2025 Exhibiting Artists
Over 75 artists have submitted original works for exhibition in the 42nd Blue Mountains Artfest, an incredible show of community support for which we are truly grateful. We encourage you to browse their profiles below.
Thanks also to Artfest’s own former Feature Artist Freedom Wilson for donating her time and expertise as our independent judge for this year’s event.
Thanks also to Artfest’s own former Feature Artist Freedom Wilson for donating her time and expertise as our independent judge for this year’s event.
An accomplished multidisciplinary artist and arts educator, Freedom’s artistic practice celebrates the Blue Mountains’ local ecology and traverses fine art, illustration, printmaking and installation.
Her most recent work explores themes of sustainability and environmental engagement, delivered through multidisciplinary, community-connected art projects.
Our Feature Artist
We are delighted to announce local watercolour artist and illustrator Jennie Deane as our Feature Artist for 2025.
Based in the Blue Mountains, Jennie’s distinctive work is ingrained with the natural beauty of our environment. A long-term supporter of Blue Mountains Artfest, she has participated numerous times as exhibiting artist, hosted creative workshops, and featured in the Makers Market.
Drawing inspiration from her beautiful surroundings and quiet moments found in the Blue Mountains landscape, her recent series explores lookouts and landscapes as well as the tiny things along the way.
In her latest book, LOOKOUT, Jennie combines pen and watercolour with her spirit of curiosity, experimenting with a range of mediums to capture the shifting moods and textures of the landscape.
Alongside her studio practice, Jennie is a dedicated teacher, sharing her passion through classes and workshops designed to inspire others to begin or deepen their own creative journeys.
Artist Profiles
| ARTIST | PROFILE |
|---|---|
| Maïté Barbé | Maïté Barbé is a multimedia artist based in Katoomba, working in watercolours and paper cuts. |
| Will Barton | Born and raised in the Blue Mountains, initially the camera was Will's go-to until inspiration from other Mountains artists tempted him to have a go with the brush. He now uses a mix of acrylics and water colour pencils to create evocative landscapes. |
| Nicky Baruch | Through art I aim to capture, interpret, and convey aspects of my inner world, emotional states, specific places or significant moments in time. The inherent challenges in translating these internal experiences into tangible artworks are what continuously drive my creative exploration. |
| Katrina Beissel | Katrina Beissel is an artist based in Sydney and the Blue Mountains, working primarily in water-mixable oils. Her paintings explore themes of journeys and transitions, capturing subtle nuances of atmosphere and light through delicate tonal variations and a refined balance of softness and structure. |
| Katrina Bodey | Katrina Bodey is an emerging artist living in the Blue Mountains. Her works include hand-built ceramic sculpture, limited edition prints and ‘drummed’ drawings. Each work evolves intuitively, and takes inspiration from the local bushland environment. |
| Anne Bowman | I'm a natural history illustrator and author, living in Leura. Most of my work has been for reference publications, although also for educational signage e.g The Gully, Wentworth Falls Lake, Melrose Park, Browns Swamp. I also make upcycled art & jewellery, incorporating things like soy sauce fish. |
| Hannah Bowman | I’m an oil painter based in Bullaburra. I have a fascination with surreal and impressionist styles and I draw inspiration from the fleeting moments of connection and energy that we share with the world around us. I like to use light, texture and colour to reveal the subtle beauty of the everyday. |
| Ian Brownlee | Ian has always been a keen photographer. He started at age 12 using his mother's Brownie Box Camera. After leaving school he purchased a new camera, set up a darkroom in his home and sold his photographs to family members. In later years he used his photography skills in his printing business. |
| Lorraine Brownlee | Lorraine's line drawings are scanned and she hand colours all her work using a painterly, layering process on the computer. The final works of art exist only as images, which are then printed by the Giclée process as fine art prints. Lorraine loves creating art that brings joy into people’s lives. |
| Fiona Bunton | I am an artist and art teacher based in the beautiful Blue Mountains. My art is inspired by my many bushwalking adventures and my love of the beauty of the place I live. |
| Linda Callaghan | Linda Callaghan is an Award Winning artist known for her Blue Mountains landscapes that open our eyes to the beauty of the natural world. She also enjoys painting quirky animal portraits that are full of fun. Painting for over 15 years Linda's variety of works continue to be shipped worldwide. |
| Graham Cam | Photographer, educator, research biologist and ornithologist. Honorary Life Member of Birdlife Photography - Australia (BLP). 2024 &25 Coordinator for the BirdLife Australia Photography Awards. Accredited judge for the NSW Federation of Camera Clubs. |
| Genevieve Clay-Smith | Genevieve Clay-Smith is a filmmaker and visual artist from the Blue Mountains. She paints vivid abstracts and expressive still lifes inspired by the colours and textures of her home. Her works transform everyday scenes into playful expressions of finding joy in life's simple pleasures. |
| Tiffany Coco | I am an artist, florist, interior designer, surface designer, crafter. Nature is my endless source of inspiration. I love to explore its forms and colours through watercolour, acrylics, pastels, and gelli prints, Marble art. |
| Naomi Crew | Naomi Crew is a Blue Mountains artist who focuses her work on native bird species and the natural environment. Working under the name Say Rainbow Art, Naomi takes joy in capturing the unique characters of birds and showcasing their beauty through watercolour, gouche and acrylic artworks. |
| Samantha Lee Curran | Samantha Lee Curran is a poet, writer, and artist living on Dharug and Gundungurra land. Samantha was an Artist in Residence at Chateau d’Orquevaux in 2023 and Studio Kura in Japan 2025, and exhibited her debut solo show ‘the rot and the raw’ at Gallery NWC, September 2024. |
| Patrizia Destefani | Local based artist Patrizia Destefani creates vibrant, expressive oil paintings that focus on the emotion and atmosphere of a place in a colourful style. Trained in Arts in Italy and former owner of the art gallery: The Art Centre of Sydney in Darlinghurst. |
| Rosie Dillon | Self taught lino printmaker |
| Deanna Drake | Deanna Drake is a creative explorer who enjoys working in all mediums including painting, illustration, graphic design, mosaicing and costume design. |
| Evgeny Filaretov | Evgeny Filaretov is an artist and designer born on June 12, 1981, near Yekaterinburg. He studied at the Ivanovo Art School and the Textile Institute, where he earned a degree in interior design. Since the early 2000s, he has actively participated in exhibitions. |
| Jade Forder | Creative Abyss is the studio of Jade Forder, where mixed media art celebrates the resilience, voice, and power of women. Each artwork invites viewers to see themselves reflected in art that speaks, heals, and empowers, confronting barriers and embracing transformative possibilities. Each artwork is created intuitively, born from a desire to spark dialogue and connection. |
| Gerri Fraser | Creating artworks for over 30 years and teaching students from 4-84. Have had numerous commissions and exhibitions. Have been a member of a number of Art Societies, including Australian Society of Miniature Art and currently have joined the Society of Mountain Artists. |
| Hayden Fryer | Hayden Fryer is a Blue Mountains based illustrator, writer and graphic novelist. His illustration work draws on influences from traditional Ink Painting techniques through emotive brush work, a focus on minimalism in design and informed with the storytelling elements of sequential illustration. |
| Yulia Garrido | Yulia Garrido is a professional artist, educator, and curator with extensive experience in painting, art history, and community engagement. She has led art collectives, organised plein air events, exhibitions, and lectures in Australia, Italy, and Russia. |
| Carol Gill | I live and work at Lyrebird Gully Studio in the glorious Hawkesbury region where the colours and textures of the landscape influence my graphic mixed media artworks. |
| Debbie Gillmore | Multidisciplinary artist specialising in resin and mixed media fluid art combining dynamic flowing visuals to create tactile works. Also an accomplished photographer capturing atmospheric and emotional imagery. |
| Robert Gordon | I have worked a number of years as a specialist art teacher in primary schools. I started producing landscape art in 2020 which includes works on timber and works using highly thickened paint. The works I paint are from areas of the Blue Mountains, Oberon and north of Bathurst. |
| Paul Gorjan | Paul Gorjan is a local Blue Mountains artist that has been a finalist in many art competitions around Australia. |
| Melissa Hartley | My depictions of flowers, fruit and other household objects suspend time in an ode to the Golden age of 17th Century Dutch still life painting. Favouring the use of chiaroscuro, I create high tonal contrast between the shadowy charcoal backgrounds and illuminated subjects. |
| Kim Heath | I am an international multimedia local artist who creates unique, individual and commissioned works that inspire the imagination. I live and have my gallery/studio in Sun Valley. |
| Lawrence Heggie | Lawrence Heggie is a landscape artist and graphic designer living in the lower Blue Mountains. He has painted murals here in the Mountains as well as Penrith, has exhibited artworks locally and internationally, and is now a proud father of two. |
| Rita Higuchi | I am Rita Higuchi a Piano Teacher and Sound Therapist based in Springwood who loves to express through sound and colour. |
| Sharna Jacobson | Sharna Jacobson Wentworth Falls local, community nurse, and artist, Sharna brings a curious, childlike wonder to her creative practice. Her work explores the expressive possibilities of sculpture, printmaking, oil, and watercolour, blending playful experimentation with close observation. |
| Sam Jenkins | Sam Jenkins is an artist whose work explores the ephemeral beauty of nature. She focuses on macro shots to explore the intricate details of nature's palette. |
| Lesley Kinney | Lesley Kinney studied art in the 70's and had exhibitions peppered through the 80’s and ’90's between tours as a performer. Exhibitions include ‘The Bridge’ at the Gannon house Gallery in The Rocks and 'The Opal Hearted Country' August 2025 at Braemar Gallery in Springwood. |
| Rodney Klajman | Rodney Klajman has been creating art since 2008 in The Blue Mountains working in the mediums of Wood, Hebel, Limestone and Sandstone. His ideas have expanded from earlier pieces of completed works inspired by comic book art and what is happening around us. |
| Leonarda Kovacic | Leonarda's photography features landscapes and waterscapes, nature scenes, flora and fauna, abstracts, and architecture. Her images have accentuated poeticism and meditative simplicity and clarity. She has had 18 solo and numerous group exhibitions in Australia and overseas. |
| Mark Laing | My name is Mark Laing and I am a poet and painter. I live in the Blue Mountains and I'm astounded by its beauty every time I poke my head out the door. See my website for some of my poetry (and paintings). |
| Kerrie Lander | Kerrie Lander is a Blue Mountains artist, whose art practice initially grew out of photography. Kerrie finds inspiration in the beauty of the mountains, its rocks, plants and wildlife. Through her background in maths Kerrie enjoys discovering patterns, rhythm and geometry in the world around her. |
| Emily Lane | I'm a recent graduate of TAFE NSW's Bachelor of Creative Practice. My preferred media are oil painting, drawing, and printmaking, covering a variety of subjects; portraiture, landscape, figurative, & surrealism. My current work concerns hope and yearning for intangible realms. |
| Stevie-Lee Lane | Lane creates abstract sculptures that celebrate the intricate beauty of the natural environment. Drawing inspiration from native flora—particularly the sculptural forms of banksia seed pods—they explore organic textures, rhythmic patterns, and earthy glazes to evoke a sense of connection to land. |
| Xavier Lane | Working with clay to make animal inspired sculptures. |
| Marnie Latz | Marnie Latz is a visual artist based in the Blue Mountains. Her works explore the natural environment, primarily inspired by the rich beauty of her local landscapes. She is passionate about sharing creativity with others & is currently studying a Dip of Creative Arts & Health (Uni of Tasmania). |
| Ann Lemon | Native plants and birds painted in thick impasto oils mimicking the gnarly characteristics of our local environment. |
| Emma Leslie | Emma Leslie is an Australian photographer whose work explores identity and the human experience. Her fine art print photographs, captured during her travels across Bali, Southeast Asia, Australia’s East Coast and California’s Joshua Tree are locally made and crafted on museum grade materials. |
| Desiree Martin | Sydney-based artist Desiree Martin creates expressive, colourful paintings inspired by Australia’s native flora, birds, and landscapes. Blending oils, acrylics and mixed media, her work celebrates the beauty and vitality of the natural world. |
| Lucy Mathew | I love the detail of working with feathers and fur, because within the space of one drawing, can be in many worlds of colour, texture and form. In this way, I have been able to develop a level of technique that has enabled me to communicate my love of birds and animals in my art. |
| Geoff Matthews | Geoff Matthews is a Blue Mountains artist who explores the textures, shapes, colours and lines of the landscape. |
| Erin McCoy | Erin McCoy is a local Blue Mountains Portrait, Business and Special Events Photographer. She is a mother to three amazing children and loves to see the world through their eyes. Her photography comes from a place of a profound interest in the way we feel, think, connect and experience our world. |
| Elise McDonald | A local artist and mother of three who explores colour and movement in her landscapes and floral paintings. Using a modern limited colour palette, aiming to bring fresh perspectives on landscapes. Creating movement in all her works, using acrylic on canvas and unique recycled timber frames. |
| Ian McGilvray | Ian is a lyrical figurative painter living in the Blue Mountains. His practice is drawing-based, and seeks through story and juxtaposition to explore a high view of humanity and personhood within a fractured environment. |
| Julie McKone | Julie McKone is an artist based in the lower Blue Mountains. She specialises in Watercolour, Acrylics, Gouache and Oil pastels, and has a Cert II in Fine Arts. |
| Mick Milinkovic | I paint in oils and cover a range of different subjects in an impressionist style. Had 2 solo exhibitions. |
| Karlina Mitchell | Karlina Mitchell is a multidisciplinary artist. Her practice looks at the impact multiple cultural identities can have on the formation of self and understanding of belonging. |
| Helen Morgan | I am an art maker and art therapy facilitator. I am passionate about connecting communities through creativity and utilising creativity as a tool to support wellbeing and personal development. |
| Sharon Moroney | Based in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, Australian artist Sharon Moroney explores emotion, connection, and the intricate relationship between people, animals, and the natural world. Working across a variety of media and subjects, she seeks to convey her emotional response to each theme while inviting viewers to form their own connections with the work. Sharon’s practice is intuitive and expressive, reflecting a deep curiosity about human and animal emotion, the fragility of nature, and the stories that unite them. Each piece aims to engage the viewer in a moment of empathy, reflection, and understanding. |
| Deb Morrison | Deb Morrison is a painter and textile artist who lives and works in the Blue Mountains. Her work attempts to depict the emotional connection she feels to nature and the Landscape. Birding and learning about native plants is a passion. She enjoys using colour, texture and pattern in her work. |
| Jane-Marie Murray | Inspired by the beauty of Australian birds, wildlife, and the majestic Blue Mountains, Jane-Marie Murray creates expressive works that celebrate nature's spirit. She loves exploring mixed media, blending coloured pencils with pastels to capture texture, light, and life in every piece. |
| Julie Nelson | Art has always been a part of my life, a language through which I explore the feminine spirit. Currently studying Visual Arts at TAFE NSW, I have always been deeply drawn to soft pastels. My work is inspired by the Goddess archetypes, celebrating the timeless essence of women. |
| Felicity Olley | With a background in graphic design and illustration, Felicity is inspired by the colours and textures of nature and the play of light and shadow. Working in a variety of mediums including watercolours, acrylics and pencil, she aims to capture the moment for the onlooker. |
| Jessica Page | Jessica Page approaches landscapes not as literal depictions, but as emotional or internal terrains. Expressing feeling through colour, movement, and form. Her process is intuitive and personal, and colour harmony and contrast play a central role in conveying atmosphere and depth. |
| David Pirie | Member of of Society of Mountain Artists and winner of their Best Painting Award 2024 in their Spring Exhibition. |
| Caroline Pullinger | I am a Contemporary Visual Artist painting mostly in acrylics and mixed media. I make sketches, take photos and use memory to translate the essence of my observations onto canvas, paper or timber. I love to experiment with shapes, marks, texture and colour to create abstractions. |
| Rosie Robilliard | Rosie is a local homeschooling mum who enjoys capturing everyday moments of her family and animals. She particularly enjoys landscape photography when the opportunities arise. |
| Susan Rochester | Susan Rochester is a Blue Mountains-based artist working in watercolour, pastels, and charcoal. Her art explores texture and colour in landscapes and surfaces, deliberately embracing and celebrating imperfection over conformity. Susan has exhibited locally and continues to expand her practice. |
| Macgregor Ross | Born a Maker, I first started working in scrap metal in the mid-80's while living at home in Medlow Bath. In the early 90's I started working full-time with regular market stalls in inner city Sydney, as well as numerous art exhibitions. Late 90's I moved to Lithgow & started Ironfest. |
| Susan Ruming | I am an artist and graphic designer who has lived and worked in the Blue Mountains for over ten years. Landscape and still life paintings have been my main subject during this time and have held exhibitions of these works at Braemar Gallery in Springwood and other galleries in the area. |
| Dominic Santangelo | Dominic Santangelo lives in the Blue Mountains and makes analogue and digital photographs across a range of genres. |
| Tyswan Slater | Tyswan Slater is a Blue Mountains writer and artist. Tyswan studied fine art at the National Art School, and is currently studying visual arts at TAFE, where she has won recognition for her work. She recently exhibited in the Blue Mountains Portrait prize and at Braemar Gallery in Springwood. |
| Karen Stevenson | Karen is a multidisciplinary artist living in the Blue Mountains, finding inspiration from local scenery and birdlife. Karen works in pastels, printing, painting, textile art, painting, lithography, woodwork, ceramics and needle felting. |
| Zoë Taggart | Zoë Jane Taggart is a Blue Mountains artist working across a range of mediums. Her work explores light, colour, and texture, inspired by the landscapes and natural forms around her. Guided by process and material, she creates work that reflects a quiet connection to place. |
| Sally Ann Thompson | Australian artist Sally Ann Thompson, Sally seeks to explore the ephemeral nature of our world; noting the smallest details and bringing a fresh perspective to the movement and colours around her. |
| Julius Timmerman | Julius has been a keen photographer all his life, having had darkroom experience with black and white, then moving towards colour and digital photography. He has a passion for special moments in landscape and travel, looking out for colour and evocative shapes or patterns in our world. |
| Kel Torrance | Kel Torrance is a photographer whose work explores nature closely to create visually compelling rich works. Torrance has been featured by Apple in their #shotoniphone campaign as well as their Vision Pro Spatial Gallery. |
| Zenn Torrance-Jenkins | Zenn Torrance-Jenkins is a year 7 artist who has exhibited and won the Youth Prize at Bent Art 2025. Zenn uses various mediums to express her creative vision. |
| Steve Tredinnick | Steve is a watercolourist who specialises in detailed studies of Australian birds, based on a lifetime of studying them in the wild. He has held numerous exhibitions, and his work has been published in Ornithological books and journals. |
| Josephine Truman | I am a multi media artist who has a life of drawing and painting and try to include it in my creative life. As a synaesthetic artist it nourishes and informs my approach to other my other practices. |
| Jamey Wilson | Artist, jeweller & sculpter, works sold in every country worldwide (really!). Upcoming exhibitions The Strand Arcade, Sydney and The Block Arcade, Melbs. Sculptures usually in solid silver, themes of botanical nature, landscapes and pieces of art that provoke positive thoughts and emotion. |