january newsletter ―
Published 11 January 2026
Happy New Year – 2026 is shaping up to be full of excitement with the gallery welcoming new exhibitions every month.
We kick off with perennial favourite, Jonathan Partidge, who unveils wonderful new multi-panelled landscapes in his Pathways to Bliss exhibition which opens this Friday.
Later in the month, get ready to be wowed by the extraordinary new paintings of Faridah Cameron in Becoming and Dissolving and the launch of her book, Letters to Dead Artists.
And that’s just the start. We also have exhibitions from Michael McWilliams, Luke Wagner and John Lendis, and unveil the artistic results of a collaboration with the Tasmanian Land Conservancy. So much ahead. Read on to find out what January has in store!
Best wishes
Allanah Dopson
Director
upcoming exhibition — jonathan partridge: pathways to bliss
Published 11 January 2026
Renowned Tasmanian artist, Jonathan Partridge, searches for the ‘Pathway to Bliss’ and finds it in the natural world. He shares this joy and wonder in the exquisite collection of new works from his upcoming exhibition.
Jonathan’s multi-panelled landscapes unfold as immersive panoramas. Delicate layering of Tasmania’s raw beauty – its flora and fauna – takes us on a journey of meditative contemplation. “I seek to elevate the natural world and our fragile interconnectedness with it,” Jonathan explains. “Communing with nature is deeply spiritual. It’s where I come alive and find my personal bliss. I hope my art encourages others to seek out their pathways.”
Aptly named Pathways to Bliss, Jonathan touches the heavens in this exhibition. Amongst the beautiful collection of new paintings and limited-edition prints, is his largest work, Walking up Mt Anne. Painted in four panels, we look out over Lake Pedder as the sun slowly sets, the ring of mountains reflected in the calm water. “The silence and the solitude. This was a moment of bliss.”
Jonathan is excited about this exhibition, which is an evolution of his previous works, especially print-making: “I haven’t made any new prints in years, and this collection has a different feel. More drama perhaps?” Above all, this is a joyful collection. A homage to natural Tasmania. Pure bliss.
Jonathan Partridge’s Pathways to Bliss exhibition opens at Handmark on Friday January 9 and runs until Monday 26 January.
late january exhibition — faridah cameron: becoming and dissolving
Published 11 January 2026
Transitions: Day to night; spring to winter; raw to ripe. These are the precious markers of time that painter Faridah Cameron captures so poignantly in her Becoming and Dissolving solo show.
In Faridah’s painting Dawn, a magnificent sun rises and pushes the moon into the night sky. In Ripening the canvas is split by a jagged seam. On one side the fruit is raw, on the other it is ripe for eating. “These are the transitions that happen day in and day out in the natural world. We let them go unnoticed, but they are important marks in our life,” Faridah tells us.
Inspired by a passion for sewing and textiles, Faridah has developed her own unique style. Extraordinary abstracts are intricate in their minute detailing and divine patterns. Tiny stitch-like marks speak of fabrics and threads. “Simple mark-making that adds up to something very complex. Just like stitching when you are sewing.”
This talented creative is also an author. Faridah will be launching her book Letters to Dead Artists, at the exhibition, and her musings, like the one to John Olsen, highlights art is in the eye of the beholder: “The truth is, John, that I’ve never really liked your paintings… I realise it’s presumptuous of me to pass judgment like this. What do I know? One’s response to art is always personal and subjective, coloured by experience.”
Faridah Cameron’s Becoming and Dissolving exhibition opens at Handmark on Friday January 30 and runs until Monday February 16.
December Newsletter
Published 11 January 2026
Sebastian Galloway rings in Christmas with a festive collection of floating flowers. We unveil incredible new paintings in his Quiet Garden exhibition which opens on Friday. Please join us for some fabulous art and Christmas cheer!
Still looking for that special Christmas gift? Jewellery perhaps? As seen in our recent Jewellery Showcase, Handmark represents Tasmanian’s top artisans. Our recent showcase includes some wonderful new baubles from Natalie Holtsbaum, Anna Weber, Tonya Gilbett, Emily Snadden, Janine Combes, Diane Allison, Linda van Niekerk, Sarah Farquhar-Still, Charles Wyatt, Sandy Wrightson, Barbara Heath and Emma Bugg.
Thank you for your wonderful support throughout 2025. We look forward to a jam-packed 2026 with major exhibitions, including Michael McWilliams, and a big announcement in the new year involving our artists and Tasmanian Land Conservancy. Stay tuned!
A happy Christmas to you and your loved ones.
Allanah and the Handmark team.
upcoming exhibition — sebastian galloway: the quiet garden
Published 11 January 2026
Sebastian Galloway paints ultra-detailed flowers dripping with saturated hues that are magically suspended in space. But, in his latest exhibition, The Quiet Garden, he adds a new softness with flowers fading into the mist.
Flowers – so realistic it’s impossible to comprehend they are not photographs – float through the air. Colours, saturated and vivid, leave an indelible mark: “Flowers are the perfect natural form with their texture and detail. Very few things in nature have the endless spectrum of colours that they have. Flowers are an endless source of inspiration and subject matter,” Sebastian tells us.
Since his last Handmark exhibition two years ago, Sebastian has been experimenting. The copper plates he always painted on have been replaced with a grey stainless steel that allows the colour to explode even more vividly. He also introduces a ‘misting style’ where his bright flowers now slowly fade into the background.
This is brilliantly executed in his largest work, Magnolias in the Mist. A bunch of beautiful white magnolias start out sharply in focus before disappearing into the mist. “This style adds a new softness. I want the person standing in front of my paintings to be engulfed by a peace and tranquillity.”
Sebastian Galloway’s The Quiet Garden exhibition opens this Friday, December 12, and runs until January 5.
a favourite returns — natalie holtsbaum: exquisite earrings
Published 11 January 2026
It’s been more than decade since her last Handmark showing, but jeweller extraordinaire Natalie Holtsbaum is back – and with stunning results. She has just delivered the most exquisite earrings to Handmark Gallery.
In the intervening years, Natalie has been personal ‘Art Maker’ for MONA’s David Walsh and Kirsha Kaechele, an incredible journey that even included making ‘vagina shaped’ cutlery. But Natalie is tinkering with her own jewellery once again, and has dropped off a small collection of earrings to Handmark. “It’s been pure, exquisite joy,” she says.
All have long drops and round tops in a style that dates back to ancient Egypt “where goldsmiths crafted metal and stones into shimmering pendants earrings. This is a shape that traces a line through time, and I have always been fascinated by how certain forms return again and again, as if they refuse to leave the human imagination.”
Some of Natalie’s earrings glisten with glorious gemstones. Pendants of indigo topaz and faceted green amethyst. Others embrace a cutting edge ‘sculpting medium’ that she developed. This involves replacing gems with epoxy pendants coated in a special German paint that shines with ground mother-of-pearl or nine carat gold. “This is something special. It adds magic.”
Natalie Holtsbaum’s new jewellery is on show at Handmark Gallery
new jewellery — tonya gilbett: bird song
Published 11 January 2026
Replete with symbolism, Tonya Gilbett’s new range of jewellery, Aria Awakens, is a treasure trove of glorious necklaces, rings, and earrings. Evoking an imagined goddess ‘Aria’ and spun around the magic of birds, Tonya’s jewels are both beautiful and powerful.
Every piece in this exquisite collection features the raised imprint of a beautiful bird. Tonya features seven birds, each chosen for its rich symbolism and unique character: the graceful swan; the still heron; the laughing kookaburra; the wise owl; the playful wren; the social Cockatoo; and the family-focused blackbird.
Each bird has its own power that is passed onto the wearer: “A quiet message offering guidance and power throughout the day. I am currently wearing a heron ring, which is really resonating with me at the moment as I need to bring more patience and stillness into my life,” Tonya explains. “Every bird has its own song and special qualities. My hope is the wearer will embrace their own special song.”
Apart from a gold heron ring, all Tonya’s jewels are crafted from silver, with pearls and beads decorating pendant necklaces. Each one a unique work of art: “No two pieces are exactly alike. Subtle variations from the hand-pressed process lends each item a sense of antique mystery and enduring charm.”
Tonya Gilbett’s new jewellery is on show at Handmark Gallery
november newsletter ― director’s message
Published 19 November 2025
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new handmark artist — paul gundry: evocative landscapes
Published 19 November 2025
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back on the horse — alyce bailey: animal magic
Published 19 November 2025
Alyce Bailey burst onto the art scene as a teenager with back-to-back sell-out exhibitions. But it was too much too soon, and she quickly retreated. However, after a 7-year sabbatical Alyce is back – and so are her magical animals.
“I had my first Handmark show when I was 19, then another two when I was 20 and 21. My paintings were literally selling as they were being unpacked. It was a frenzy and I felt overwhelmed and couldn’t cope. I was like the horse had bucked me off, kicked me, and bolted,” Alyce explains. “But, after time out, I am back on the horse and raring to go.”
Launceston-based Alyce paints animals. Cheeky and whimsical pen and acrylic characters that help her “navigate the world.” She unveils wonderful works in Handmark’s Group Show: A self-portrait with Alyce as Clover the Rabbit; A skunk draped in beads and affirmations is beautiful; while a homing pigeon with a key is Alyce’s message – she is back home.
But the showstopper is her large painting, Gumnuts and Buttons, which is a reflection on Van Diemens Land. A fox – the hunter – is draped in soldier’s buttons, while a thylacine – the hunted – is resplendent in gumnut beads. “I view art through the lens of animals.”