GUEST ARTISTS 

We are pleased to welcome a number of talented professional artists to showcase their artwork at the 2025 Arts Gala.This exclusive event also offered a unique opportunity for attendees to purchase extraordinary pieces on the night. 

Brody Grogan

"My name is Brody Grogan and I am a photographer". I still love saying that.

Probably because every time I do, there's a split second where I pause and reflect on the journey that's lead me to where I am right now. Followed by a calm yet exciting affirmation that every day I am doing something that I truly love. 

It's the opportunity to be creative and inspired, connected and challenged, and to capture moments in time that belong to a greater story for others' and myself. Be it emotional, action packed or confronting - I just love that; I can be standing in a foreign country, or on the side of a sporting field, or just metres away from two people holding hands before their family and friends... and all that matters to me is how honestly and complete I can detail what's playing before me. 

Originally from Tenterfield in northern New South Wales, I've been living in Brisbane for 10 years now and really enjoy the opportunity to travel wherever my photography takes me, both throughout Australia and abroad. I'm married to my beautiful wife, Kim and we have a chocolate labrador, Dudley.

In 2011 I completed a Diploma of Photography through The Photography Institute and photographed my first wedding in 2014. Since then, there have been many more, along with the privilege of capturing several special, significant moments in peoples' lives.

My approach is personal - How can it be anything but? I pour my heart and soul into my photography and I believe that this dedication is reflected through my work. 

Caroline Penny

Oil painting has been the constant companion and backstop to my life. A journey of discovery into the truth about what lies within the “everyday”. Playing with colour and brushstrokes to describe or enhance more than at first may be noticed. How light and colour can “affect or heighten” something one would just walk past. Water moving on the surface of a river or ocean, a sunset that emblazons the sky, sunlight pouring through trees dancing shadows on the ground. It’s all for the love of it. For the Glory of capturing something of a moment described through paint.

Georgette Schwantes

Georgette Schwantes was born in Egypt of British parents and educated privately in London, where early signs of artistic talent were noted. She was offered a bursary to Art College but this was not to be, as her interests were more artistic than academic. Georgette pursued the course of open classes at the National and other galleries and has travelled extensively in pursuit of her interests. Her artistic studies were enhanced by tutelage from various independent professional artists. Georgette completed a degree in fine art – sculpture in the early seventies at the Ealing College of the Arts in the UK. Her sculptures have sold into private and company collections throughout Australia and in 8 overseas countries. Prizes and commendations have been awarded from numerous art festivals and exhibitions across Australia.

Georgette has made Australia her home and has been sculpturing in Brisbane since 1975.  She has also taught sculpture at Moreton Institute of TAFE.  Examples of her sculptures are in the collections of a number of private collectors as well as at Ormiston College.

Georgette now teaches privately at her studio gallery in Birkdale, where you can purchase quality one off original sculptures direct from the Artist . Teaching sculpture to students and helping them to create an original sculpture to decorate their home. Sculpting is very therapeutic, the most beneficial part you will derive from it, is its therapeutic effects, as it's far more beneficial than sitting crossed legged contemplating your navel. 

Mandy Beebe

I am an intuitive, abstract painter, my work is influenced by my love of nature, it’s history and it’s mystery, the known and the unknown, what we see and what we feel. When I start my paintings, there is no plan or intention, I have no idea of how the painting will end up, this gives me a sense of peace and freedom.

 I trust my intuition to guide me as the painting evolves, I allow room for spontaneous expressive marks which build in a series of layers as the painting unfolds.  I give myself creative permission, to enter the flow, to release any attachment to judgement and let the mystery in. My intent is to take the viewer on a journey into the painting, to merge the abstract and familiar, create light in the darkness, and listen for the hidden whispers.

Noreen Flood

Noreen was born and educated in Northern Ireland but lived, worked and travelled extensively in the UK and abroad pursuing a career In Marketing and Advertising. 

She came to Noosa on the Sunshine Coast in the year 2000 and worked as a business consultant while studying and practicing visual arts. Several years of formal studies with further studies in ceramics, print-making and life drawing eventually led her to success as an artist, winning many art competitions, and part-time tutoring art and art history.  

Living by one of Noosa’s upper lakes with the changing tides, seasons and weather patterns, Noreen has a strong attitude to caring and protecting the lake environment and this has inspired her to create a mixed medium expressionistic art-work using mark-making as a means of conveying the sensitivity of the work depicting landscape and in a contemporary expressionistic style, the energy and images from around the lake.

She uses many mediums including delicate handmade papers, acrylics, pencils, oil pastels, inks, charcoal and oil paint with cold wax. These mediums are applied to canvas or watercolour paper and blended together to produce a unique and individual artwork.

Owen Hutchison 

My formal art education began at Banyo SHS with teacher Miss Watts in 1958/59. She taught us colour theory, elements of design, art history, poster colour painting and linocut printmaking. Somehow a lot of it stuck with me!

Eventually I worked as a teacher of English and Humanities and sometimes later on, I took an art class or two. It was here that I revisited printmaking and took it up as a hobby/pastime and later as a more serious endeavour. I guess that I like the processes of drawing, carving, printing and framing….seeing my image grow through all the processes.

It wasn’t long before I moved away from lino into woodcut printmaking having worked with wood, building sailing boats, our house and for about 5 years I was a woodchopper at country shows. Wood has an advantage over lino in that the artist can use the wood grain to add texture to the printed surface.

My subject matter is fairly eclectic and varies from the depiction of nature to contemporary, mythological and historical issues. I do like to include some sort of narrative in my images, to tell a story to provide interest for me and the viewer

Rosy Russ

My journey as an artist began at age 12 with my first oil painting kit, sparking a lifelong passion for creative expression. School art classes deepened this early fascination, laying the foundation for a committed artistic path. Over five years in India, I explored vibrant colour combinations and developed a distinctive style. Later, the natural beauty of southern France inspired a focus on landscape painting, refining my ability to capture mood and movement.

In Germany, my artistic journey evolved in two key phases: initially mastering oil still lifes, then transitioning into abstract expression under the mentorship of French artist Rémy Trevisan. This pivotal experience broadened my artistic scope and introduced me to new, intuitive forms. I exhibited in multiple shows across southern Germany, including the Hilton Hotel in Cologne.

For the past 18 years in Piedmont, Italy, I focused on commissioning large-scale artworks, including 2m x 3m wall pieces for clients across Europe. When I relocated to Australia in 2019, I adopted new techniques, such as stencil work, through “Art’s Tree” by De and Ali. Today, my work is exhibited at the “Straddie Various Art Gallery” in Raby Bay and “Georgette’s Art Gallery” in Birkdale—marking a vibrant new chapter in my international artistic journey. 

Sara Bettine Storer

Bettine Art is where music and painting meet to tell heartfelt stories. As a professional singer-songwriter, I’ve spent years weaving tales of Australia, its bush people, and the vibrant Northern Territory through my music. In 2017, I decided to pick up a stick from the bush and bring these stories to life on canvas, combining contemporary forms with the timeless beauty of dots and layers. For me, painting is a deeply personal escape. It is a way to immerse myself in colours, shapes, and ideas, just as I do with melodies and lyrics. Each painting, like a song, unfolds in layers, revealing the land, its people, and the humour I hold close to my heart. Using acrylics, I craft visual verses that celebrate the North and my own personal experiences in its spirit, its beauty and uniqueness. Whether through song or canvas, creating is not just something I do…it’s who I am.