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Zoe Willey
Lilac Shadows (Beach House No.4)
Oil on birch panel (framed in oak)
I have returned to this particular scene several times – though the house has undergone a subtle renovation since its previous portrait. Whilst the dwelling itself holds plenty of charm, it is the lush coastal foliage framing it (and the ensuing dappled light) that continues to draw me back. This painting belongs to an ongoing body of work, where it is my hope to help document and capture the character of the Sunshine Coast’s rapidly disappearing ‘beach shacks’. Although controversial due to the harmful materials often used in their construction, these humble shacks are an important part of the region’s cultural history, representing a nostalgic notion of simpler times and a quintessential way of laid-back Australian life.
Size: 43 × 43 cm
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About Zoe Willey
Zoe Willey (b.2001, Australia) is an emerging artist working on Kabi Kabi (Gubbi Gubbi) Country on the Sunshine Coast. She works primarily in oil paint, employing a painterly style at the intersection of Impressionism and realism. A strong interest in portraiture has formed the foundation of her practice, where her core objective is capturing the intangible essence of a subject whilst remaining truthful to physical form. She approaches still life, landscapes and ‘house portraits’ with the same philosophy. Zoe’s landscapes often explore the relationship between built and natural environments, interwoven with themes of nostalgia and identity.
