'Sisters' exhibition a real family affair

ART & SOUL

19 Dec, 2022

Sisters, an exhibition by sisters Averil Lewis-Roberts and Fleur Mitchell, opens in the New Year at the Mangawhai Artists Gallery with at least one of the two sisters in the gallery, keen to share their passion and talk about their art processes and practice.

Averil Lewis -Roberts paints to map her internal world in response to the environment and to show her respect for both the land and water.

“My practice focuses on colour, movement and energy, often reflecting my connection with my Northland rural and coastal heritage,” says Averil. “The end result is a synthesis of personal expression, mark making and colour.”

Averil works on a range of surfaces to create both screens and paintings.

“I use predominantly acrylic paints and gold leaf. My mark making is gestural and expressive with landscape and seascape themes. My perspective is often aerial, as if flying without wings!”

Younger sister, Fleur Mitchell is an expressionist artist who celebrates colour and nature in her joyful commentary on life, nature and cats.

“My primary medium is acrylics, although watercolours, printmaking, flax weaving and mosaic all get a turn, says Fleur. “Painting helps me process my interior world and reflect on how everything interacts and influences each other.”

n Sisters is open daily from 10am to 3pm from Friday January 6 to midday Wednesday January 18. The Mangawhai Artists Gallery is at 45 Moir St, in the village at Mangawhai, next to the Library Hall and opposite Bennetts.

Averil Lewis-Roberts with examples of her work.

Fleur Mitchell with a work in progress.