Llewellyn Skye's bold floral abstractions convey young love in a primal language of colour and gesture. What emerges is a paradox of profound opposites. Foolish, youthful passion is freeing but all-consuming. It furnishes hope yet brings despair. Such love is perfectly flawed in its overwhelming intensity but also beautiful and magical in its imperfections and surprises. Skye’s effervescent, expressive bouquets are rendered with confident brush strokes in vibrant colours against dark and muted backgrounds. The work, which marries abstraction and expressionism, mirrors the sweetness and inevitable pain of the ardor of young romance, which, like the springtime, blooms with vigour but soon betrays its fragility. Skye's work recognises that with change and loss comes a darkness. But it also affirms the need to struggle to live in the moments, however fleeting, of beauty and light.
"Florals represent abstract beauty and impermanence, all the qualities I enjoy in life and love." - Skye
Education
2006
Advanced Painting Course, Sydney Gallery School, Meadowbank,Sydney
2005
Bachelor of Fine Arts, National Art School, Darlinghurst,Sydney
2002
Creative Drawing, Newtown, Sydney
2002
Right Brain Drawing, Balmain, Sydney
Solo Exhibitions
2020
Daylight Breaks, Revival Art & Design, QLD, Australia
Bleeding Daylight, M-Arts, QLD, Australia
2019
LatestWorks, Revival Art & Design, QLD, Australia
2012
Sugar, Conzano, Italy
Picasso's Goat, Randwick Childrens Hospital, NSW, Australia
2011
Di Zucchero, Montefiascone, Italy
2009
Girl's Best Friend, RCH, NSW, Australia
2008
Party Animals, Nyst Gallery, QLD, Australia
Animal Crackers, RCH, NSW, Australia
2007
Like Humans Do, Xavier Art Space, NSW, Australia
Selected Group Exhibitions
2020
Modern Love, A K Bellinger Gallery, NSW, Australia
Summer Show, Metro Gallery, VIC, Australia
2019
Share the Dignity, Amber Creswell Bell, NSW, Australia
Summer Show, Lorraine Pilgrim Studio, QLD, Australia
TSS Art Show, QLD, Australia
Dean Gogle Portrait Prize, QLD, Australia
Winter Landscape, Hang About Gallery, ALD, Australia
Ten, White Canvas, QLD, Australia
2018
Our Fiction, Studio 8, QLD, Australia
The Summer Exhibition, Lorraine Pilgrim Studio, QLD,Australia
Dusty People, Dust Temple, QLD, Australia
Neumman Dust Temple Portrait Prize, Dust Temple, QLD,Australia
Morris Art Prize, Carrara, QLD, Australia
When Then Becomes Now, SOFA, QLD, Australia
2017
Arcadia, Lorraine Pilgrim Studio, QLD, Australia
2016
Once a Summers Eve, Lorraine Pilgrim Studio, QLD, Australia
Driven to Create, Lorraine Pilgrim Studio, QLD, Australia
2015
Portrait Exhibition, Hinge Gallery, QLD, Australia
Summer, Lorraine Pilgrim Studio, QLD, Australia
2014
Cool Yule, Lorraine Pilgrim Studio, QLD, Australia
Drawn to Detail, Lorraine Pilgrim Studio, QLD, Australia
2013
Beauty Truth and Grace, Lorraine Pilgrim Studio, QLD,Australia
Ya Gotta Áve It, Lorraine Pilgrim Studio, QLD, Australia
Summertime, Lorraine Pilgrim Studio, QLD, Australia
2012
Good Sports, Lorraine Pilgrim Studio Gallery, QLD, Australia
Home Sown, Lorraine Pilgrim Studio Gallery, QLD, Australia
Art in the Hills, Castle Hill, NSW, Australia
From the Vault, RCH, NSW, Australia
2011
Plate Show, NAS, NSW, Australia
Friends, RCH, NSW, Australia
Hidden Words, Retrospect, QLD, Australia
2010
Inanimate, Nyst Gallery, QLD, Australia
2009
Fourth Estate, Nyst Gallery, QLD, Australia
Innocence, Nyst Gallery, QLD, Australia
2008
If You Cant Stand the Heat, Nyst Gallery, QLD, Australia
Australie Mythe et Realite, Paris, France
Trees for Children, Customs House, NSW, Australia
Artist at my Table, NAS, NSW, Australia
2007
Simply the Best, Deka, QLD, Australia
Imagined Australia, Prato, Italy
Reverentia, Deka, QLD, Australia
2006
Joint Venture, Benowa, QLD, Australia
Showcase, Downing Centre, NSW, Australia
Surface Tension, May St Gallery, NSW, Australia
Image & Artefact, See St Gallery, NSW, Australia
MCAAA, See St Gallery, NSW, Australia
2005
NAS Degree Show, NSW, Australia
John Olsen Drawing Prize, NAS, NSW, Australia
FONAS Exchange Reuter, NAS, NSW, Australia
2004
Liquid Amber Productions, NSW, Australia
2000
Stop Domestic Violence, NSW, Australia
Education
2006
Advanced Painting Course, Sydney Gallery School, Meadowbank, Sydney
2005
Bachelor of Fine Arts, National Art School, Darlinghurst, Sydney
2002
Creative Drawing, Newtown, Sydney
Right Brain Drawing, Balmain, Sydney
Awards and Recognition
2020
Finalist, Art Lovers Art Prize, QLD, Australia
2019
People’s Choice Award, Dean Cogle Portrait Prize, DustTemple, QLD, Australia
2018
Artist in Residence, Burleigh Brewing, QLD, Australia
Winner, Brewing Local Artists, Burleigh Brewing, Qld,
2011
Artegiro Artist Residency, Italy
2008
Trees for Children, NSW, Australia
2007
Xavier Art Space Prize, NSW, Australia
2006
Finalist Arts North Permanent Collection, NSW, Australia
Showcase Prize Tafe, NSW, Australia
Tafe Alumni Art Prize - Janice McCulloch - Art Almanac
2005
Highly Commended, John Olsen Drawing Prize
2000
Finalist Stop Domestic Violence
Selected Features
2020
House Rules
The Block Shop
We Are Gold Coast
Rising Woman Creative
Tweed Valley TV, Tweed
What’s On Tweed, Dec, Tweed
2019
The Echo, Dec, Byron
The Weekend Edition Feb, Brisbane
2017
The Drift, July, Qld
Robina Town Centre, Aug, Qld
Fashion Journal, May
Nikel + Sole, Nov, Melbourne
2016
Daily Imprint, Feb, Sydney
2011
Herbert River Express, June, Qld
2010
Sydney Morning Herald, May, Sydney
2008
Southern Courier, Nov, Sydney
Coast Confidential, GC Bulletin, July, Qld
Weekend Bulletin, June, Gold Coast
Art Almanac, Profiles, June Edition
Southern Courier, Feb, Sydney
2007
The Sun-Herald, March, Sydney
2006
Northern District Times, October, Sydney
2005
Daily Telegraph, November, Sydney
2001/02
NSW Stop Domestic Violence Week
2001 Front cover Speaking Out magazine, Sydney
Public Commissions
2019
Main Beach Flower Festival, Mural, QLD
RSL Art Union, QLD
2018
Robina Town Centre, Totem Artwork, QLD
Nikel and Sole, Summer Collection, VIC
2017
Nikel and Sole, Winter Collection, VIC