GROUP SHOW : StudioWorkings

SPACE 2

Exhibition dates : 1 - 13 December 2026
Opening reception : Wed 2 December 2026, 6:00 - 8:30pm

StudioWorkings is a group of six Melbourne women artists who meet weekly to further their own individual art practices. The warmth of our space serves as a sharing environment where we feel  encouraged, motivated to learn, and especially to laugh and be curious.

Printmaking was initially a common thread, however the artists’ practices encompass pottery, photography, oil, acrylic and watercolour painting, and printmaking techniques such as linocut, cyanotype, etching, mezzotint, collagraph and monoprinting.

Each artist has exhibited their work at various galleries as part of group shows or in a solo capacity and are members of various artists groups and studios. This exhibition is the second for the StudioWorkings collective.

Francesca McNamara

A life-long interest in the inner world of the mind, soul and heart, and the influences of Buddhism, Jungian dreamwork and creative therapies has led to my artistic exploration of ambiguity, stillness, quiet, of both the fragility and the strength of human experience and relationships. I work intuitively, allowing material to emerge from the conscious and unconscious levels of psyche where past memories and present experiences meld to shape my work. I work mainly with semi-abstracted and expressive figuration and landscape using mixed media, paint, fabric and ink, collage and collagraph printing. “This year Francesca has collaborated with digital designer Jo Press which has led to the creation of some intriguing digital photocollages drawn from original photographic works".

Kate McCracken-Bell

My art is usually about patterns, things and places I love. This year I have been contemplating the stunning boabs I met in the amazing Kimberly region of Northern and Western Australia.  With their bare branches,  bauble like fruit dangling and human structures I could not help but wonder if they had been dancing at night. As well as the boabs, birds and boats also seem to make their way into my art.

Printmaking in its various forms is still my major love.  Every stage from designing the plates, to creating the plates, to inking and printing the plates is full of excitement and mystery - sometimes frustration and disappointment and sometimes pure joy…..

Linda Baker

Linda is a Melbourne based printmaker. Driven by the process rather than the subject matter, she enjoys the many varied techniques that printmaking has to offer. Her work is the result of continual experimentation, combining different elements of printmaking and mixed media. Linda is inspired by the human form and nature. She is a member of Fire Station Print Studio in Armadale and exhibits regularly in their group shows.

Margaret Meadows

Margaret Meadows’ creative practice spans various paper-based art forms, including printmaking, painting, and drawing. 

Across these mediums Margaret’s work reflects her love of the natural world, and endeavours to detail its forms and textures. Her lino prints (often hand-coloured with pencil and watercolour) examine the shapes and textures of landscapes, while her drawings in pen and ink focus on details of found objects such as bird nests, bones, insects, and sea creatures – often assembled into striking still life compositions. 

Margaret studied printmaking and drawing at Victoria University and works from her home studio. 

Marija Newbold

The Beauty of the Unexpected

Working with clay is a process of exploration, experimentation and discovery. I value the freedom to create without knowing what the final piece will become.

Curiosity guides my work, along with a willingness to embrace the unexpected. As I shape, layer and transform the clay, forms emerge, texture develop and colours interact in ways that are often surprising.

I am drawn to irregular shapes, expressive surfaces and the interplay of colour and texture. I enjoy allowing the natural qualities of the clay, together with experimentation and chance, to influence the direction of each piece.

For me the beauty lies not in perfection, but in the individuality of each creation. Every piece is a unique expression of the process, reflecting both the decision I make and the surprises that unfold along the way.

The pleasure of working with clay is in the making, the discovery and, ultimately, in welcoming the unexpected.

Mercedes Wolfenden

My philosophy in creativity is that ‘play’, then refinement is the vehicle through which I discover what lies within. The mystery of finding myself in art. 

It’s for the individual to explore, see and feel the colour, the mark of my hand, the flow of shapes, the light and the dark, the presence. To make of my art their own interpretation from their rich, inner, personal narrative, formed by their own lived experience. Hopefully your unique understanding creates meaning for you in relating to the work.