Michelle Teear

Mr GREG PIPER (Lake Macquarie)—I acknowledge the extraordinary talents of Blackalls Park artist Michelle Teear. Michelle's striking landscape paintings capture the raw essence of the Australian environment. Much like the old masters, she makes her own oil and tempera paint and mediums to create and add vibrancy to her works. In 2019 she won the Packers Prize in the Newcastle Emerging Art Prize for her painting 'Bongon Depths', and that same year exhibited her first major solo work after a research trip to the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with one of her works shortlisted for the Evelyn Chapman Award. I'd also like to highlight her efforts to promote creative arts in Lake Macquarie. Michelle now runs a range of art and craft classes and workshops through her business Michelle Leilani. At these classes, participants learn about painting, basketry and textile arts. She has also promoted the arts via her involvement in community groups such as Hunter Organic Growers Society, delivering monthly workshops, school holiday projects and artist in residency stints for the Museum of Art and Culture, Lake Macquarie. Well done Michelle on your exceptional talent and work to share your love of the arts with the Lake Macquarie community.