A Shared Passion: The Love Between Painters

So many of the great paintings we know and admire have been inspired by love; the painter’s muse is, in so many cases, the person they love, and the sparks of romance can make a painting truly come alive on the canvas.

But painting does more than that – it brings kindred spirits together, and so often we see artists who are romantically involved with one another, drawn together by a shared passion for art and their fine craft. Understanding this dynamic is a fascinating one; so often the styles of these painters differ widely, but they remain closely linked, connected by their love of painting, of creating.

Lorraine Abernethy and Ian Tremewen are one such couple; based on the Gold Coast, both are prolific artists who have enjoyed exhibitions around Australia and internationally, and both employ a signature style in their works. But while they may both be incredibly prolific and successful, their close connection does not lend similarities to their work. Both are distinctive, not just from other artists but they are widely distinctive from each other.

Lorraine’s intimate, realistic approach shows her scenes close and in their glory, as in Yellow and Red Orchids and Market Flowers. Ian, on the other hand, deconstructs and recreates his landscapes with vivid colour and a sense of wonder, as in Sails and Tails and Autumn Dreams; for the couple, the same inspiration reaches them both but is channeled so differently.

In an exercise in extreme contrast, Rachel Favelle and her partner, Daniel Jurin, are both artists, though their styles of work could not be more different from one another. Rachel’s contemporary and surrealist subjects are inspired by fairy tales and children’s literature, complex and inventive. Her subjects, like in Juice and Bat Cat, are characters who carry worlds within them in their own right, broken free from constrains of reality.

On the other hand, Daniel’s inspiration comes from the world outside his window, the coastline of eastern Australia and near the Gold Coast. His paintings, like Noosa Beach in Winter and Sand Dunes, are textured with memory, enough that as viewers, we are instantly transported to the familiar beachscapes.

A shared love, leading to long love, will always serve to inspire and change the way we see the world. For those artistic couples who are drawn together through a shared adoration of art, this inspiration only grows, enhanced by the presence of one another, a constant muse in the painters’ life. Explore the diversity of artistic couples at Art Lovers Australia, and see the works that a united passion for painting can create.