A verdant canvas

AN art exhibition inspired by the hinterland’s rainforest landscapes has opened in the gallery at Uki Post Office.

The Familiar Ground exhibition, by Bilambil-based artist Jenna-Lee Balk, includes around half a dozen contemporary paintings.

Balk, who grew up in Burringbar, said she loves living in this part of the world, with the surrounding greenery providing endless inspiration.

“I find there are things around this area that are so unique, like the towering gum trees and the palm trees that intertwine with them,” she said.

Balk studied art at Southern Cross University before taking a role teaching art at St Joseph’s College Banora Point.

She opened her own studio, Little White Studio, when the youngest of her three sons was three months old.

“Having kids pushed me back into doing my painting and my art for myself, using it as a way to de-stress,” she said.

In recent times Balk has reduced her pallet to a handful of colours, including various shades of green and rust.

“My work has a lot of negative space in it,” she said. “Sometimes it’s as much about what’s not there as it is about what is there.”

Her work is often featured in home interiors magazines and has previously been exhibited at Mist Gallery in Cabarita and Eltham Village Gallery, next to Eltham Hotel.

This is her first exhibition at Art Post Uki, which opened in 2017 after Gary Wall took over the post office, added a coffee bar, and recruited local artist Sue Kinneally to open a small gallery within it.

Artists apply to exhibit there and are selected by an independent panel outside the Northern Rivers, with exhibitions usually running for around six weeks.

“It’s such a cute gallery,” Balk said. “It’s a big part of the culture and community of the town, and for a small place it has an extremely good reputation.”

Familiar Ground is at Uki Post Office every day until February 12.

For more information, visit artpostuki.com