In March 2025, True Blue & a Little Bit of Yellow presented a fundraising exhibition titled The Spirit of the Peninsula at Northern Beaches Gallery, Cromer.
Running from 8–22 March, the exhibition invited visitors to walk through the familiar rhythms of the peninsula — its streets, bushland, and the light-filled beaches of North Sydney. The works reflected a strong sense of place while remaining deeply connected to broader stories of belonging and care.
At its heart, The Spirit of the Peninsula was about building a bridge between Australia and Ukraine. Through art, the exhibition created a space for connection, support, and generosity during challenging times, reminding us that local landscapes can carry global meaning.
A Look Back at Our Winter Workshops 🌿🎨 We had some very enjoyable workshops in the studio over winter! With small groups, I can give each person the attention they need, demonstrate the techniques closely, and help everyone achieve a successful result. I’m especially proud of those who had never picked up a paintbrush before. Seeing them start with no experience and finish with a painting they are genuinely proud of is one of the most rewarding parts of teaching. We experimented with different techniques, materials and approaches to painting — and, of course, had a lot of fun along the way. Here are some of the results from our winter workshops. I think everyone did a fantastic job!
The exhibition True Blue & a Little Bit of Yellow at Gosford Community Gallery was the first of many we held during the first three years of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It marked a moment when art became a way to stand together, to act, and to help. Seven Australian artists of Ukrainian descent, all living and working in Australia, came together to sell artworks and raise funds for Ukrainians in need. The theme — blue and yellow — was both simple and deeply felt: a tribute to the ocean, to emotion, and to shared experience. We are endlessly grateful to everyone who visited, supported the exhibition, purchased artworks, or made a donation. This exhibition ran from 27 June to 1 July 2022, and it set the tone for everything that followed.
