Amabile Dalfarra-Smith
Amabile Dalfarra-Smith’s practice is rooted in her connection to place and her relationship with the landscape. Her work is influenced by photography, as well as her training as a graphic designer and experience as an art teacher. Her works may be realistic, but often develop more abstractly through seeking to see the world from more than simply a pedestrian point of view.
Often working with large scale canvases, Dalfarra-Smith immerses herself in the painting process for many days over several weeks. As each layer dries, the next is applied adding more detail, drama and depth to the subject.
Well-known for her Eucalyptus Series, Dalfarra-Smith renders unusual perspectives and uses cast shadows to describe form and emphasise space. Other paintings include shrubby landscapes and grasses that are more expressive and derived from thumbnails and sketches that the artist produced when travelling.
Dalfarra-Smith who was born in Mildura moved to Horsham in 1978 after studying in Melbourne. She has exhibited widely and has work in many private and public collections. For example, her lino cut of the Emu is part of the Silk cut collection which was donated to the National Gallery in Canberra and two of her Eucalyptus paintings have been gifted to Nujiang Government House, China. This year three of her large flora landscapes were hung in the new Horsham Cancer Centre.
She has been successful in gaining a number of prizes both locally and nationally. Her most memorable being the BP colouring in prize when she was six. This encouraged her to confidently produce work that came from within.
