Essence of Place

Rebecca Coote + Ange Cooper + Trish Verdouw

Exhibition Dates :
Thursday 5 February – Sunday 15 February 2026
Monday – Thursday: 10am – 5pm
Fridays: 10am until 8pm
Saturdays: 10am until 8pm
Sundays: 10am – 5pm

Being immersed and connected to place is important for Rebecca Coote, Ange Cooper and Trish Verdouw who all live and have an art practice on the South Arm Peninsula. Their artworks are influenced by the beautiful coast and natural bushland of this area with three different interpretations of their observations.

All three artists have an active engagement and connection with their environment which can be seen through the different mediums of painting, drawing and sculpture. They convey on canvas, paper or through three dimensional works a common thread, a passion for where they live, be it an environmental concern or just being inspired by the flora and fauna that surrounds them. It is this natural world that is an inspiration for these artists as it is always in flux, always moving and evolving.

Rebecca Coote seeks to capture the essence of the local landscape through the use of colour. In a conscious effort to move away from the more traditional landscape painting format she aims to create conversations and connections between and within paintings; playing with colour and creating dialogue between abstraction and a more traditional view to create a unique perspective of the landscape.

Ange Cooper lives in a place surrounded by the beauty and colour of nature, wildlife and birds. Inspired by her immediate surroundings, Ange immerses herself into the landscape of her home to encapsulate the visual display of life and just “being”.
Setting up her easel, Ange paints directly on site. Through colour, detail and multiple layers her artwork captures the beauty of the Tasmanian bush and bird life. Her work conveys her unwavering passion and strong connection to the place that is just outside her front door.

Trish Verdouw is a contemporary artist who uses the process of walking and drawing to become part of ‘place’. The repetition of line and form are key factors evoking rhythm and movement, accentuating patterns, and incorporating the intertwining line of her walk with the inhabitants that live on the tidal line. Trish conveys both the macrocosm and microcosm of Pipe Clay Lagoon by using charcoal, ink, and liquid graphite. She does this by identifying the connection between herself, the sea snails who are collaborators in her work and the birds who are integral to the ecosystem of the lagoon.

The feel of a place is made up of experiences mostly fleeting and undramatic, but it is the unique blend of sights, sound and smells and being in the moment with nature that the artists have in common.