SUE Gilbert jokes that theirs is a match made in Heaven.
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While she creates wonderful watercolour and oil paintings, her husband Garry makes the frames.
The couple, of Yarrawonga Park, said their art was just a hobby, but both have been busier than usual in the lead up to this weekend’s Dobell Festival of Arts and Crafts.
Sue has been finishing the three paintings she’s entering in the festival competition, while Garry has been in his garage workshop knocking up a few extra custom-made frames for other local artists who are entering the festival.
This will be the 15th consecutive year Sue’s entered the festival, which will again be held at Wangi District Workers Club.
“The venue is just so Lake Macquarie,” she said.
“The outlook there is beautiful.”
Sue’s entries this year include two of her signature water-themed paintings – Wangi Shores and Driftwood – and one depicting a rustic house, Gimberts Road.
The paintings will also be for sale.
Sue said she was a harsh critic of her own work, but she liked the three paintings, and that was a good sign.
“The paintings I really like usually sell quite quickly,” she said.
Sue is largely self-taught, but enjoys collecting tips from books and TV shows.
“You never stop learning as an artist,” she said.
Her top tip for beginners was to have patience.
“It’s rushing that causes most problems,” she said.
“And it doesn’t matter if you make mistakes.”
We’ve had a 40 per cent increase in art entries this year, with over 320 paintings which makes it a record year.
- - Jim Wilson
Sue said she’d scrapped plenty of her work over the years, and started again.
But it doesn’t mean she necessarily throws out the mistakes. In fact, she’s kept plenty of them.
“I’ll keep them as a reminder. A sort of ‘don’t go there’,” she said.
Event organiser, Jim Wilson, of Wangi Lions, said competition at this year’s festival was likely to be stronger than ever.
“We’ve had a 40 per cent increase in art entries this year, with over 320 paintings which makes it a record year,” he said.
The Dobell Festival of Arts and Crafts will have its official opening at Wangi District Workers Club on Friday night.
The exhibition of works will be open all Saturday and Sunday.