With almost 30 years as a professional artist, mainly in the field of wildlife painting, Laurel Foenander has exhibited widely in group and solo exhibitions, and her works are held in collections in many corners of the world.
“I describe myself as a Contemporary Realist Oil Painter, but also wander into surrealism and abstraction to express my creativity. I paint virtually every day and I adore the qualities of oil paint and hope the viewer can see the hand of the maker in my work. My birds, for instance, are not photo-realistic. I aim for them to be anatomically correct, but the execution is like a marriage of feathers and paint and a tribute to the birds' characters and their connectivity to each other.
I am particularly concerned with the issues of conservation and environment, and with the rights of humans and animals to a free and peaceful life.
The natural world is my constant source of wonder and inspiration, and I hope that my work may inspire viewers to relax into the forest of their dreams, take a bush walk to look for the ferny licheny places, look at the sky (not too much when driving) or swim in the sea.”
Recent Exhibitions
2025 Summer Art Soiree, Manyung Gallery Sorrento
2024 Affordable Art Fair Melbourne
2024 Affordable Art Fair Sydney
2023 Affordable Art Fair Melbourne
2022 Affordable Art Fair Melbourne
Commendations & Prizes:
2024 Finalist in the John Leslie Landscape Prize
2024 Finalist in the Percival Portrait Prize
2024 Finalist in the Percival Portrait Prize
2022 Finalist in the Sunshine Coast Art Prize
2021 Winner of the Maritime Art Award
2021 Finalist in the SBS Landscape Prize
2020 Finalist in the Maritime Art Award
2019 Finalist in the Maritime Art Award
2019 Finalist in the Bayside Acquisitive Art Prize
2012 Finalist in the Norvil Art Prize