Parnell Gallery 'Moving Wild' Solo Exhibition / May 2017.
Had a great opening night up at the Parnell Gallery in Auckland for my first solo exhibition.
Energetic and thick brushstrokes depict naturalistic forms in her paintings. Simplification and exaggeration of the landscape communicates an emotive atmosphere and depicts a strong sense of depth in her paintings.
From the valley rivers to the mountaintop alpine tarns, Caroline is a passionate mountaineer and tramps in these remote areas, often for days at a time, directly experiencing the landscape. She then translates the experience and physical energy of the place back into her paintings in the studio, using a complexity of naturalistic colour and bold brushwork.
“Moving Wild” is a body of work inspired by an 18 day tramp in the remote South Westland Wilderness. Caroline was the recipient of the Federated Mountains Club (FMC) scholarship, which she used to fund this ambitious trip. “Bellamy chose to explore the Mt Aspiring region after a previous three-day traverse over the Tara Tama Range. The rugged and remote landscape beckoned her; she says she was inspired by the challenge of the spectacular terrain. While on their expedition, the group encountered a few hairy moments, with one member airlifted out on day 12 after breaking his ankle following a fall into Cargo Creek. Bellamy also remembers a treacherous descent down Bevans Col on the Bonar Glacier, slipping and sliding down three abseils to the bottom. The whole experience was life-changing, she says, and the support from FMC goes beyond the dollar amount. “It’s good to know they’re getting behind young people, and that alone makes you want to do it.””. You can read the full Wilderness article here.
