| Archive of Featured Artists |
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Listed below are our past Featured Artists. To read their story click on the story title. |
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| » | Art for Heart's Sake | | Meet Raelean Hall, inspiring and healing others through her art and art therapy. | | |
| » | The Art of Spirit | | Meet Meloney Steyl, expressing her passion and faith through paint and pen. | | |
| » | Magic Music Mamma | | Meet Kath Willams, a talented performer and teacher, touching others through the magic of music. | | |
| » | Jewellery Gems. | | Meet Pauline Murray, decorating women everywhere with her exquisite jewellery. | | |
| » | Market Art Magic | | Meet Adrienne Parker, blending pattern and colour to create inspiring works of art. | | |
| » | Glamorous Glass | | Meet Glenys Fentiman shining a light on the diversity and beauty of glass art. | | |
| » | Inspiring Images | | Meet Tracy Woolley a photographer and business woman inspiring people all over the world. | | |
| » | Outback Artist | | Meet June McCotter, promoting and painting the essence of the outback experience. | | |
| » | Soulful Singer | | Meet Delany Delaney, a mesmerizing and magical performer, weaving her magic through song. | | |
| » | Natural Beauty | | Meet Saffron Drew, capturing the texture, colour, and dynamic pattern of nature in her art. | | |
| » | Forming the Female | | Meet Lindi Birnie – ‘Body & Soul’ – celebrating the female form sculpturally. | | |
| » | Funky Females | | Meet Denise Daffara, celebrating the light and joy of women in her funky, fun, colourful paintings | | |
| » | Captivating Ceramics | | Meet Shannon Garson, a porcelain artist inspired by nature and history, blending them into magical pieces. | | |
| » | Painting Pleasures | | Meet Natalie Dyer, diversely expressing the beauty of life in sensational works of art | | |
| » | Sensational Sistas | | Meet Louise and Sarah, sisters in life, string and song, creating beautiful music together. | | |
| » | Alluring Abstracts | | Meet Christine Maudy, French born abstract artist creating soulful abstracts and striking colours. | | |
| » | Sculpting Sensations | | Meet Anne-Laure Demene, superbly sculpting form and fauna in a variety of mediums. | | |
| » | Mayan Magic | | Meet Heidi Woodman, ceramic artist blending ancient wisdom with intuitive impulses, expressed in earth material. | | |
| » | Divine Drawing | | Meet Francie Griffin, using her artistic and intuitive gifts to contact and draw your spirit guide | | |
| » | Quintessential Quilts | | Meet Cynthia Morgan, creating tantalizing textile art, specializing in art quilts. | | |
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| In our Featured
Artists you will meet sensational local Artists
doing extraordinary things in the Art world....
Please visit us regularly to see our latest Featured
Artist. |
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| Singing and Painting Her Way Through Life |
| Contact
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Ph:- 54765307
Mobile:- 0439778343 |
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| Meet Fay Baker, a woman demonstrating that it is never too late to grow creatively. |
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Featured Artist Question and Answers: |
| How long have you been painting/singing? I first learned to play the piano when I was 7. My parents gave me wonderful opportunities to study music, first at home on the piano, then at school. My father bought me a violin, which I wasn’t too happy about playing. I had heard a friend play the cello and was very keen to try that. My father very generously bought me a beautiful cello, which I took to like a duck to water. I was lucky enough to get a place at The Royal Academy of Music, in London and studied piano and cello there for 3 years. My interest in singing came much later, as a result of becoming an accompanist at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music and at the University of Queensland and meeting vocal teachers Margaret Nickson (teacher of Lisa Gasteen, now world-renowned Wagnerian singer) and James Christiansen. I wouldn’t class myself as a singer, although I am a singing member of Oriana Concert Choir here on the Sunshine Coast. I am a vocal coach. I understand the complexities of vocal technique and can help singers reach their potential.
Painting has been a hobby for the past 8 years and surprisingly I have developed a passion for it. I say surprisingly because I had absolutely no talent for it in my younger years.
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| How have you developed your art?
Painting. I first went to lessons in watercolour at the Hinterland Art Centre in Landsborough, where I was taught by then owner Tracey Sims. She instilled in me the basic technique of watercolour, for which I’ll always be grateful. After a couple of years, when Tracey stopped teaching, I started studying with Tony Lewis, who is a master watercolourist, a very good teacher and a wonderful person.
Music. After many years teaching piano at home and then becoming an accompanist at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music and the University of Queensland I became a repetiteur at Opera Queensland, playing for opera rehearsals and coaching singers. When we moved up to the Sunshine Coast, I retired as repetiteur and I now work occasionally as a vocal coach at Opera Queensland, coaching the Young and Developing Artists, which I find very interesting and stimulating. Here on the Coast I have a few singing students and as previously stated I am a member of Oriana Concert Choir. In the choir I sing, accompany when the accompanist is unavailable and am also the Assistant Conductor. This is one of many choirs I have been involved with as accompanist during my career – the others being the Brisbane Chorale, QCM Chamber Singers, UQ Chamber Singers, Sunshine Coast Choral Society and Noosa Chorale. |
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| Who or what has been a major inspiration/influence in your painting/singing? I have to say that Tony Lewis has been the major influence in my development of painting. I go to classes weekly in Buderim and he is just a wonderful, talented, patient teacher. He is still painting, exhibiting and winning competitions well into his eighties.
In my job as vocal coach it was Margaret Nickson who inspired in me the love of singing and the ability to understand how to draw out the optimum sound in a person’s voice. She was quite brilliant in her field.
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| What do you hope to give with your art?
As far as music goes, I am at a stage in life where I feel I can offer all my experience to my students and the choirs that I work with, in order for them to enjoy it all as much as I have done. |
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| What do you get from your art?
I get an enormous satisfaction from seeing singers whom I coach, whether amateur or professional, overcome a particular difficulty and become very excited with what they are achieving.
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| What has been your greatest moment with your painting/singing?
I would have to say the first time I sold a painting. Even though it was to a friend, it was still a very exciting moment!
There have been too many great moments in my music career to mention. I have taken part in many wonderful choral concerts, played the piano for exciting rehearsals for Opera Queensland, accompanied many wonderful, talented singers in rehearsals and concerts and been lucky enough to study with great teachers in London in my youth.
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| Where would you like to take your art?
I’m lucky enough to be on a wonderful journey that is never-ending. I don’t know what’s round the corner, in both my music and my painting and this keeps me excited and passionate about both. |
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| What would you say to someone who is interested in taking up painting/singing?
Do it! You’re never too old to try. My singing students range in age from 30 to 80 and I started painting when I was 60!
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| What part of your spirit adds to your success as an artist? I think overall the ability to connect with people. |
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| Who do you know that is a ‘spirited’ woman?
Judy Glen, friend, singer, comedienne, whom I met when she moved up to Caloundra and wanted an accompanist to help her in the production of her one-woman shows here, in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast. A remarkable person, sympathetic, loyal, warm, fun–loving, serious thinker and very entertaining. |
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| Is there anything else you would like to let us know about you? I have a wonderfully supportive husband, Howard, whom I met when we were at school together and to whom I’ve been married for 45 years. Our three children with their families including five grandchildren live close by. Howard, daughter Jenny and daughter-in-law Trish also sing in the Oriana Concert Choir, making it a real ‘family affair’!
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