Moonacres Food on Canvas with Kate Vella Saturday 1 June

Kate Vella is a talented local and award-winning contemporary artist. 

We invited her to the school to demonstrate a still life painting using some of the freshly harvested seasonal vegetables and fruit from Moonacres farm. Kate will demonstrate on a canvas the foundation of what makes a still life painting come together, from choosing the subject matter and arranging the set up to going through a few simple stages to complete it.

She will then be joined at the easel by Moonacres Farm owner Phil Lavers to have a conversation about the connection of food and art whilst they paint and talk. You will enjoy some freshly made food and bubbles around our fire whilst Phil shares his deep passion and connection to what he grows. 

Our guests will be invited to paint with Phil and Kate and the two finished canvases will be completed and signed by everyone and then go to auction or be sold to raise money for Oz Harvest who are our guests later in the year.

For Kate, painting comes from the soul, it is very healing, and she finds that as she creates, it feels essential for her wellbeing, and it also connects her with other artists and people in the community, such as Phil.

She is very passionate about her art, and depicts what she feels emotionally drawn to, largely still life and landscape. She paints every day and spends a lot of time in the garden and in nature as this is where she finds the most inspiration. 

She started drawing and sketching from a very young age, this was instilled in her by her parents. Growing up on a farm she spent a lot of time being creative, from making art and craft to making clothes, and her parents made preserves and homemade sheep and goats milk cheese. 

They grew fruit trees, all their vegetables and had a small vineyard. Now as she spends most of her time in her home studio, she reflects on how healthy it was to grow up in an environment where she had the freedom to be creative. This is something she was so very grateful for and appreciative of, and now feels very fortunate, humble and privileged to have the opportunity to share her love of art through exhibiting and teaching.

Why attend this Event?

Art is very important in our lives, it gives us sustenance, joy, creativity and it helps us to slow down, take time out from our busy lives to be still and present while we create. It connects us with our hearts and with nature. 

When we take time to observe nature we notice the light, form and colours of flowers, fruit and vegetables, we start to notice the intricate detail on petals, foliage and perhaps seeds in cut fruit. Making art with friends can be a wonderful experience as you connect with like-minded people as you share your love of art. 

Kate Vella

Born in Malta, Kate Vella is a visual artist now living in Robertson in New South Wales Southern Highlands.

Vella held her first solo show Antidote in Sydney in 2019, since then she has held numerous solo shows curated by Amber Creswell Bell at Michael Reid Berrima and Northern Beaches Galleries. Vella participated in various group shows and collaborations, most recently ACB Selects Group Show 2021 and Country Style Magazine Collaboration with Murrurundi 2021 and 2022.

Vella is the recipient of:

The BOCCA Hannah Forbes Memorial Prize 2023
The recipient of The Agency Bowral Still Life Art Prize 2022
Finalist in Ravenswood Australian Women Art Prize Emerging Category 2020 and 2022
Finalist in Goulburn Art Award 2022
Finalist in Kangaroo Valley Art Prize 2020
Finalist in Meroogal Women's Art Prize 2020

Vella's work is held in private collections in Australia and Internationally, and at The Osborn Boutique Hotel in Bundanoon in the Southern Highlands.

The class runs from 2:30pm to 6:00pm and Kate and the team at Moonacres look forward to seeing you soon for this beautiful afternoon.