Local artist explores canine companionship in new exhibition as LAVA launches in the Tweed

LOCAL artist Heidi Ledwell views dogs as companions, protectors, sources of comfort and, increasingly, muses.

This weekend, as the LAVA Arts Festival launches in the Tweed Shire, Ledwell will unveil her latest exhibition, Dog Daze – a collection of paintings celebrating the bond between humans and their canine companions.

“Dog Daze comes from my love of dogs,” Ledwell said.

“As a painter I spend many solitary hours in my studio pursuing my art, having a dog at my feet is a comfort.

“Dogs give us an insight into all that is important in life – unconditional love, being joyful, being protective, taking time to relax, to stretch, to eat and to be inquisitive.”

In the exhibition, Ledwell draws on a long-held connection with dogs, which stretches back to a childhood spent in the regional Victorian town of Mallacoota.

“Growing up in Mallacoota my family had a succession of boxer dogs, dopey, happy, loyal companions,” she said.

“I yearned for a dog of my own. This came in the form of a Jack Russell called Peanut.

 

“He was my companion, my protector, my muse, my wingman. Something stable in a time of flux.

“He was also incredibly embarrassing… doing his business at all the most embarrassing situations. Very humbling.”

Ledwell said that keeping a dog also offers valuable lessons in letting go.

“Experiencing the life of a dog is pure joy, a privilege and heartbreaking as we say goodbye,” she said.

For Ledwell, those experiences have found their way onto the canvas.

“My latest body of work depicts the way dogs have worked themselves into the fibre of our existence, whether it be snuggled into cushions on the couch or on their backs, legs splayed across the bed, they work their magic, seeking out as much comfort as possible,” she said.

Dog Daze also represents another chapter in Ledwell’s artistic journey.

“My life transitioned from full-time graphic designer to artist 15 years ago, building my practice slowly while being a mum,” she said.

“Now with school finished and my son living his best life I have the time and the headspace to dedicate my life to painting, something I have wanted since I was a small child.”

 

Ledwell is among many artists opening their studios and exhibition spaces as part of this year’s LAVA Arts Festival and said the event offers an opportunity to discover the region’s creative community.

“I am privileged to have a studio at M-Arts Precinct in the heart of Murwillumbah and be a participant in the LAVA Art Festival,” she said.

“The Northern Rivers is home to many amazing artists, and this weekend gives visitors a unique chance to explore an extensive variety of art.”

Ledwell shares Yella Tail Studio with three other local artists. She will exhibit alongside fellow artist Malcolm Reid, who will have a display of new works in his show Late Bloomer.

Yella Tail Studio will launch the festival with drinks and canapes from 4pm on Friday 26 June.

The LAVA Arts Festival is on from Friday 26 to Sunday 28 June.

Dog Daze will be on show at M-Arts Precinct until Tuesday 30 June.

For more information, visit lava-arts.com.au