​THE COLLECTION presents the first exhibition curated from the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Collection, which was launched in March 2014. Since then over 100 significant  artworks by local and Australian artists have been aquired for the collection. Each artwork was selected based on its excellence, relevance, value and ability to celebrate the cultural identity of the Blue Mountains.
Artists presented in the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Collection include James Blackwell, Blue Mountains Illustrators, John Caldwell, Peter Kingston, Michael Mandelc, Scott Marr, Andrew Merry, Bernard Ollis, Simon Reece, Leo Robba, Joan Ross, Wendy Sharpe, Garry Shead, Nicole Welch, Freedom Wilson and Ken and Julia Yonetani.
A Blue Mountains Cultural Centre exhibition
Image: John Caldwell Wollangambe Wilderness  1989, mixed media on paper, 100 x 150cm

The Firestation Print Studio is a not-for-profit organisation, managed by a committee of volunteers.

Our Mission Statement: 
The Firestation Print Studio supports and promotes the art of making original prints. Creativity is vital to our culture and society, and we aim to inspire both individuals and the community by fostering excellence and innovation in the practice of printmaking.
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​FIRESTATION PRINT STUDIO 2 Willis Street Armadale Victoria 3143 Australia Ph 03 95091782 email [email protected]
Public Hours: 11 to 5pm Wednesday to Saturday. Of course our qualified members can visit 24/7... why not join?

Join Idris Murphy on Lord Howe Island for 6 days of plein air painting. Described by locals as the ‘Last Paradise’, Lord Howe Island provides breathtaking landscape and natural beauty not found anywhere else.

Raging seas, ancient forests, mottled reefs, majestic mountains and ever changing skies await you. Warm Coral Sea currents keep the island in a state of perpetual spring with perfect August daytime temperatures between 18 and 22 degrees. Your small group will explore infinite artistic opportunities on the world heritage listed island, with one of the most influential landscape painters in Australian contemporary art, Idris Murphy.

Idris’ work is held in the public collections of the Australian National Gallery, the National Library of Australia and the Art Gallery of NSW. He has been listed as a finalist in the Sulman and Wynne art prizes several times.

Idris studied at the Winchester School of Art in the UK and at the National Art School (NAS) in Sydney before completing a Phd at Wollongong University. He returned to NAS as Head of Drawing and lecturer at College Of Fine Arts (UNSW) until 2011. Since then he has been painting full time.

An Idris Murphy plein air adventure is a once in a lifetime experience. Idris has been facilitating painting trips to the Australian outback and unique locations for the last 25 years.


VIDEO -  IDRIS MURPHY in the field   https://vimeo.com/69856349  Caption : In the field - courtesy Idris Murphy

To read Idris CV, click here. http://www.idrismurphy.com/cv.html

Alison Chiam Art Workshops  http://www.alisonchiamartworkshopsjervisbay.com/  are offering the opportunity to immerse yourself in all things painting. Your accommodation, food, flights and tuition are all included to give you 6 days to paint, eat and talk painting and then paint some more, with a master of Australian landscape painting and no more than 10 other artists.

Places are strictly limited (11 max ) and filling fast, so please book early! All levels of ability are very welcome. 

​Get along to Joe Frosts latest exhibition on now Watters gallery in Sydney. "As the title Human Formations suggests, the current series reflects Frost’s interest in the way the spaces we inhabit create odd languages for our bodies to speak. For those who take the time to look, the city creates readymade scenography within which we cluster together and conduct ourselves in strange ways: the still-but-moving human display of the escalator, the reciprocal voyeurism of the clotted urban beach, the synchronised and sweaty rituals that can be witnessed at the early morning boot camp in the public park. At times we sense that Frost is watching on with bemusement, but there are also strong currents of malcontent ..." excerpt from exhibition catalogue essay by Laura Fisher, 2016.
Joe has a workshop in Huskisson in August, bring a friend for a great weekend of learning and inspiration, check it out http://www.alisonchiamartworkshopsjervisbay.com/upcoming-workshops.html

​Nick draws on his observations of the environment around him and his personal experience for subject matter and themes. 
His childhood spent moving all over has had a profound influence on his work. Prior to attending art school, he supported himself through a range of odd jobs that gave him plenty of inspiration for subject matter for his art.

“I paint what would be considered traditional Western subject matter – portraiture, landscape and still-life – reinterpreted through the lens of Eastern philosophy. While my paintings appear representational, it isn’t my intention to give an inventory of the material world, but rather to examine the riddles at the core of experience.” Collerson, 2011. 

NIck teaches painting at the National Art School in Sydney and has a weekend workshop in Huskisson at Alison Chiam Art Workshops Jervis Bay in July. http://www.alisonchiamartworkshopsjervisbay.com/upcoming-workshops.html