Magic of the Gum Trees; Sarah Waghorn’s Newest Arrivals

 Sarah Waghorn’s newest arrivals are a breath of fresh air… blown straight in to KAB Gallery from the tall gum trees of the Australian scrub. 

Last week Sarah Waghorn & her gorgeous dog Pickles arrived at our Terrigal art gallery in the pouring rain with the most exciting of new deliveries. Although little Pickles couldn’t assist much in the transportation, her little tail wagged eagerly as she awaited the reveal of her owners latest new works. Tightly wrapped in layers upon layers of bubble wrap and foam, we excitedly peeled the careful packaging away to feel the warmth of the Australian bush on one of the coldest and most miserable days Terrigal has seen this month.

Following the incredible success of Sally West’s solo exhibition, KAB Gallery is now being transported from the tranquil scenes of Lizzie Beach to the peaceful life of the garden. Waghorn’s most recent oil paintings are such a realistic and vivid representation of the beauty of Australian native species. You can almost smell the unmistakable clean and crisp scent of eucalyptus. Ever popular, her iconic gum nuts are back in another fresh and unique iteration in the stunning piece aptly titled Perfect Pods. Perfect for the modern interior with fresh tones of green, turquoise, dreamy pink & lilac the work is finished in a luxurious oak frame. 

Waghorn is constantly evolving her practice, experimenting with a variety of mediums as her Flowering Tree series continues to grow. In her most recent arrivals at KAB Gallery you may notice Waghorn has begun using poly cotton canvas in addition to board & canvas. Poly-cotton is a super strong blend of polyester and cotton and as you can see in the beautiful The Party’s Over, it provides a smooth base that allows the paint to effortlessly glide over the canvas and create a smooth & rich finish. Waghorn describes it as a medium that is “smoother than board and not as thirsty as canvas”. 

Head Bow is perhaps my favourite of her newest arrivals, as Waghorn manages to highlight the exquisite flowering gum in a completely different light. Rather than looking up at the flower from below, she has created an intriguing composition by playing with viewpoint and aspect of the composition. Waghorn often uses small sketches in gouache to play with balance of an image before creating the final piece in oil paints, which gives her works a tantalizingly opulent sheen. 

The flowering gums, a subject that Waghorn returns to time & time again, has an innate sense of magic in it’s buds. The small pods bursting with life and colour remind me of playing in the backyard as a child. Day after day I’d fill my pockets with countless fallen buds, convinced that after the sunset magic would seep out of them and make all my wishes come true. Hanging one of Waghorn’s beautiful paintings may just bring that same energy to your interior, because when they hang collectively at our beach side gallery you can feel the magic of the gum trees in the air. 

Sarah Waghorn’s exquisite native floral paintings are always popular so be sure to pop into KAB Gallery at Terrigal to experience the magic for yourself. 

About the author

Marielle

Marielle is undertaking tertiary education in fine art & design. She is both an artist and designer which makes her the perfect person to seek detailed knowledge on all mediums. Her formal training in art and spatial design allows her to help clients curate collections of art that are interesting and unique.

“The right piece of artwork can not only make a space look great but feel great! Artworks are an important emotive piece that can transform the mood of any room.”

Marielle is available part-time to help you transform your interior with art!