DRAWING SESSIONS

22 August - 30 August, 2025

Following a visit to London and a December residency at Château Bothénvillers in the French countryside, Justin Lees presents a body of work shaped by shifting landscapes, quiet solitude, and the slow passage of winter light. Days were spent painting in the grand yet timeworn rooms of the château, while short journeys to nearby villages—Bonneval with its gentle bends of the River Loir, the regal silhouettes of Blois and Chambord—provided moments of stillness and reflection. The textures, tones, and rhythms of these places seep into the work, capturing something of their unhurried presence.

This exhibition brings together pieces from Lees’ two most recent shows alongside newer works created during and after the residency. Together they chart a continuum—threads of colour, gesture, and mood running between earlier explorations and fresh impressions gathered in France. There’s a sense of travel here, not simply between locations, but through states of mind: from the familiarity of the studio to the expansive quiet of an unfamiliar land, from the soft melancholy of departure to the quiet exhilaration of return.

Opening reception: 22 August, 2025 6pm - 8pm
On view: 22-30 August, 2025

Location: Wester Gallery39 Bolton St, Newcastle

Free Entry

5 September - 13 September, 2025

This body of work is a return to instinct. In these still life floral pieces, I’ve let go of the need for precision and control, allowing emotion, movement and colour to guide the process. Leaning in to the Japanese concepts of wabi-sabi and Ikebana, I’ve focused on embracing imperfect brushstrokes, honouring the beauty of natural imperfections. Instead of refining every detail, I’ve leaned into loose forms, raw marks and fleeting impressions. Working with oil sticks and gestural lines, these paintings capture the essence of familiar still life subjects in a new, more intuitive way. It’s about instinct over precision, and feeling over formality

Prudence DeMarchi is a Newcastle-based artist known for her expressive floral and abstract paintings that celebrate colour, form, and the emotional resonance of nature. With a Fine Art degree and a practice spanning over a decade, her work has become a recognisable fixture in Australian interiors, art spaces, and design collaborations. Her florals are instantly identifiable—joyful, layered, and full of movement—capturing not just how flowers look, but how they feel.

Opening reception: 5 September, 2025 6pm - 8pm
On view: 5-13 September, 2025

Location: Wester Gallery 39 Bolton St, Newcastle

Free Entry