Double celebration: Ceramic artist Joan Greenwood (right) and her daughter Claire Roussac at the opening of the Kyabram Town Hall exhibition which they have titled Earth and Sky. Their creations will be on display until September 30.
A mother-and-daughter art exhibition at Kyabram Town Hall features artwork inspired by the earth and sky that have surrounded the talented pair for much of their lives.
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Kyabram’s Joan Greenwood and her Geelong-based daughter Claire Roussac launched the exhibition a fortnight ago, the ceramic pieces created and hand-painted by Ms Greenwood sitting alongside the paintings of her daughter.
It is the first time they have exhibited their work together, although not the first time the public has been offered the opportunity to observe their talents, and Earth and Sky exhibition will be displayed until September 30.
Ms Greenwood and her daughter were clinking champagne flutes at the launch, which features a dozen of Ms Roussac’s paintings and 51 of Ms Greenwood’s creations.
Ms Roussac started her education at St Augustine’s College, before moving across to Kyabram Secondary College to complete her education.
By that time, she developed an appreciation for art and was keen to pursue a career, or at least investigate how far she could go.
She recalled the difficult nature of completing her VCE fine art studies, due to the, at the time, unique nature of the subject.
“Only four of us did fine art as a VCE subject at Kyabram. It was pretty much done on a remote basis and we had to show our portfolios to city-based educators,” Ms Roussac said
Her proud mother was quick to chime in with an addition to the story, saying her daughter had still secured an A+ for the subject.
Ms Roussac’s artistic nature as a teenager was amplified by the fact she also studied music, an area that she worked in for five years.
She played the flute, piano and was an accomplished singer.
She moved into another area professionally when she became involved in insurance and didn’t return to painting until the last of her three children started school.
“I rented a studio at an art gallery in Geelong in 2019,” she said, pointing out her children Amelie, Madeleine and Jereme, along with husband Steve, who had accompanied her to the exhibition opening.
Her children are now 15, 12 and nine.
Family and friends: Russell Roussac and Lynton Greenwood with grandchildren Amelie, Madeleine, and Jereme admiring the artwork at the joint exhibition’s opening last week.
The Kyabram exhibition came about as a result of Kyabram Town Hall’s Anne Churches asking Ms Greenwood if she andher daughter wanted to do something together at the town hall.
Ms Roussac has been working on the Earth and Sky collection for 12 months, among the artworks two pieces featuring a Merrigum sunrise and sunset.
She said she had been involved in group exhibitions in her adopted home of Geelong, but had re-connected with Kyabram she she lived in the town for five years between 2010-15.
Ms Greenwood has been potting since 2016, under the direction of Mooroopna-based teacher Kaye Poulton.
She has exhibited her work in a group format at Shepparton Art Museum, but this is the first time with her daughter.
She said all her children — Joel, Claire, James and Alex — were artistic in their own ways.
Joel lives in Kyabram, James in Melbourne and Alex at Warrnambool.
There is an assortment of vessels in Ms Greenwood’s display.
Near and far: Friends, familiy and art colleagues travelled from near and far to attend the launch, including Violet Town family Renee Moor and Colin, Helen and Tessa Rankin.
Art critics: Kath Carroll and Joan Greenwood’s ceramics teacher of five years Kaye Poulton admire some of the hand-painted work at Kyabram Town Hall.
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