Have you heard of the Australian artist Margaret Olley? Don't worry if you haven't as we are going to be discussing her life and designs here on the blog today. Photos and biography details are courtesy of the Art Gallery of NSW.
The reason that I chose Olley to be the first Artist in Spotlight here on It's a Classical Life is because I have long admired her work and the beautiful and warm simplicity depicted in her paintings. Predominantly her work consists of still-life and interior paintings, from the late 1940s all the way to the early 2000s. And honestly, they remind me of my grandmother's place (and perhaps your grandmother's too!) They exude a feeling of welcome and love and are, to me, what home should be. She focuses on simple pleasures in her painting, flowers, fresh fruit and vegetables, well-worn furniture and china crockery that is treasured yet still used on an everyday basis.
Biography
Born in 1923 in Lismore, New South Wales, Olley studied art at Brisbane Technical College then at East Sydney Technical College. She graduate in 1945 with first-class honours. After her first solo-exhibition at Macquarie Gardens in Sydney in 1948, she travelled to Europe. She lived in Paris for a while, where she studied at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière.
Olley travelled a lot throughout her life; after returning to Brisbane in 1953, she was commissioned to paint a series of murals before travelling north to Magnetic Island, then on to Malaysia, Cambodia and Bali. Her beautiful still-life paintings all reflect the vibrant colours of her travels.
Olley did finally settle down though, buying a terrace house at 48 Duxford Street in Paddington. A house that she filled with objects and curios, many of which would appear in her paintings. Have a look at all the detail in these paintings!
Olley travelled again in the 70s and 80s, visiting such places as Crete, America, Egypt, China, Russia and Italy. Yet even on these travels "her subject matter remained focused on her immediate surroundings and the evidence of her experiences appeared in the objects included in her still-life arrangements ."
Olley continued to exhibit her work until the early 2000s. When she died in 2011, a state memorial service was held in her honour at The Art Gallery of NSW.
Inspired by Margaret Olley's Paintings
There is so much that we, as lovers of the classics and those seeking to live a simple and refined life, can take away from Olley's paintings. Let's dive straight in!
1. Always have fresh flowers in your home.
This is a really simple one, especially during spring and summer where flowers are abundant. We are coming into spring here now and there is a plethora of flowers in the garden from pale, delicate daisies to vibrant pink camellias. The rose bushes are growing strongly, but as of yet there are no buds to pick. I do have some lovely tulips growing, although naughty cockatoos are often quick to sharpen their beaks on the tulip stems! Find fresh flowers (preferably free ones) wherever you can and decorate your home with them. I promise that seeing them will lift your spirits every time you walk past!
If flowers are hard to come by, a dozen bright yellow lemons nestled in a blue and white bowl can make a beautiful display. Or oranges, or stunning red apples, polished to a shine. I know many of our northern hemisphere friends love to decorate with pumpkins (of all sizes, shapes and colours) in autumn, and I'm sure that Margarey Olley would definitely have loved that idea!
3. It's not clutter if you love it and you use it
The minimalist movement that has been sweeping through homes over the last few years has encouraged us to follow William Morris' well-known mantra: "Have nothing in your houses that you know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." However, I believe that Margaret's philosophy on this quote is just as powerful. She kept those beautiful flowers, even after they were long dead, she used that crockery and all those little knick-knacks in her paintings and surrounded herself with art. If this is appealing to you
4. Do what you can do, one day at a time
It's great to have goals, but don't put extra pressure on yourself. In an interview with Olley in 2011, shortly before she passed away, Olley claims "you can only do what you can do in a day and that's it. Do what you can in a day." By taking our lives one day at a time we are more mindful, more aware of the beauty and simplicity that surrounds us; and isn't that what a classically, refined life is all about?
I hope you've enjoyed this little foray into the works and influence that Margarey Olley has had on my life, and I hope that there might be something that you can take away to apply to your own life. Even, if it's just an appreciation of her beautiful, homely paintings!
Kirsty x
Comments
Post a Comment