Art and exhibitions at the Gallery

Mike McLean is a Torquay-based artist best known for his trademark Willy the Wagtail calling cards, which have made a big impact both locally and globally, sparking curiosity and conversation through their unexpected placement, pops of colour, and distinctive wagtail motif.

Mike’s broader body of work includes graphic large-scale murals, gestural portraits of the female form and vibrant botanical imagery painted on reclaimed surfaces, all rendered in his signature bold and expressive style.

Outside of the studio, Mike extends his creative practice through teaching art and by writing free-verse poetry that often parallels the themes explored in his paintings.

Deeply interested in materiality and aesthetic composition, Chris Nash’s artistic practice draws upon techniques in assemblage to create sculptural works that somewhat resemble natural geomorphic structural formations and brick construction, with theoretical conceptual ties to notions that identity forms naturally over time and/or is personally constructed.

In addition, found objects are often used as materials in his artwork to explore how rejected and neglected items can take on new identities through reconstructed forms. Incorporating light and shadow in his work adds layers and further dimensionality to the colour minimalism used in his monochromatic abstractionist designs.

Gayle studied art, design, and textiles in the 1970s at Geelong’s Gordon Institute of Technology. She went on to work as a designer and graphic artist in both Australia and the Netherlands, and now focuses primarily on painting.

An award-winning artist, Gayle is drawn to quiet moments in the landscape, capturing subtle details that suggest untold stories. Her distinctive use of colour and texture brings a sense of calm and strength to her work, earning recognition for its contemporary style.

Her paintings have been exhibited in Melbourne, Apollo Bay, and surrounding regions, and are held in private collections across Australia and internationally.

Growing up in the city of Port Phillip, right on the Melbourne coastline, Adam has been addicted to drawing and surfing waves since the age of 6. Fascinated by the ocean’s immersive energy and innate calm, his works often lend themselves to the most expansive horizons and the deepest depths, where the views, as well as the possibilities, remain endless.

With an uninhibited approach to colour, Adam’s seascapes bear a uniquely paradisiacal quality that reveres his time-honoured relationship with the water. In addition to canvas, he has translated his distinctive style onto surf, snow and skateboards, corrugated iron and wine barrels.

Adam’s work has won a number of Australian art prizes and has been viewed in both domestic and international exhibitions. He currently paints from his home gallery in Torquay, Victoria.

Andrew Strang is an Apollo Bay resident who took up photography in 1976, using a Fujica half-frame camera and color slide film. In about 1980 he upgraded to a Canon SLR, and began experimenting with reflection imaging (via the use of a two-way mirror), and transparency overlays.

He continued with slide film for about twenty years until going digital in 2003, and maintains a strong interest in reflection work, fine landscape details and metaphorical interpretation. Andrew has been exhibiting and selling work in Melbourne, Geelong and the Otways since 2011.

We’re open to expressions of interest from both emerging and established contemporary artists whose work will bring a distinctive style and energy to the space. If your creativity can activate the gallery and garden in fresh, engaging ways, we’d love to hear from you.

Submit a proposal and images of your work to Sheree at art@thecreekgallery.com.au