Printmaker preps for debut solo show

LINOCUT artist Amanda Western is fluctuating between excitement and terror.

After months of taking part in group exhibitions as a member of the Ballarat Society of Artists, and having recently unveiled a piece at The Mallow Hotel, she’s set to launch of her first solo show.

Taking place at the Old Butchers Shop Gallery, Western’s I See You; Do You See Me? exhibition will showcase 26 framed lino prints plus unframed works depicting Australian native birds.

“There’s birds like the wedge-tailed eagle, barking owl, the greater sooty owl, things like falcons and magpies, the eastern osprey which is more Queensland based, and the buff-rumped thornbill,” she said.

“There’s some smaller guys like the jacky winter which are endangered in the Ballarat region.

“This show is focused on quite large formats which is reasonably unusual for printmakers. There’s one that’s taken about 200 hours and I’m only pulling 10 prints off that.

“Some of the works are quite simple with a graphic approach, but I’m focusing more on my detailed work right now. I get a great deal of joy from the physical carving of the lino.”

Western spent about six months producing the collection, working from her home studio in Mount Helen.

With her day job in emergency management and recovery, Western said a key aim for the show is about highlighting a greater appreciation for local wildlife.

“With impacts on habitat for a lot of native wildlife, it has a huge impact on their species, and there’s a lot of birds that are now critically endangered,” she said.

“I have been and continue to work with communities in the central Victorian regions as a result of the big storm in June, 2021.

“Through that work, I’ve become very aware of the devastation of the habitat for our native animals. It’s distressing to see thousands of hectares of bushland being levelled.

“My exhibition is across all native birds but it’s about being very aware that as human beings we need to be sensitive about the environment available to us.”

Several photos of native birds were supplied by photographers Lyn MacKenzie and Jo Ward from Stawell and Queensland respectively.

Ten per cent of profits from the framed works will go towards nonprofit conservationists Birdlife Australia.

I See You; Do You See Me? is on show from Saturday 4 November until Sunday 26 November.