{Beautiful beaches and brilliant art in Byron}

How nice was it to finally have some sunshine over the weekend? Apart from a few late night and early morning showers, Byron really did turn it on weather wise for my camping adventure to Suffolk Park.

Suffolk Park

I spent most of the time relaxing on the beach or at the camp-site which was heaven! I did manage to break the relaxation a few times with a little wander through the Markets in Lennox heads, as well as a few trips into Byron, where I checked out Retrospect Galleries.

Retrospect Galleries Lawson st, Byron Bay NSW

This place is FULL of amazing works and leaving the credit card at home was a smart move on my part because there were so many I would have loved to relocate to my living room. Here's a little sneaky peaky at some of their current exhibition:

Top: Alberto Sanches
Bottom left: Courtney Brimms
Bottom right: David Green Flamenco

On a previous girls weekend in Byron a good friend of mine made an art purchase. I wasn't with her at the time but have seen the artwork in her home and it is really beautiful. When I walked into the gallery and saw this, it had a familiarity to it and I just knew it must have been by the same artist. I'll have to check with her but I think I'm on the  money...

Mi Amor Errante Alberto Sanchez

Alberto Sanchez is originally from Spain but is now based in Byron. He takes photographs which he prints on museum grade archival paper then hand colours with ink, acrylic and aerosols. He then mounts the images on board and coats them in resin. This layering gives them a great depth and they bridge the mediums of photography and painting. The results are breathtaking I think. Here's what Alberto has to say about his work:

"My images are populated by unearthly characters in recognisable scenarios. Heavy use of hand-colouring and texture results in a range of colourful masquerades and improbable landscapes, in which us, the audience, are forced to participate in the eternal struggle between Good and Evil. They tend to fluctuate between the strictly narrative to the matter-of-fact photographic record, resulting in a hybrid reality of the physical and imagined worlds."

You are always on my mind Alberto Sanchez

I have worked a bit with resin myself but have only used poly. It sets super fast but ends up full of bubbles and foggy. These images and the glass like clarity of the resin certainly have me keen to try working with the slower setting but much clearer epoxy in the near future. I'll be sure to let you know how I go when I get around to it!

Even though Alberto's works are stunning there was one piece in the gallery that stole my attention. It was this mixed media work by Kristen Jackson. The vibrant colours and sheer size (about 1.5m x 1.2m) would make it the feature of any room!

Kristen Jackson

You can visit the gallery yourself or check out their website, you might even find yourself a bit of art for your own home.

Happy browsing,

KT