of colour, and often contain a twist.
“There are two sides to me – the painter and the writer – so I find my artwork always has some kind of narrative.
“Whatever idea I have to begin with is not what I end up with – the artwork develops with its own narrative as ideas come to me whilst I’m painting.
“I might start out painting a mountain and end up doing a stream.
“I like to add quirky elements.
“For example, I was painting a landscape when I somehow ended up painting in some rabbit ears.
“That took me to an Alice in Wonderland place and I ended up adding other elements of that story into the piece, including the eyes of a cat, a pocket watch and a Mad Hatter’s jacket.
“You have to look to find them – they’re there but they’re not there.”
Born in Sydney, Buist moved to the Central Coast in the 1990s.
She has undergone formal training at TAFE and with private tutors including Kadira Jennings.
“I attend a lot of art classes as I believe you must always learn and never stop,” she said.
“Though I do enjoy painting in different mediums most of the works are in acrylic.
“I paint quickly to begin with, but the painting may take on many layers.
“The evolution requires me to rub back paint often revealing a character that becomes my ‘story’.”
Buist sometimes gains her inspiration from other artworks but most often from her surroundings.
“Every time you turn around on the Coast there’s inspiration – from the sea to the bush,” she said.
“The freer I am with the artwork, the better it turns out.
“The works are not always inspired locally.
“For example, I did one panting inspired by the multi-coloured houses along the coastline of Spain.”
“My work is ever evolving; bold colour is its primary function and to explore what comes from within.”
Change of Art opens at Red Tree Gallery on November 11.
Terry Collins