Family Allsorts by Sarah Drury / Twin Pics by Marie Healy / From Life by Helen McCosker

Solo shows from three Sydney artists exploring human expressions, both personal and observed.

Family Allsorts by SARAH DRURY
These paintings are still life explorations of family memories, utilising objects that belonged to my parents and my maternal grandmother, or objects that I associate with them.

It was a joy to bring these varied objects together and use them to evoke memories of those in my family who are no longer with us and very much missed.

I am thankful for the support and encouragement of many people in preparing for this event, particularly my friends from ArtEst. Art School in Leichhardt: Marie Healy, Matilda Michell, Lisa Woolfe and Jennifer McNamara, Michelle from 107 Projects, and Garry Burton and members of my dear family who helped me pull together the objects and ideas for each canvas. Friends and family... where would we be without them.

Twin Pics by MARIE HEALY
I have worked as a Doctor in Redfern for almost 15 years, and so am thrilled to have my first exhibtion right here in Redfern Street.

I have been painting for 3 years, more so in the last 12 months. Last year I was excited to be hung as a finalist in both the Hunter's Hill and Kogarah Art prizes.

I like to paint images that tickle my fancy - I use real objects and people, photographs, fabrics, familiar spaces and memories as inspiration. I love painting portraits of people and animals -it's a challenge to get the right mood or expression. This collection of paintings celebrates my realtionship with pets, my daughter and my twin sister. The images represent stages and moments in our lives, or thoughtst I harbour about our relationships. Some scenes are more nostalgic and some more comical. I couldn't help but sneak in a sense of the vintage fabrics I've loved over the years as well. The varying textures and colours of skin, fur,and fabric are quite a study

From Life by HELEN McCOSKER
My background as an Illustrator influences most of my work so that poses, props and compositions usually carry a hint of a story.

The drawings in this exhibition have been made either at weekly sessions at my local life-drawing group or at Dr Sketchys Burlesque Life Drawing at the Arthouse Hotel, which meets twice a month.

The importance of maintaining life drawing is like piano practise for the musician. More than maintaining some hand-eye coordination, it allows a link to occur (on good days) between mind, eye, model and material being used. A journey of trying to translate the energy and spirit of the pose into marks on paper. When stated simply, the outer form of the human body can say so much about the human condition. I call this 'drawing with attitude' - capturing the narrative element, moods and feelings of a pose, as well as my own emotional connection with it.

Life drawing has given me a life-line by allowing me to have continuity in my art-practise through the last few years which have been very difficult for my family. It provided continuity, concentration, inspiration, possibilities, and continues to provide some good companionship.

Opening night Thursday 11th April 6-9pm

Exhibition continues Thursday to Sunday 12-5pm until Sunday 21st April