“Catalina’s, Rose Bay”, 46x46cm oil on canvas was recently announced as a FINALIST in the Waverley Art Prize 2013. This painting depicts the famous restaurant that is named Catalina’s with Vaucluse and Rose Bay in the background. Sally attended boarding school in Rose Bay from year 7 to 12 and the boarding house where she resided for those 6 years is seen in the background.

“The paintings are lifting off the canvas and are becoming spatial, effectively 3-D. If you stand to one side you can see through parts of them,” she said. “They have been evolving gradually over the last few years as I started to incorporate more and more textural elements into the work, challenging myself to create new visual languages”.

The theme of the exhibition revolves around ‘light’ – finding the light in the works. The highly textured artworks, which incorporate elements such as wool and twine are blurring the line between sculpture and painting. The exhibition will also feature an installation comprising wire, wool, wood and other elements that will hang in the centre of the exhibition space.

Sally said the installation represents the concept of finding beauty in the chaos of everyday life.

“The initial sculpture became so beautiful, so delicate and fragile, I started to see it as a reflection of most people’s lives,” she said. “From the chaos of life, everyone leaves a beautiful mark.”

These much anticipated works that blur the line between painting and sculpture have been described as ground breaking. Don’t miss the official unveiling of these extraordinary works on Opening Night, Wednesday 5 June 7-9pm where you are invited to meet the artist.

Sally West is very excited to announce that she has been selected as a finalist in this year’s NSW Parliament Plein Air Painting Prize. This annual prize is for a work painted ‘en

plein air’ by an artist of a New South Wales subject. The finalists are exhibited at Parliament House, Sydney and the winner is awarded $20,000. The winning painting enters the collection of the New South Wales Parliament.

Sally’s work is titled “Bungwahl Vista”, 45x45cm, oil on canvas.

For more information go to: www.pleinair.com.au

Sally West has been selected to be part of an elite group of international artists represented by the Contemporary Art Network (cannyc.com) to show at this year’s Artexpo NYC 2013.  This has been the world’s largest fine art trade show for the past 35 years. For more information on this exciting event go to: http://artexponewyork.com/

Sally has been invited to exhibit again in New York. The New Art Centre hosted solo exhibitions of Sally’s work in 2011 and 2012 at their mid-town gallery on Eighth Avenue. Earlier this year the gallery moved to a new downtown location in New York’s vibrant and very hip Lower East Side, which is looking to overtake Chelsea as the centre of contemporary art in Manhattan . The show will open on 5 June and run until 23 June. More information to come. The exhibition will feature Sally’s abstract works, extraordinarily textured pieces created through piping acrylic paints and string. The palette is controlled and subtle, allowing the intensity to come through in the form of texture. For Sally, it is an amazing honour and opportunity to be asked back to appear in the big apple year after year.

Go to www.artifactnyc.net for more information on this gallery.

Sally West’s Latest Solo Exhibition “Impressionist Landscapes of Sydney’s East” will run from March 2 to March 17, 2013 (meet the artist 2-4pm, March 2)

at The Fellia Melas Gallery, 2 Moncur Street, Woollahra. p. 02 9363 5616     Open 7 days 10am-5pm, e. art@fmelasgallery.com.au, www.fmelasgallery.com.au.

Don’t miss Sally West’s latest award winning contemporary landscapes. Sally’s mastery of the palette knife and use of thick luscious oil paints keeps her work lively and fresh. A true artist who conveys the beauty in all that surrounds her.

The Fellia Melas Gallery would like to invite you along to meet the artist on Saturday, 2 March at 2pm.