It is my pleasure to introduce you to Barbara Duggan, a prolific Pearl Beach Artist, who has a “hair-raising” art story to tell in this post!
Barbara lives and works in beautiful Pearl Beach, which can be seen below this amazing rock formation on Mount Ettalong – on the road to Patonga. The island on the left is Lion Island because it is shaped something like a proud lion looking out to sea from Broken Bay.
I should explain that the NSW Central Coast lies about an hour’s drive north of Sydney. It has superb National Parks, waterways and beaches and Pearl Beach is one of the most charming. Nestled in amongst Brisbane Water National Park, you can see in the photo below its idyllic location…
Here is Barbara’s Pearl Beach Studio, nestled amongst beautiful trees near the beach…
and here is Barbara inside, with some her paintings and pottery…
Her art studio is on two levels, connected by a quaint spiral staircase…
We were particularly impressed with this beautiful uniquely Australian painting…
and Barbara’s strong sense of design in much of her work, featuring local wildlife…
Upstairs, we were enchanted by Barbara’s humorous depictons of the magpie family who perform various antics at her Studio window. Australian magpies have the most glorious warbling birdsong, but also some of the craziest habits and each family member has a distinctive personality…
1. The three tenors!
2. Count Dracular-la-la!
3. Mother and son!
and finally, 4. “I’m starving!”
I have known Barbara for many years through artistic avenues. She is a talented and versatile Artist and gives generously of her time and energy to many worthwhile pursuits. However I did not know her artistic history fully until she provided the following for this post…
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Barbara studied Dress Design and Fashion Drawing at BIRMINGHAM (England) and obtained a position in London as a Fashion Artist where she stayed for 12 years. She emigrated to Australia in 1952-3 and obtained various jobs as a free-lance Artist.
Later working as a designer for children’s clothes, Barbara then changed direction to work as an artist to a potter. Still later, she worked as a teacher for a Sat. morning children’s art class in Bankstown and an evening class for adults in Auburn. Following that, Barbara worked in high schools as an Art teacher for about 12 years.
Barbara became President of Bankstown Art Society and helped to organise the yearly Art Show. She joined the Pitt Street Painters in Sydney and organised the first art exhibition held in a Bank in Martin Place and arranged many Art Shows at Pearl Beach where she now lives.
She and husband Peter, also became involved with Woy Woy Little Theatre, designing and painted sets as well as acting in and directing some plays. In high schools, she taught Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Pottery, Copper-work and Printing as well as History of Art.
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Wow! That is quite a resume’! Thankyou Barbara for sharing that with us.
Here is a sample of just a few of Barbara’s numerous paintings, which reflect her love of the wonderful natural environment in which she lives…
Note: If slide show needs activating, click on X at top RH corner.
Now to Barbara’s “hair raising” story, told in her own words…
“During my teaching career I had been asked if I would form an Art Class for housewives at a Junior Rugby League Club.
I was lucky to have a very enthusiastic group of people and asked them if, apart from painting, they would like to try something different. The idea was to make jewellery for pendants which were all the rage then. I didn’t tell them that it could be fairly dangerous or that my friend and I had already set fire to a table at my house in our enthusiasm!
I organised some fire bricks to construct a small kiln and borrowed a blow-torch from a plumber I knew. As I already had some glazes left over from the “table-burning episode” plus some sheets of copper, I was ready.
There was so much to carry that I asked my friend, Jane, if she would help me…so loading her up with a tray full of bricks and the blow-torch, I pushed her into the lift – not wanting the Manager to see us going into his precious Club with some dangerous materials!
We managed to get up to the top floor where my ladies were waiting and I helped them to cut out the copper pendants – while we poured the glazes. I’d put Jane in charge of the blow- torch and we were all having a lovely time being amazed at the fascinating results as the red hot copper cooled and the glazes shone out.
It was very exciting and very nearly disastrous when one lady bent too close to the blow-torch! “IRENE!” screamed Jane ”YOUR HAIR’S ON FIRE!” and she started bashing her about the head!
Thank God Irene was very nice about it and said “Well I was going to get my hair cut – so I’ve had a singe instead!” With great relief, Jane said “I thought we’d have to stop this lark and start trying to make Irene a wig!”
There was a terrible smell of burnt hair which lingered for some time – but no alarms went off and no Official appeared, so I survived to teach another day!”
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Thankyou Barbara for such an entertaining story – I’m sure there must be so many art stories out there to be told! How about sharing one through Comments and I can direct you if you wish to upload photographs.
Barbara welcomes Studio visitations on Sundays by appointment … Tel: 02. 43417388.
Cheers! Julie
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