Prints paint a picture of

Many of the region’s cafes and laneway landmarks are now on display as linoprints as part of a local creative’s new exhibition.

Now on show until December 24 at Accent Framing and Fine Art’s new Bridge Mall location, Amanda Western’s Laneways and Lattes features 16 pieces showcasing the region’s urban culture.

With her work primarily centred around environmental and wildlife conservation, Western said the show shifts much of her focus from natural landscapes to concrete ones.

“I’ve been getting a lot of feedback on my laneways and people seem to love that subject matter,” she said.

“Initially, I thought it was just the natural environment which is a huge part of my mission statement, but I did produce a piece of work in an urban environment, which garnered a lot of interest.

“I really wanted to explore and push myself to see if I can come up with a different sort of energy and I feel I’ve achieved that.”

Using family and friends to lend the artworks their human character, Western spent four months preparing the new works in the exhibition.

Alongside distinctive Ballarat locales such as Hop Lane, LYDIARD general, and L’espresso, other pieces also chart Western’s travels through laneways in Melbourne, Sydney, and the Sunshine Coast.

“I visited a few cafes around town too and asked to take some photos of the baristas or a few of the staff working so there’s a few artworks of Ballarat cafes,” she said.

“It’s to celebrate the coffee culture that Australia certainly has but particularly I think Ballarat has a very strong culture, too.

“Even though I’m focused on the environment, I’m also focused on community and how people engage and how they can support each other and the environment they’re in whether it’s natural or urban.”

Western’s previously displayed work, Arch of Honour, which she created last year as commission for The Mallow Hotel and considers to be her first laneway piece, will also feature in the show.