Glass Artist Katherine Lys

Katherine Lys is a glass artist originally from Calgary, Canada, where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in glass. She is currently living and working in Perth. Lys has been the recipient of several awards and exhibits regionally and nationally. Her focus is blown glass, but she also works with glass fusing and slumping, as well as woodcarving and life drawing.
Katherine's work centers around juxtaposition - how one colour lays against another, or how two materials highlight each other's qualities.  However, she is more interested in the subtle discrepencies rather than stark contrast - asking what makes us the same, rather than what makes us different? 
Katherine is currently working with Anne Clifton who's exhibition we have on display until the 18th of September. If you flick back to the earlier post on 'how to make a furnace' you will see both Anne and Katherine working their magic with glass.

“New Chevron: Bead Objects of Desire” A collectable contemporary look at an ancient tradition of glassmaking by Anne Clifton

“New Chevron: Bead Objects of Desire” A collectable contemporary look at an ancient tradition of glassmaking. On show at Breathing Colours Gallery from Tuesday 7th until Sat 18th September.

Making glass beads has become a very popular hobby throughout Australia. With numerous classes and workshops on making your own glass beads, it is no surprise we see so many of them throughout shops, galleries and market stalls. With such a flooded market however, the term glass bead can conjure up some unfortunate images.

Anne Clifton has this same passion for making beads but unlike many of the others, she is a glassmaker by profession. These are glass beads unlike any you’ve seen before. With such amazing colours, patterns and exquisite workmanship, these are beautiful objects in their own right without any need to be attached to a necklace. Each piece is very carefully finished to the highest standard with every edge smoothed and every side polished. They feel like little treasures when you hold them in your hand.

“I do have a fascination with beads: seashells with holes in them, limestone with holes in it, driftwood with holes in it, tools, cans, really anything with a hole in it is a bead to me.
I think this stems from an overly abundant childhood full of frustrations. Wanting to create but not having the technology to do ANYTHING. So basically things with holes became my doorway to art”

Anne was born in the South West Tall Timbers country of Western Australia. At the age of four, her family moved to the US as her parents thought it “the best place for educating girls.” Here Anne spent the long summer holidays traipsing around the continent. History, Geography, and Sociology were constant topics and every roadside marker had its relevance to The Education. As a result Anne’s constant source of interest and amusement was more knowledge. Upon their return to Australia, Anne’s thirsty mind naturally turned to the arts, here she was able to play at processes, techniques of expression and heavy machinery.


Many years later finally hot glass has stopped this dilettante –ism. That, and a partner who knows more about something than she does. The result is Glass Manifesto, the studio and gallery Anne established in 2003 with her partner Peter Bowles. Check out their website for more examples of Anne and Peter’s work.

New jewellery By Mollusc Designs

We have just displayed exciting new jewellery by Mollusc Design! this is a small sample of the extensive collection of rings, bangles and earrings we have in the gallery.

'Mollusc Design' is union, concept, and vision of 2 artists/designers based in Sydney, Australia: Scott Symington and Voola Taka-Symington.

Our work merges qualified study (Cert. Dip. Bachelor Fine-art, Graphic Design, Jewellery making) with different cultural influences, travel, life experiences, and a shared lifetime passion to connect through use of the eye/hand/soul.


Beauty can be found everywhere, and this is where we seek it, painstakingly sourcing inspiration and materials, striving to create unique designs,with the inventive use of resin, precious and semi precious stones and metals, recycled and found objects.

All pieces are high quality, handmade originals. Limited reproduction is possible only where materials allow. Custom ordering is a welcomed challenge.

'Mollusc Design' is about creating, exploring, experimenting, erring, learning and growing.

'Mollusc Design is the love of art and life in all its forms and glory.

Making a Furnace Bead by Anne Clifton

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Anita Jokovich: an exhibition of recent works, 24th August to September 2010

Anita Jokovich
Below 1- acrylic on canvas (40x40cm)

Anita Jokovich
Below 3 - Acrylic on canvas (40x40cm)

Anita Jokovich presents a series of dramatic paintings which
emanate raw emotion. She uses a layering technique to portray light and dark, and the culmination of mood, thought and experience.

Anita likens her work to the perpetual movement of the ocean. Like waves, each layer is unique in its own right – allowing her paintings to take on a life of their own.

Anita holds a Bachelor of Arts in Design from Curtin University, and currently works as an Art Director in Sydney. Her passion lies with all things creative, including photography and drawing, however it is painting which enables her to express herself most creatively.

EYES: a window to the soul, 10th to 21st August

This exhibition is a collaboration between seven artists: Vivienne Mewings, Jacky Lawes, Andrea Williams, Louise Smith, Lisa Lynton-Frost, Barbara Wade and Julianne Ross Allcorn. EYES: a window to the soul is on display at breathing colours gallery from Tue 10th to Sat 21st August (10am to 6pm Tue to Sat).



This project was initiated by a small group of artists inspired to pay respect to the work of classical masters. Focusing on small sections of familiar paintings, these artists have created their own studied details from each artwork. By closing in on the particular area of the eyes, the question is posed, whose eyes are we now looking through? The eyes of the artist? The eyes of the subject? Or simply our own eyes, those of the viewer?

'Travelling Lines' by Roxanne Lillis & Loren Keir, 20th July to 2nd August

Roxanne Lillis- The Old Quarter I
Oil & mixed media on canvas (45 x 45 cm)

Loren Keir - Linear Necklaces
Sterling Silver

Loren Keir - Oribiting Path 2
Oil on canvas (18 x 20 cm)

Travelling Lines
Roxanne Lillis & Loren Keir
20th July to 7th August

Roxanne Lillis’ lines relate to the continuous. “It’s really the moving dot. The brush comes off the artwork for a period of review, and returns to continue my form of communication. The subject matter or impetus was inspired by the infinite rows of buildings and entangled electrical wires in busy built up areas observed during recent travels.”

Loren Keir’s lines have developed their own lives. “Some are destined to go on forever, some end where they started, some diverge in different directions - travelling and exploring, whilst others orbit the same place, drawn to its familiarity. Some lines begin to blur into others combining to become one while other lines clearly contrast their surroundings or the lines next to them. Some use those around to define themselves while others stand alone making their own impact.”

Roxanne Lillis began her studies at the Julian Ashton Art School in 1993 and achieved her Bachelor of Creative Arts from the University of Wollongong in 1999. She has exhibited regularly around New South Wales throughout the last 15 years.

Loren Keir graduated with honours from the jewellery and object department of Sydney College of the Arts. She has exhibited widely in Sydney and New South Wales and is part of the artist collective Makers Manifold.

Defense D' Afficher. (Loi Du 29 Juillet 1881) A series of work by Richard Denny, 29th June to 17th July

Images clockwise from top Left: Lady travels by tram, Waiter,
Security Dove, Spider All works: Acrylic and mixed media on Paper

A SERIES OF WORK BY RICHARD DENNY. 29th June to 17th July

Once whilst meandering through the streets of an unusually snow-
covered Marseille, Richard Denny discovered an abandoned box of maps.
Upon further examination it was an extensive collection, holding
topographic portrayals of most regions of France.

By deploying the found maps as an actual canvas, and a basis for his
characters, he has found a means of dripping flavours of personality
and territory over the maps. Using the lines of contour, river, border
and road, Denny would paint in his own lines, shapes and textures.

Later, from these cartographic cross-hatchings would emerge characters
representing people, daily experiences or settings, that Denny
acknowledged inhabiting the streets in his new home. He used what
little he had at hand to locate himself in his new culture showing
telltale signs of a bricoleur.