Patonga artist exhibits in regional gallery
An Artist Survey, a major exhibition of work by Patonga artist Ms Jocelyn Maughan, opened at the Gosford Regional Art Gallery on July 23.
Ms Maughan made Patonga's Bakehouse Gallery her home, studio and gallery with fellow artist, Mr Robin Norling, in 1993.
The exhibition includes "quite a series of work from my teenage years," she said.
Her mother had held onto the drawings and paintings, which Ms Maughan found and decided to keep after her mother's death.
Ms Maughan said she had been painting and drawing since she was a child.
"Both my parents painted and drew and I never really thought about it.
"My mother had art training and she was romantic and expressive but my father was an engineer so he was more accurate.
"I think I do have an accurate eye but I am also expressive," she said.
Ms Maughan, whose artistic accomplishments over her 77 year life are many, said she considered it important that as a working artist she was "not precious".
"An artist should be able to work competently across a range of subjects and materials if they are to make a living from their work," she said.
Her attitude may explain why her range are repertoire is so diverse.
She founded the Calligraphy Society of Australia and described herself as a "great fan of classical lettering" but can easily move from a lettering job for one customer to sketching a portrait for another with hardly a pause between pencil strokes.
Ms Maughan left high school at 15 to attend what was then called the Darlinghurst Tech, the National Art School, to undertake a five-year diploma.
"I didn't leave school because I was academically incompetent but because my parents said I should go to art school while I still had an imagination."
An Artist Survey will be on exhibition at the regional gallery in East Gosford until September 4 and includes around 100 of Ms Maughan's artistic works.
Ms Maughan said she loved drawing people, doing quick portraits.
"I like good old pencil and I have filled over 100 sketch books since moving to Patonga in 1993," she said.
She said she was also very fond of water colours, oil painting and using egg tempura.
"It is a very old medium and a good basis for as undercoating for oil painting.
"I like its transparent qualities," she said.
Ms Maughan's paintings and drawings are detailed with expert attention to composition.
She has been an art educator and a finalist of both Wynne and Archibald Prizes.
Ms Maughan said she wanted to congratulate Mr Joshua White at the regional gallery for doing an outstanding job of hanging her work.
"Our politicians and councillors need to appreciate what an excellent gallery we have, especially given how it supports local artists."
Mr Tim Braham of Gosford Regional Gallery said one of the earliest works featured in the exhibition was a study of construction workers.
"This subject matter holds a special fascination for Ms Maughan.
"She revisited it many times throughout her career, returning to examine and relentlessly sketch figures of tradesman and labourers," he said.
Media release, 21 Jul 2016
Tim Braham, Gosford Regional Gallery
Interview, 20 Jul 2016
Jocelyn Maughan, Bakehouse Gallery
Reporter: Jackie Pearson