Art and nature connect

As you plan your route to experience the best of this year’s Bellarine Arts Trail, don’t miss out on a visit to the studio of local Barwon Heads painter Alison Fincher.

Alison’s studio will be open for four days over the Melbourne Cup Day long weekend, including the Bellarine Arts Trail on November 1 and 2, and the following two days, November 3 and 4, from 10am until 4pm each day.

Art and nature connect in Alison’s work; her loose, layered watercolours and watered acrylics are inspired by water, land, people and life.

Alison regularly paints with watercolour, both on handmade cotton watercolour paper and on stretched canvas, using a specialised watercolour ground.

The local artist will be welcoming people into her studio for four days across the Melbourne Cup long weekend.

She also paints with watered acrylics on a background of stretched canvas, often creating works of large scale.

Visitors to Alison’s studio can expect to see a diversity of subject matter in her paintings, with the Bellarine a major source of inspiration, and water and local bird life often featured.

A frequent traveller, Alison also captures the spirit of places she visits in many of her paintings, including works from Italy, a favourite destination.

Alison’s work has been regularly recognised with awards, including the Australian Watercolour Muster Biennale, a significant national watercolour festival.

She has also exhibited at the major international Fabriano in Acquarello watercolour exhibition in Italy each year for the past five years, as part of a representative cohort of Australian watercolour painters.

Alison was recently invited to present two watercolour workshops at the Australian Watercolour Muster Biennale in Cairns and has this year conducted workshops locally on the Bellarine.

Alison’s work has been regularly recognised with awards and been exhibited in Italy for the past five years.

She plans to offer some one-day workshops during 2026. As the timing is confirmed, details will be made available through her Instagram and website pages.

During Alison’s Open Studio in November, original, unique works on paper and on canvas, in a variety of sizes, framed and unframed, will be on display and available for purchase. Art cards are also available.

Alison will conduct some impromptu painting demonstrations during the Open Studio and is also happy to chat about your watercolour painting experiences.

Alison’s studio can be found at 21 River Parade, Barwon Heads, number eight on this year’s trail map.

For more information, visit alisonfincher.com.au where you can also sign up to the mailing list, or follow @alisonfincherart on Instagram.

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