Everything Botanical blooms at Art Gallery on Ovens

The Art Gallery on Ovens is awash with colour, form and foliage as Everything Botanical, a solo exhibition by Christine Cansfield-Smith, is on display. Running until Monday, 4 May, the exhibition brings together 15 works that explore botanical subjects through a blend of traditional still life and contemporary interpretation. Christine, who lives in nearby Beechworth, describes the show as a reflection of her artistic journey over many years. “I used to be very traditional botanical artist, but I’ve moved into more contemporary, less formal and more stylised botanical works,” Christine said. The exhibition includes carefully observed plant studies alongside more expressive still lifes, many of which feature flowers combined with household objects. For Christine, this shift has brought a renewed sense of freedom to her practice. "In my latest works I put a botanical element into them but they're still life, it makes it so much more interesting for me," she said. The works are created using acrylic paint, often layered meticulously over time, with pieces also incorporating coloured pencil and embroidery thread. Christine’s creative process begins with direct observation of plant material, sometimes gathered from her surroundings. “You take the piece and you draw it according to how you see it when it’s arranged in front of you,” she explained. “I do a rough drawing first, then transfer it to my final surface.” Christine trained formally as a botanical artist in Canberra about 25 years ago and later taught traditional botanical art for around 15 years. She comes from a family tradition of botanical artists, with both her grandmother and great grandmother practising the discipline. “In the strict traditional sense, botanical art is very disciplined,” she said. “You’re interpreting a specific real plant so accurately that a botanist could identify the species. “You can’t make things up, the leaf has to look like the leaf.” Her more recent works allow for greater creative freedom. “Now, I don’t really mind if a plant looks a bit off, or if I’ve made up a leaf here or there,” she said. “I’ve been trying to move beyond being restricted by botanical art and be a little more creative.” Despite this evolution, her underlying motivation remains a deep love of the natural world. “It’s really about glorifying plants,” Christine said. “You can interpret flowers and plants in very different ways, either as you see them or in a completely different way. “It’s about celebrating nature.” Through Everything Botanical, Christine hopes visitors will leave with a new appreciation for how plants can be both observed and re imagined. “It feels like it’s taken me until now to find my way of painting,” she said. “But I’m really happy with where I’ve landed.”

Everything Botanical blooms at Art Gallery on Ovens

New Queen of Norway has Wangaratta ties

Man arrested after alleged arson at Wangaratta care home

Calls for Kmart toilet facilities to reopen

Wangaratta Chronicle, Wednesday, 2 September, 2026

Most popular stories

New Queen of Norway has Wangaratta ties

Man arrested after alleged arson at Wangaratta care home

Calls for Kmart toilet facilities to reopen

Wangaratta Chronicle, Wednesday, 2 September, 2026