Dive into Cecile Michel’s Underwater World, an exhibition of realistic pencil drawings taking place at the Foundry Gallery in Bairnsdale from this Friday, February 7 until Saturday, March 29 with a special opening night this Friday from 5pm to 7pm.
Cecile Michel settled in Paynesville in 2022 and has taken to the beautiful scenery and quiet life of the Gippsland region like a fish to water.
After completing a series of large and confronting portraits, she moved onto drawing everyday objects with a sense of nostalgia.
There is a real sense of connection between some inanimate objects and their owners. Toys and cooking utensils particularly filled with memories of childhood and strong happy emotions.
With Underwater World, she wanted to challenge herself to draw something which had its own life.
Fish, crustaceans and seashells all have their own stories of travel, erosion and even their own battle scars.
“These sketches are the smallest ones I have ever done and replicating details on such a small scale is quite tricky to achieve,” Cecile said.
“I was inspired by the local sea life and love that around here you can swim in the Lakes as well as go for a stroll on the beach.
“Everything is very close. The air is fresh and salty, the water is beautifully clear, and the fish is plentiful.
“There is even a cheeky seal who hangs around the marina and shows off its natural fishing abilities to the frustrated fishermen.”
Cecile wanted to draw this compact collection as an homage to nature and all that the waters have to offer, but despite all the sea creatures on display, there is nothing fishy about this exhibition.
