Beauty and the Beach at Torquay art Gallery

WITH the iconic Bells Beach surf competition arriving in town, local artists are bringing their love of the waves to an art exhibition.

Artist and Torquay Art Gallery owner Adam Stanley is joining forces with Nathan Patterson to exhibit works that capture the beauty of the beach.

“We’ve done some collaborative artwork together before after meeting six years ago.

“Nathan asked if I wanted to paint something together and we decided to do a seascape of Bells Beach,” Mr Stanley said.

“We called the work Bunjil over Bells.

“This particular exhibition called ‘Bells Beach Surf Art’ will run for a month after the opening on March 30.

“Lachlan Hurrell will be playing live music and there will be drinks and light food provided from 5pm until 9pm.”

Mr Stanley said other artists exhibiting include Stephan Draper who carves schools of fish and Peter Barfoot who makes and designs tables, benches, frames and wood etching from locally sourced wood.

“There’s also works from Jennifer O’Sullivan who creates unique glass waves and bowls, Andrew Doyle who carves bowls and Leighton Edwards sculpting and photography,” he said.

Mr Stanley said exhibitions are about more than just selling art pieces; they’re about creating an experience and opportunity for people to come together.

“There’s a lot of talent on the Surf Coast and really good, interesting people that enjoy seascape art.

“It’s not just about selling art but sharing it.”

Mr Stanley said both he and Adam work with acrylic paint and drew inspiration from all aspects of the ocean.

“I focus on seascape because I love the beach and diving and being underwater. It’s also really important as an artist to have the opportunity to showcase your works, so this is what this exhibition is about.”

The Torquay Art Gallery, located at 2/12 Gilbert Street Torquay will be open seven days a week from 10am until 4pm throughout the exhibition.