September 27th, 2024Showcasing Pearl’s Petals at The Convent
Surrounded by family photos, keepsakes and memories of her late husband Donny, Daylesford’s Sandy Breen creates magic on canvas sitting on a stool in her kitchen.
Her happy place. It’s here she’s putting the finishing touches on her latest exhibition of botanical artwork.
“I called this exhibition My Botanical Phase as over the years I developed a love of botanicals. It first started when I spent many happy years conducting colouring classes with a local senior citizens’ group,” she said.
“Then around five years ago a friend asked if I could paint Australian botanicals that she could use for a series of scarves she was having produced for the local and overseas markets. I called on a local horticulturist who gave me three images to paint…I have been in my botanical phase ever since.”
Sandy and Donny had been long- time visitors and over that time cemented life and connections in the community before moving here permanently in 2009.
Sandy spends countless hours giving back to the community every week, running the weekly community lunch in Daylesford – the 5000 Club.
‘Honoured’ to be showcasing her botanical artwork at the Convent Gallery in Daylesford from October, Sandy’s love affair with art began as a child.
As a teenager she landed a cadetship in the advertising department at Myer Melbourne. These were the days when artwork was done by hand and Sandy created thousands of layouts for press ads with her own manual artwork, not design software on computers.
While still living in Melbourne, and with three children, Sandy started her freelance design company in order to have the flexibility to work from home.
It wasn’t long before her clientele included major fashion houses, magazines, shopping centres and her beloved St Kilda Football Club.
In the late 1990s Sandy experienced a yearning to get back to painting. She enrolled in a watercolour course and her love of painting bloomed.
In the early to mid- 2000s Sandy exhibited at the Gardiner Contemporary Gallery in Hawthorn and held a residency at the Sofitel Hotel in Melbourne.
Twenty years on and Sandy feels honoured to be exhibiting again.
“Sandy Breen: My Botanical Phase (aka Pearl’s Petals), given Pearl has been my nickname for more than 50 years, is an exhibition of over 40 of my botanical images which I am delighted to be showcasing at the iconic Convent Gallery,” she said.
“My exhibition includes a trip down memory lane with a display spanning my working life.”
And while Sandy said she feels Donny’s presence sitting at her kitchen bench, paintbrush in hand, a canvas perched on a cushion, her exhibition will also feature her artist daughter Keele’s contemporary works.
Fitting for Sandy who believes her family is her greatest achievement, she is delighted that her daughter Keele will be exhibiting some of her works in tandem with hers.
“I never dreamed of having an exhibition at the Convent Gallery, but I am truly thrilled.”
Sandy Breen: My Botanical Phase exhibition will be held at the Convent Gallery, 7 Daly Street, Daylesford commencing on October 3 until December 5.
Words & Image: Narelle Groenhout
