Today on my day off I went down to Murwillumbah to the Tweed Arty Gallery. It is about a 1/2 hour drive inland from the coast in a sleepy town. This area has gorgeous valley and hill views and today a storm was brewing with sunrays shining down from the heavens. This was over emerald coloured paddocks so I thought perfect for this weeks One Word Challenge – Emerald. (All photos taken with Samsung mobile phone)
Incidentally this town is the main town of our council and has the honour of having the Margaret Olley Gallery. Margaret Olley was Australia’s most celebrated painter of still life and interiors.
She was born in 1923 in Lismore which is part of the Northern Rivers area of NSW, not too far away from the Tweed, and died in 2011 at age 88 years of age. She lived in her later years in Paddington, a well to do and sought after area in Sydney in a terrace house. Not one for being house proud she had a magnificent art-like house cluttered with props of all shapes and kinds and I don’t think ever got rid of anything, going back to some props years later to reuse, even if they were organic and had rotted! Unfortunately for some reason after her death, the house she lived in couldn’t be preserved for history’s sake and turned into a museum so all her worldly goods in the house were removed and the last stage of the Tweed Gallery was built to house this collection of her personal items, painstakingly recreated exactly as she had it. When you walk through you will see through Perspex glass the recreation of her main rooms. It is extraordinary to say the least.
The gallery overlooks magnificent hill and valley views over the Tweed and as we were leaving the gallery just outside storm clouds were brewing and the sunrays were shining through like a message from above. It was simply magnificent and that is why I have put these pictures in for this weeks colour – Emerald – the colour of the hills around Murwillumbah.
A beautiful art gallery and a beautiful view. I couldn’t have asked for more today.
I have put some pictures on of the layout of Margaret Olley’s house with all her beloved items as they were when she passed just relocated to the Tweed Gallery in her honour. A remarkable exhibition for anyone in this area to visit.
If you want to know more about Margaret Olley go here for more information. Truly a remarkable Australian icon.
daysandmonths 
Kaz, thank you for posting this! I knew they were doing a recreation of MO’s house at Tweed, but I wasn’t sure when Id ever get to see it. Margaret Olley is my favourite Australian artist. Her work is so inspiring and her life albeit quirky is very interesting and honest. I love her work!
Thanks again for sharing and gorgeous Emerald views!
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Your welcome Robyn. It was a great exhibition but almost more about her house than her art of which there were a few pieces. A totally remarkable lady painting up until she died. Great choice of a favourite artist.
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She did become quite well known for her house 😉
Sooo… messy…lol Ah but most unique and inspiring!
She was a remarkable lady.
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Oh my gosh….the clutter!!! I love all of the colors, but wow…it is definitely kind of artsy, but a bit overwhelming, too. They were such a sharp contrast to the simple beauty found in your landscape photos. 🙂 Did you use your wide angle lens for the landscape photos? I really love the sky; it is so dramatic looking. The rays are fabulous, too. Some of your best!!
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Thanks Adrienne so nice of you to say that 🙂 I used my Samsung mobile phone (I’ve forgotten what you call them, I just know its different). I was just out for lunch at the gallery and not expecting to take any photos but the rays of sun beaming down through the clouds was too good to pass up and I did almost curse the fact that I didn’t have my good camera with me.
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Wow, that is really impressive for a camera phone!
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Thanks. I have to say that since getting my new Samsung I have been cursing it not taking as good a photo as the old one did. I guess I will have to eat my words. I think it has a few more pixels.
Re mobile phone – I just looked it up – you call it a cell phone… that’s right 🙂
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Lovely photos Karen. Those hills are gorgeous. The house recreation is amazing, so much stuff.
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Thanks, the interior of the house is an art feature on its own, its just weirdly artistic. 🙂
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re-creation
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breathtaking landscape and wonderful, colourful, clutter of the artist’s house!!
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Thank you for sharing. It looks like a beautiful place and a wonderful exhibit!
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