A sensory journey in the landscape…
.
Watercolour runs in Libby’s veins, going back four generations in her family. An appreciation and passion for the natural world informs her practice and the sensory experience within it. Drawn to the avian world from a young age, Libby now seeks to explore a relatively new, deeper relationship and understanding of Australian birds and their connection within the landscape. Through her work she seeks to draw attention to the immersive qualities of place, creating most pieces plein air. Through layers of sound and movement mark-making Libby transcribes birdsong to line, creating signatures for birds and giving them a much-needed voice through her work.
“I work intuitively, focusing on authenticity of marks and representing sounds and visual movements through line. I begin by laying down the sounds and movements in the landscape”, Libby then builds the visual elements, painting with washes or shape and form, pulling together the colours of the landscape.
An award winning artist, Libby won the Annie Tan Memorial Watercolour Award as part of Queensland Regional Art Awards and has been finalist in multiple local and national awards including Splash: McClelland Contemporary Watercolour Award, Queensland Regional Art Awards, Local Artist Local Content and Du Rietz Art Awards. Her work has also been awarded at the Queensland Watercolour Society. She completed art training at Surrey Institute of Art and Design in the UK, before migrating to Australia in 2000 where she studied Teaching and Visual Art at Monash University.
Libby is passionate at pushing the medium of watercolour into the contemporary space.
Artist CV
Libby Derham Born East Sussex, England. Arrived Australia 2000. Resides Sunshine Coast / Gubbi Gubbi Country
Awards
2024 Representing Australia in Fabriano In Acquarello - Bologna Italy and Texas, USA
2022 Finalist - ‘Local Artist - Local Content’ Art Prize, Caloundra Regional Gallery, Sunshine Coast
2021 Winner (touring 2022-2024) - Annie Tan Memorial Watercolour Award, ‘Paint the Town’, Flying Arts, Queensland Regional Art Awards, Brisbane, Cairns and touring regional Queensland
2021 Awardee - Sunshine Coast Arts Foundation 'Gifted Program'
2021 Finalist - ‘Du Rietz Art Awards’, Gympie Regional Gallery, Gympie
2021 Finalist - ‘McClelland’s Splash Contemporary Watercolour Award 2021’, McClelland Sculpture Park & Gallery, Victoria
2021 Finalist – ‘Australian Watercolour Muster’
2021 Finalist - ‘Local Artist - Local Content’ Art Prize, Caloundra Regional Gallery, Sunshine Coast
2020 Finalist (touring 2021 - 2022) – ‘Decadence’ Qld Regional Art Awards, Flying Arts, Toowoomba and regional Queensland
2020 Finalist - ‘Du Rietz Art Awards’, Gympie Regional Gallery, Gympie
2020 Finalist - ‘Local Artist - Local Content’ Art Prize, Caloundra Regional Gallery, Sunshine Coast
2020 Winner, ‘Placeholder’ Competition, Horizon Festival and Sunshine Coast Libraries
Solo Exhibitions
2022 ‘Transcribe’, Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Garden
Select Group Exhibitions
2022 ‘Truth, Healing and Prophecy’, Old Ambulance Station, Nambour
2021 'Flow On', Wollongong Art Gallery, Wollongong, NSW
2021 Queensland Watercolour Society, Mt. Coot-Tha, Brisbane
2021 ‘Chromatica’, The Zone, Maleny
2021 ‘Squeeze’, Butter Factory Arts Centre, Cooroy
2021 ‘Brunswick Small Works Art Prize’, Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne, Victoria
2020 “Eclectica” Butter Factory Arts Centre, Cooroy
2020 Botanica, ACI, Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve
2020 “Gippsland Art Aid”, Gippsland Art Gallery, Victoria
Projects
2021 ‘Silent Song’ installation for ‘Floating Land the Edge of Ideas’, Noosa Regional Gallery, Boreen Point
2021 ‘The Coolum Boardwalk Mapping Project’ for ’The Keeper’ Project, Arts Coast, Redchair Productions, Field Theory, Sunshine Coast Council, Coolum Boardwalk
Grants
2021 – Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) Sunshine Coast Council, ‘Sensing the Landscape: Through a Painter’s Eyes’
Artist in Residence
2021 Creative Spaces Residency, Artscoast, Sunshine Coast Council at Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Gardens
2021 Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Gardens, in conjunction with Friends of MRBBG and Caloundra Regional Gallery
2021 Artist in Residence, Flying Arts Initiative, ‘Our Perfect New World’, Charleville High School, Charleville State School
2021 Kaya Sulc Studio Residency, Butter Factory Arts Centre, Cooroy
Artist Talks
2022 – Caloundra Regional Gallery
2021 - Floating Land, Noosa Regional Gallery
2021 - Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve
2021 - Caloundra Regional Gallery
Workshops
2020 – ongoing Butter Factory Arts Centre, Cooroy / Caloundra Regional Gallery / Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Gardens / Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve / Bienarté Art School
Autumn 2022 - Art Edit Magazine
Winter 2021 – INnoosa Magazine, Editorial in-conjunction with Butter Factory Arts Centre, Cooroy - Kaya Sulc Residency
Education
2004 Monash University, Bachelor of Primary Education (Majoring in Visual Art - Specialising in Printmaking and photography)
1998 Surrey Institute of Art and Design, National Diploma in General Art and Design
Teaching
2006 – 2021 St Andrew’s Anglican College, Peregian Springs - Visual Art Specialist Teacher