About Louise Lawrence
Lawrence (Jones) is an artist passionate about nature and engaging others in creative pursuit. Having taught Visual Arts at Longreach State High School and Rockhampton State High School she has recently ceased full time teaching to pursue art professionally and embrace home education for her youngest two children. Lawrence was born in Tasmania and began her art journey there with senior studies and submission to numerous art competitions. She held a successful solo exhibition at Launceston’s Red Door Gallery after a visit to NT’s Nhulunby which inspired her naïve series of colourful acrylic paintings and a children’s book ‘Child of the River’. Her painting which inspired this book won the Maleny Art Prize. Two other exhibitions followed: a solo exhibition ‘Life.Changes.Everything.’ was hosted by Dayboro Community Art Gallery. Fascinated by local history, she began an editing partnership with Samford Historical society and in collaboration with them and Samford State School painted a mural for John Scott Park depicting the journey of families and early soldier settlers in rural Samford.
Currently Lawrence resides in Mount Morgan QLD. Since her discovery of yellow fireclay on her property and its links to the historic gold mine brickworks she has been exploring the characteristics and varieties of local wild clay. It is with these clays that she creates sculptures and carved bowls which are bisque fired in her hand built wood fired kiln. She seeks to use sustainable methods for all her ceramic creations and prefers slip sgraffito decorations rather than glazes. Louise is passionate about supporting fellow artists and has recently organized the artist run school holiday workshop program for local school children in Mount Morgan. She frequently visits regional towns to engage new communities in pottery and supports local festivals and markets in collaboration with other local artists.
Image: Courtesy of the artist.
This program is generously supported in partnership with Haymans Electrical.