Spring at Seaview – Taking Art Beyond the Gallery Walls

Spring has arrived at Moffat Beach, bringing warmer days, school holidays and plenty of visitors back to our beautiful stretch of coastline.

With the Moffat Beach seawall now complete, it is wonderful to see the foreshore welcoming people back to walk, swim, surf and enjoy everything our seaside community has to offer. With Seaview Artists Gallery located just 50 metres from the ocean, there has never been a better time to wander up from the beach and discover some wonderful local art.

This month, we also celebrate the importance of artists taking their work beyond the gallery walls. While exhibiting at Seaview provides an important opportunity to connect with our local community and visitors, entering competitions, prizes and exhibitions allows artists to challenge themselves, reach new audiences and place their work within the broader arts community.

Events such as SWELL Sculpture Festival, Sculpture on the Edge, art prizes and other regional and national competitions provide invaluable opportunities for artists to experiment, grow and have their work seen in new and sometimes unexpected environments. Selection as a finalist, receiving an award, or simply having the courage to submit a work can become an important part of an artist’s creative journey.

We are always delighted to celebrate the achievements of our Seaview artists, whether their work is hanging on our gallery walls, receiving recognition in an art prize, appearing in an exhibition or standing proudly outdoors for thousands of people to experience.

So, as the spring holidays begin, pop into Seaview, say hello and see what our talented artists have been creating. The beach may be only 50 metres away, but there is plenty worth discovering inside our gallery too.

Featured Artist of the Month

This month, the feature  artist is Sally Thompson, whose passion for plein air painting has taken her across the country to Western Australia.

From the dramatic, rugged coastline of Albany to the beautiful waterways of Mandurah, Sally has been busy capturing the changing colours, light and atmosphere of the Australian landscape.

After several wonderful days painting down south, Sally has arrived in Mandurah for Plein Air Down Under, an exciting outdoor painting event that brings artists together to create works directly from the landscape.

Plein air painting offers artists the opportunity to immerse themselves in their surroundings, responding to the ever-changing light, weather and natural beauty of a location. For Sally, it is a wonderful opportunity to explore new environments, connect with fellow artists and discover fresh inspiration.

"After a wonderful few days of painting down south, I can't wait to see what inspires me here in Mandurah," Sally shared.

We love seeing our Seaview artists taking their creativity beyond the gallery walls and we can’t wait to hear about Seaview Artists - Tricia Taylor, Karol Oakley and Sally's artistic adventures in Western Australia and the opportunities that come from exploring, experimenting and embracing new experiences such as Plein Air Down Under

We wish Sally, Tricia and Karol a fabulous time at Plein Air Down Under and look forward to hearing all about her adventures when she returns to Seaview!

SWELL Sculpture Festival 2026 – The Listening Sea

This September, Seaview artist Amanda Stuart returned to the SWELL Sculpture Festival at Currumbin Beach, collaborating once again with fellow artist and educator Renee Coombe under their creative partnership, Method and Muse.

Their 2026 sculpture, The Listening Sea, was inspired by the spiral form of a whale’s cochlea. Created from hand-built ceramics and repurposed PET plastic, the two sculptural forms explore the relationship between listening, the ocean and our collective responsibility for marine health.

Designed to respond to its coastal environment, The Listening Sea comes alive with the wind. Hundreds of hand-cut plastic elements rustle, shift and softly sound as the sea breeze passes through them, allowing the beach itself to become part of the artwork.

The lightweight, discarded PET plastic is transformed into delicate organic forms and combined with Amanda’s large ceramic components, creating a striking contrast between materials. Importantly, the work carries a message of hope rather than despair. The increasing numbers of whales returning to our coastline provide a reminder that positive environmental action can make a difference.

The Listening Sea imagines the ocean as listening and responding to the collective efforts being made to protect it. For Amanda, one of the greatest joys of exhibiting at SWELL is seeing people engage with sculpture outside the traditional gallery environment. Children, families, surfers, walkers and visitors can encounter the work unexpectedly, touching, listening, investigating and asking questions.

These spontaneous conversations about art, plastic, marine life and environmental responsibility are an important part of the work itself. Being selected as SWELL finalists for a second consecutive year was another exciting achievement for Amanda and Renee. Behind the finished sculptures, however, were many months of experimentation, ceramic making, cutting and transforming PET bottles, construction, problem-solving and installation along with the occasional artistic meltdown!

SWELL also provided Amanda and Renee with an opportunity to share the story of Method and Muse and their collaborative practice. What began as two art teachers sitting in Amanda’s garden during school holidays, drinking champagne and talking about art, has developed into a creative partnership that continues to challenge and inspire them both.

For Amanda, The Listening Sea demonstrates what public art can do so beautifully, bring people together, start conversations, connect people with place and encourage us to see familiar materials and our environment differently.

Bernardine Hine – A Room with a View

Seaview artist Bernardine Hine is taking her work beyond the gallery walls once again! Bernardine will be participating in the upcoming Queensland Wildlife Artists exhibition at Mt Coot-tha in October, showcasing her wildlife-inspired art alongside the work of fellow artists.

The exhibition will also mark the first public appearance of Bernardine’s latest artwork, Room with a View. This exciting new piece continues her exploration of the natural world and promises to be a wonderful addition to the exhibition.

It is always a pleasure to see our Seaview artists sharing their creativity with wider audiences, and we wish Bernardine every success with the exhibition.

If you're visiting Brisbane in October, be sure to make time for a trip to Mt Coot-tha and support Bernardine and the other exhibiting artists!

Seaview Artists Make Their Mark at Sculpture on the Edge!

We are delighted to announce that Seaview Artists Gallery members Amanda Stuart and Jodi Casey have once again been selected as finalists in Sculpture on the Edge, one of the Sunshine Coast’s celebrated outdoor sculpture exhibitions.

Held annually in the beautiful Sunshine Coast hinterland, Sculpture on the Edge brings together artists from across Australia, showcasing an exciting and diverse collection of contemporary sculpture. The exhibition provides a wonderful opportunity for artists to push creative boundaries, experiment with materials and present their work to a wider audience.

For Amanda and Jodi, being selected as finalists once again is a fantastic recognition of their ongoing commitment to their artistic practices. Their achievements also highlight the depth of creativity within our Seaside gallery.

Events such as Sculpture on the Edge are an important reminder that art doesn't stop at the gallery door. From the coast to the hinterland, our Seaview artists continue to share their creativity, challenge themselves and contribute to Queensland's vibrant arts community.

Congratulations, Amanda and Jodi! We are proud to see you representing Seaview Artists Gallery and wish you both every success at this year's exhibition.

September's Birthstones: Sapphire & Lapis Lazuli – A Little Bit of Blue!

September brings us two beautiful blue gemstones, each with a fascinating history spanning thousands of years. This month, we explore the dazzling sapphire and the rich, celestial blue of lapis lazuli.

Sapphire – Queensland's Hidden Treasure

Sapphires are among the world's most treasured gemstones, prized for their brilliance, durability and remarkable range of colours. Although best known for their deep blue hues, sapphires also occur in pink, yellow, green, orange and even colourless varieties.

Here in Queensland, we have our own extraordinary sapphire history! The famous Black Star of Queensland, a magnificent 733-carat star sapphire, was discovered in 1938 by a young boy in the central Queensland gem fields. Remarkably, the stone reportedly spent years being used as a doorstop before its true value was recognised!

Australian sapphires are particularly admired for their distinctive midnight blues and beautiful parti-coloured combinations of blue, green and yellow.

With a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale, sapphire is second only to diamond among natural gemstones in hardness, making it a wonderful choice for jewellery designed to last generations.

Lapis Lazuli – The Stone of Kings and Artists

Our alternative September birthstone, lapis lazuli, has captivated civilisations for more than 6,000 years. This striking blue rock, flecked with golden pyrite, was treasured by the ancient Egyptians, Mesopotamians and Incas.

Lapis lazuli famously adorned the funerary mask of Tutankhamun and was once ground into the precious ultramarine pigment used by Renaissance painters. Its intense blue was so highly valued that the pigment could cost more than gold!

Today, Afghanistan remains one of the world's principal sources of this beautiful stone.

Traditionally associated with wisdom, creativity and protection, lapis lazuli is also believed by some to encourage self-expression and spiritual awareness.

Whether you're drawn to the sparkle of sapphire or the rich, painterly blue of lapis lazuli, September's birthstones offer a wonderful reminder that nature has been creating extraordinary works of art for millions of years.

Welcome to Seaview, Glenda Borchard!

We are thrilled to welcome Glenda Borchard to the Seaview Artists Gallery family!

Glenda's retro-inspired paintings capture the nostalgia and timeless charm of Australian beach life. Think vintage swimsuits, elegant sun hats, vibrant colours and carefree summer days! Her highly stylised works celebrate the fashion and atmosphere of the 1950s and 60s, inviting viewers to step back in time and revisit cherished coastal memories.

Born and raised on Sydney's northern beaches, Glenda has enjoyed an extensive career as a visual artist and art educator. Her paintings are held in private collections across Australia, and her work is also represented by Montville Art Gallery and Red Hill Gallery in Brisbane.

With our gallery just a stone's throw from Moffat Beach, Glenda's nostalgic coastal imagery feels right at home. A very warm welcome, Glenda! We can't wait for our visitors to discover your wonderful work.

New Artwork in the Gallery – Raelean Hall

We are delighted to welcome new artwork from long-standing Seaview artist Raelean Hall, whose paintings have been a much-loved part of our gallery for many years.

An accomplished and award-winning artist, Raelean is recognised for her stunning depictions of the Sunshine Coast landscape. Working in both watercolour and oils, her practice moves between traditional landscapes and expressive still life paintings. Her beach landscapes capture the changing light, colour and atmosphere of the Sunshine Coast.

Her artistic achievements (which are many) include the prestigious 2011 Rotary Art Coast Award, which took her work all the way to New York.

Raelean's latest addition to Seaview offers visitors another opportunity to enjoy her distinctive artistic style and enduring connection to the coast.

Be sure to pop into the gallery and discover Raelean's new work for yourself!

Enjoy the unique experience of meeting the working artists who attend the gallery daily

—always welcoming, knowledgeable, and happy to share insights into their creative process.

OPEN 7 DAYS
9.30am - 4.30pm