 Through my paintings I hope to awaken people to environmental issues, the presence of God and love. Colour and humour are my primary mediums.
 Fiona Bennell was born in Canberra in 1962 into a family of nine. Early childhood memories include choosing clothes from the Salvation Army Store (to go with the often tight hand-me-down shoes she received from her older siblings) and picking mushrooms with the family in a nearby field (for dinner). As a child she loved drawing, often sketching portraits of family and friends.
A combined love of art, town planning and maths led her to an 18 year career in architecture. A particular interest in environmental design spurred her on to working in energy efficient and self-sufficient housing.
Meanwhile, a burning ambition to paint was developing into her early paintings of cityscapes and animals. Recent works have broadened to emphasize environmental and spiritual issues. Colour and pattern have always been important to Fiona. Her paintings are generally naïve, probably as a complement to the precise and three dimensional work of architecture.
Fiona believes art can reach the fifth dimension or higher and has private collections in Australia, UK, Germany, Japan and US.
Education
- 1983 B Sc Arch (Univ of Syd)
- 1986 B Arch (Univ of Syd)
- 1993 Painting Certificate (Hornsby TAFE)
- 1995 M Des Sc / Energy Conservation (Univ of Syd)
Exhibitions
- Jun 1998 Lake Russell Gallery
- Dec 1998 Lake Russell Gallery
- Jul 1998 Lake Russell Gallery (Solo Exhibition)
- Jan 2001 Home Gallery (Solo Exhibition)
- Jan 2002 Home Gallery (Solo Exhibition)
- Jan 2003 Home Gallery (Solo Exhibition)
- Mar 2004 John Gordon Gallery
- Jan 2005 Home Gallery (Solo Exhibition)
- Nov 2005 Lake Russell Gallery (Solo Exhibition)
- Jun 2007 Mulgara Gallery, Uluru
- (Artist in Residence)
Highlights
- 1979 HSC Artwork selected for annual state exhibition (Art Express)
- 1986 AS Hook Memorial Prize in Management and Communications (Univ of Syd)
- 1992 Australian Postgraduate Coursework Award
- 1997 Woolgoolga Annual Art Show. Highly Commended
- 1998 Jacaranda Drawing Award Finalist
- Coffs Harbour Annual Art Exhibition .Highly Commended
- Coffs Harbour Annual Art Exhibition. Highly Commended
- 2003 Country Energy Award Finalist
- 2004 Country Energy Award Finalist
- 2004 HIA Housing Awards State Winner Best Renovation under $300 000
- 2005 Bellingen Art Show. Highly Commended
- 2005 Country Energy Award Winner
- 2006 HIA Housing Awards State Winner Best New Home under $800 000
Represented
- Parliament House Sydney
- Coffs Harbour Regional Library
- Grafton Regional Gallery
- Armidale Regional Gallery
- Wagga Wagga Art Gallery
Publications
- Beyond Region, Public Galleries in New South Wales
- Published by Arts NSW and The Australia Council for the Arts
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