Elizabeth Mawhinney: Beauty in Nature

Elizabeth Mawhinney was born and raised in Eastwood, Sydney and is a painter working on the traditional lands of the Gumbaynggirr nation in Coffs Harbour, Northern NSW.

With a passion for landscape, especially the wild and untouched ones that inspire her, Mawhinney’s paintings are colourful and expressive, ranging from realistic to abstract styles. As an artist, she aims to provide a sensory experience for viewers, and hopes that her paintings will start conversations, spark memories, and inspire a new appreciation of the landscape.

Mawhinney loves to travel and hike through different landscapes, exploring, observing, and directly responding to their sublime beauty and power. She paints her connection to nature and her journey through it, from one place to another. Her paintings often exclude any human presence, focusing on the awe and spirit of the natural environment. Her colour palette is warm and vibrant, and her brushstrokes are broad and curious. She is influenced by artists such as David Hockney, Georgia O’Keeffe, Wassily Kandinsky and the Romantic painters.

This exhibition was on show in Prentice House from 18 December 2024 - 9 February 2025.

A Grafton Regional Gallery Clarence Artist Projects (CAP) exhibition.

Image credit: Elizabeth Mawhinney, Cradle Mountain, 2023, Oil on linen. Courtesy of the artist.