Music and lake inspire artist Penny

Music, the lake, animals, friends. Penny Lovelock’s artwork is inspired by everything around her.

“I’m inspired by my emotions and music brings out a lot of different emotions,” she said.

The Conjola Park artist held her first solo exhibition at a regional art gallery in the Southern Highlands and her 30 works featured some of her musical companions, the nearby waterway and its inhabitants, as well as her faithful Border Collie Flynn.

An illustrator and award-winning artist, Penny was invited to exhibit at the Milk Factory Gallery in Bowral.

“It was a bit daunting at first, and I didn’t quite know how I was going to paint 30 pieces, but it all came together,” she said.

A member of the Tribal Funk Orchestra, better known as TFO, and the Glorious Mudsingers choir, both led by Hamish Richardson, Penny said the colourful characters and the music created by them has influenced her work.

“You can see a glimpse of some of the musicians in my paintings,” she said.

“A lot of the works have a violin or cello.

“Music is definitely a big part of my life and the works are inspired by the emotions that music can bring to the surface – people can feel joyous, sad, perplexed.

“I often watch the faces of the choir members when they are singing or the the musicians in TFO and I can see that emotion.

“It’s hard to vocalise how music had affect people’s emotions.”

The oil and acrylic paintings are often set by the lake or on the jetty near Penny’s Conjola park home and feature of some the local residents, including ducks, geese and cows.

Tea cups also make plenty of appearances, floating on the water or flying through the air filled with musicians in full swing.

Note: This story was written before Penny lost her home at Conjola Park in the NYE bushfires.