ARTIST TEACHER WRITER
Christine Porter lives in Lismore, New South Wales, Australia, working from her studio there, as well as in more remote areas of New South Wales and Queensland. She is a full time professional artist. Career highlights include a Bachelor of Visual Arts from Southern Cross University, the 2006 McGregor Fellowship for overseas travel, 150+ prizes, artwork in The National Gallery of Australia and more read her full cv here .
As a painter in watercolour, her artwork tells visual stories about rural Australia, specialising in a portrayal of the iconic Australian Shearing Shed. As a printmaker Christine continues her rural subjects, as well as more personal themes. She uses other mediums too, such as artist made boxes, when the inspiration strikes.
OCTOBER 2020 - Back in the Studio. Finally.
I have just loved getting back into the studio. Starting small, which is an excellent way to begin after so long, I started with this series of pencil and watercolour drawings of this small flock of Suffolk ewes that were amongst the sheep being shorn at Deepwater a year or so ago. For that series I concentrated on the Merino being shorn, keeping this series for another day.
Another day just arrived.
See the full series of fifteen small works here.
SEPTEMBER 2020 - ChristinePorterArtist NOW ON YOUTUBE
In another way to tell stories, the three month journey into this new medium has resulted in three bodies of work: The Artist’s Sketchbooks – a journey with Christine through various of her sketchbooks; Regionally Speaking – a series of conversations with rural and remote Australian artists, and Watercolour Basics – the beginning of a series of on-line painting education modules that will become available as they are completed. Visit Christine’s YouTube Channel
AUGUST THIS TIME NEXT YEAR (2021) - SOLO EXHIBITION DATE CLAIMER
August 5 – September 19, 2021. Stanthorpe Regional Gallery, Stanthorpe Qld.
Official opening Saturday August 8, 2021. 5-7pm
The exhibition will be paintings about this shed that features in this interview.
After accidentally meeting Radio National presenter Ed Ayers in a caravan park in Armidale, he invited her to be on his program, “The Arts Show”. A few months later they went to the “Nundubbermere” shearing shed near Stanthorpe and recorded some stories. The resulting program was broadcast February 13th, 2019. Listen here.
JULY 2020 - GRANT RECIPIENT
I’m thrilled to announce that , along with 12 other Northern Rivers arts practitioners, I have been awarded an Arts Northern Rivers micro grant. This grant of $1000 was created to go towards alleviating the impact of Covid.
My proposal was to develop a platform for teaching on-line – as you know all my face-to-face teaching has been cancelled this year. Going on-line has been on the list for a long time now. I found an email discussing it in 2013! It’s exciting to be working on it now. So I’ve bought a bit of gear, worked out a bit of a plan, and am now doggedly working through some practice videos. To make it easier to achieve, I’ve not set out to do it ALL. Instead I’m creating a digital product to understand HOW to do it. That achievable aim will, I hope, stop me sabotaging the plan completely. Obviously there’s elements that make this a huge project. So baby steps it is.
Read about my grant application on Arts Northern Rivers site.
Read my blog post about how this public forum will keep me accountable.
I’ll announce here when my you-tube channel has things for you to look at, and when I have a working on-line watercolour program. Until then I am still available for zoom lessons if you don’t want to wait that long.
JUNE 2020 - REVISITING PLACE
I’ve been exploring this idea of drawing on site – and the proof needed to show that it happened there rather than in the studio. Read about why I think it’s important as artists to work from life here and here, instead of just from photos.
This series, entitled A Sense of Place, was evolved while I was three shearing sheds in Blackall working on the series West of the Barcoo. Each shed or site I’ve been at since has added to the project. Pieces from this series have been shown in a few small group exhibitions, and will probably be present at my 2021 exhibition at Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery.
Creating these small works (the drawings are only 6×6.5cm) require a different energy than my normal paintings or etchings. It has been a perfect project for these unusual times. See complete series
MAY 2020 - NOT BEING IN ITALY
My calendar tells me that this last week I would have been in Italy, at the FabrianoInAcquarello international watercolour convention.
Last November, in Brisbane, I was honoured to have this painting chosen as Best In Show at the Australian Watercolour Muster – a national award that would see me being selected to travel to Italy in May 2020 as the Australian Representative Artist. I would be accompanied by other Australian artists, with in total 20 paintings from across Australia making the journey to be exhibited with hundreds of other paintings from artists worldwide. Read about the Muster weekend last November here.
Fabriano is a small city north east of Rome, where the famous Fabriano paper is made. I was looking forward to seeing these places and to take part in the conference.
There were talks and presentations planned, and paint-outs. Others who’ve been in the past have loved it. I booked my accomodation, and went to ACE to learn some conversational Italian.
When the virus happened, the conference went on-line. I stayed home, like the rest of the world, and watched it on the small screen. Their YouTube Channel and facebook page shows the diversity of this international watercolour community.
In the full catalogue my painting is on p70. Images from the rest of the Australian team are included as well. Thanks to Wyn Vogel for being the Australian team leader and organising the Australian component.
APRIL 2020 - INTRODUCING NEW CARDS SETS
S14 The Five Card Bundle with Stamps 
Description Set of five blank greeting cards and matching envelopes. chosen by you, from Christine’s Rural, Sheep or Bella range. With five $1.10 stamps for ‘Small Letter’ Postage within Australia. Price includes hand delivery within 10km of Lismore, or Australia Post shipping worldwide. When you order, put your selection in with the special notes, or send a separate email.
Price 5 cards with matching envelopes + 5 stamps + delivery $24
Order here or contact Christine directly.
S15 The Stash
Description Twenty blank greeting cards and matching envelopes. chosen by you, from Christine’s Rural, Sheep or Bella range. Price includes hand delivery within 10km of Lismore, or Australia Post shipping worldwide. When you order, put your selection in with the special notes, or send a separate email.
Price 20 cards with matching envelopes + delivery $56
Order here or contact Christine directly.
MARCH /APRIL 2020 - SOLO EXHIBITION GYMPIE
This exhibition of paintings and drawings describes the iconic Australian shearing shed at its busiest. As well as her familiar shearing shed imagery, chosen from several recent projects, the exhibition includes artwork about the shearers and shed-hands working those sheds. Women and men who, once or twice a year, turn these amazingly still and peaceful buildings into a feast of well-rehearsed activity.
Image: “Inside the Shed” 2019 watercolour on paper, 36x73cm
COVID19
The official opening event was cancelled, with the gallery closing to the public shortly after. Gallery staff will however be working on site, and will be handling sales enquiries over the phone until Anzac Day 07) 54810733 . If for some reason this changes, and the gallery is uncontactable, phone or email Christine directly 0407170471
FEBRUARY 2020 - MAJOR COMMISSION COMPLETED
I am thrilled to be able to announce the completion of the major artwork commissioned by CRT ( Combined Rural Traders, now Nutrien). It was to celebrate their 50th year. It became a story about the history of rural Australia. This month, at the company’s annual conference, delegates from each of the 360 affiliated stores around the country had an opportunity to choose to receive a limited edition print of this painting for their premises.
It was an incredibly rewarding project for me, giving me a chance to have conversations with representatives from many industries. To a person I heard stories of commitment, diversity, innovation and pride.
Most rural towns have a Nutrien agent in some form or another. Why don’t you go and see if they chose this painting this year? I’ve love to know if it’s in your town.
TO BUY ARTWORK
Many of the paintings on this website are available for purchase. This page has random paintings that are still available (a work in progress), this page has the current exhibition at the Gympie Regional Gallery, the shop pages have cards, etchings and giclee prints. Otherwise scroll through each painting project which will have indications about which are still available there, though this can change quickly.
Prices for paintings range from $300 – $4000 depending on their size, age, and framed state.
Prices for etchings range from $60 – $350
Cards begin at $3 each, Giclee Prints from $100
Prices for a commissioned painting or etching depends on the nature of the project.
Contact Christine directly for any information, price or to purchase an artwork.
ART CLASSES WITH CHRISTINE
WHERE TO SEE CHRISTINE'S ARTWORK
During the 2020 social distancing lockdown, many galleries, including Christine’s studio/gallery have limited opening times. Please contact by phone or email to check
Studio Visit Christine’s studio/gallery in Lismore, open by appointment. Contact us to book a visit.
Solo Exhibition
Stanthorpe Regional Gallery Qld. August 5- September 19 2021
Group Exhibitions Australian Watercolour Institute Annual Exhibition, Sydney Winter 2020
Gallery Representation – Red Hill Gallery Brisbane, PG Printmaker Gallery Melbourne, The Moree Gallery,Moree, Art Aspects Gallery Lismore, Coldstream Gallery Ulmarra, The Lodge on Hawthorne Blackall.
Regular Exhibitor – Toowoomba Grammar, Downlands, Goondiwindi Aspects Art Show, Blackall Heartland, others
SOCIAL MEDIA
Christine is on Twitter as ChrisPorterArt, Instagram as christineporterartist and YouTube as ChristinePorterArtist.
She has three FACEBOOK pages,
– Her official artist page: ChristinePorterArtist
– Her teaching page: Studio Door Art Workshop
– Her publishing pages with details of cards and prints Full Moon Publications
