Talking With Painters

What do you imagine when you think of a painting of flowers by a woman artist? It might be a Margaret Olley still life set in her crowded Paddington terrace or a Margaret Preston with a striped tablecloth or it might be a close up Georgia O'Keefe with all its erotic interpretations. But it might also be considered less serious - just a pretty picture painted in a domestic setting. It was partly for that reason that Laura Jones initially resisted the flower as subject matter, until it was clear to her that that’s what she should be painting. Her exploration of the flower has developed over the years and took an interesting direction in her spectacular recent show ‘Too Much, Not Enough’ at Sophie Gannon Gallery. The show sold out quickly and a waiting list is in place for collectors. Jones is also a passionate environmentalist and her show at Olsen gallery last year resulted from residencies in the Great Barrier Reef after a severe bleaching event. Those works were both awe-inspiring and shocking. In this ep