Tamworth artist works with single-minded determination

Ms Alvarez is a relatively new arrival to the country music capital, hailing originally from Sydney with a brief stint in Coonabarabran.

As a child growing up in Sydney, Ms Alvarez was always drawing - the only one in a family of six to demonstrate artistic ability - and an early indication of her creative nature to come.

"I'd always drawn and been inclined to create - traits nurtured by my parents as I grew up, something that's been really important to me," she said.

"Neither of my parents are artistic - I'm a bit of a fish out of water in the family.

"As a three-year-old, mum would make drawings for me to copy to keep me quiet and it evolved from there.

"When my parents realised I had a talent for it, they enrolled me in cartooning classes which I continued from 1997 to 1999 with (Australian artist, cartoonist and author) Dave Hackett.

"Throughout high school I was known as a cartoonist more than a visual artist but cartooning was a hobby, and as I progressed through high school my focus changed mostly to music, although I did visual arts for my Higher School Certificate."

Through the years, Ms Alvarez's talents developed, and today she adds painter, ceramicist, print maker and sculptor to her list of accomplishments, and it is the latter which has seen her selected to exhibit in one of the largest Sculptures in the Garden exhibition at Mudgee in the event's 13-year history.

Ms Alvarez left Sydney in September 2020 to pursue a career in visual arts, heading to Coonabarabran and a position as gallery manager at SPACE Social Enterprise Gallery and Creative Space.

Her first solo exhibition had been staged in Coonabarabran in 2019, and featured mainly cartoons and cartoon faces done in oils.

After two years of travelling to Tamworth for regular shopping trips from Coonabarabran, Ms Alvarez said she was ready for another, more permanent move in 2022.

With her painter's eye, Ms Alvarez "fell in love with the rolling hills that surround Tamworth", while "the lovely sunsets and the blue sky enamoured me", she said.

"Painting is my true forte, and directly linked to my background as a cartoonist," she said.

"I have always painted, with an interest in traditional techniques, specifically painters from the Baroque period, such as Rembrandt and Rubens whose technique, freshness and the way they applied the paint is really appealing to me."

The move to Tamworth also provided Ms Alvarez with more career opportunities, and has allowed her to work full time as an artist with a focus spread across her range of talents.

Her efforts have won first prize two years in a row at Gunnedah Art Show for print making, in 2021 and 2022, and a second place for ceramics in the 2023 art show.

She has also exhibited at the New England Contemporary Print Gallery in Armidale, and had a small group exhibition of ceramics at the Tamworth Regional Art Gallery early 2023 , which provided "really good exposure for me".

READ ALSO:

Ms Alvarez completed studies at Meadowbank TAFE in Sydney, including a Diploma of Fine Art in 2012, and Advanced Diploma of Visual Arts in 2016.

In 2020, she chose to do a course in Open Studio Sculpture, also at Meadowbank, with sculptor and National Art School and Meadowbank TAFE teacher, Sam Valenz.

It was contacts from her time at Meadowbank TAFE who encouraged her to apply for Sculpture in the Garden.

"It wasn't until I'd made 10 or so sculptures that I decided to work larger and make a work specifically for the Mudgee exhibition this year," she said.

Being part of Sculpture in the Garden at Mudgee is, so far, the highlight of Ms Alvarez's burgeoning career.

"It's exciting to be exhibiting with so many skilled and passionate sculptors who will be bringing in their works from around the country," she said.

"The exhibition is also special because of its location within Rosby Wines' Gallery and Sculpture Garden - one of many picturesque vineyards in the region."

Ms Alvarez's work for Mudgee is called, Study of a head in mild steel 2023.

When preparing for the piece, Ms Alvarez said she began with a detailed exploration of the human head, in true proportions and in pencil.

"As my works develop and increase in number, they free up and begin to offer new directions, suggesting fresh gestures and emotions," she said.

"Study of a head explored this process whereby mild steel flat bars were used instead of pencil. Although, even while working with the metal I try to capture the image in my mind's eye as if it were drawn by hand."

Aside from her sculpture Ms Alvarez said she was increasingly spending more time at her potter's wheel, enjoying the sensation of working with clay, even running lessons from her studio.

"It's so tactile and instant, it changes in a moment," she said.

"If you are throwing on a wheel you have a time limit, whereas with a painting, a drawing, sculpture or print or photography you can put it aside and come to it later.

"With pottery, clay has an open window for workability and you have to make your mark in the moment."

Armidale artists Francois Jaggi and Jack McCook have also been named finalists in this year's Sculptures in the Garden, which boasts a $30,000 acquisitive award.

Sculpture in the Garden will run from October 7 to 22, at Rosby Vineyard, Mudgee, featuring 130 artists drawn from across Australia, showcasing 300 artworks of all sizes, materials and themes.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: