“I want to reveal both the energy and beauty of the MIA specifically and rural Australian bushland more broadly”.

Growing up in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area of regional New South Wales Sophie has developed a deep appreciation for the unique Australian landscape and a fascination with its native species. This fascination has deepened since regularly visiting her family home on the river in Darlington Point, a place where life revolves around the Murrumbidgee River.

Living with the water at her door, in something of her own riverbank garden or wilderness wonderland, Sophie revels in the beauty and aliveness of the birds and plants living there. When she paints the surrounding bush settings, she is captivated by the colours, from soft greys to dusty pinks.

Sophie is drawn to the vibrancy of the flocks of corellas and cockatoos nesting in the surrounding gum trees, the allusive shapes of the trees on the river's edge dancing in the morning.

This collection of works sees the bush and its species as a collection of vibrant energies, reflected in the colour spectrum she has chosen to paint with. Her paintings document the joy and life in the bush. They focus on the beauty she has found and hang as a reminder to nurture our unique environment.

Sophie Chauncy