Art

10 Affordable Landscape Artists We Love

Landscape art is one of the oldest art forms, with evidence humans have been depicting the natural world around us since ancient times. And while painting styles have evolved a lot over time, artworks that capture the beauty of leafy native bushlands, rugged mountains, or picturesque coastlines just never get old.

We’ve pulled together a list of 10 of our favourite Australian-based landscape painters, who are each telling personal and emotive stories through their diverse interpretations of the natural world — with prices starting from just $280!

Written
by
Christina Karras

Artist Kate Lewis’s works in her studio. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files

Kate Lewis. Photo – Astrid Mulder

She works mainly with oil paint to create her landscapes in one sitting. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files

Left: ‘Stirling Dream’ by Kate Lewis. Middle: ‘Uprooted presence’ by Kate Lewis. Right: ‘Uprooted eucalypt’

Writer
Christina Karras
16th of August 2023

Kate Lewis

Emerging artist Kate Lewis says painting and the bush have been the two constants in her life, which also explains the expressive nature of her landscape paintings. She treats her practice like a camera roll and a personal diary rolled into one, drawing inspiration from Australia’s diverse bushland and mountains for her layered oil paintings.

Her studio is based in Melbourne, but she often paints outside on expeditions into Victoria’s High Country, directly channelling the organic ‘textures, smells and energy’ of local bushlands into her works.

Price range: $1000 – $4000

Where to buy: Modern Times and in upcoming shows at MARS Gallery Melbourne (August 24 – September 23) and Bett Gallery Hobart (March 2024)

Sydney-based artist Tiarna Herczeg in her studio. Photo – Alisha Gore for The Design Files

‘Marun-Marun madja / Bright rainforest’ by Tiarna Herczeg. Photo – Nicol Mouton

‘Mujal / Collect’ by Tiarna Herczeg. Photo – Nicol Mouton

Photo – Grace Carlon

Tiarna Herczeg

Proud Kuku Yalanji and Hungarian artist Tiarna Herczeg’s contemporary Aboriginal artworks are abstract renditions of Country. Impressively, she paints landscapes from memory alone, creating pieces her own unique maps with playful colours that mark where different parts of the lands meet.

‘Most of the time I find myself painting the land from an aerial point of view, as if I’ve left my body and am soaring over the land looking down,’ Tiarna says. And each vibrant piece is a beautiful celebration of this cultural connection to the land!

Price range: $800 – $5500

Where to buy: Curatorial+Co and in an upcoming show at Sydney Contemporary

Left: ‘Around And In-Between’ by Giorgia Bel. Middle: ‘Highlands Waltz’ by Giorgia Bel. Right: ‘Scent Of Summer’ by Giorgia Bel.

Giorgia Bel

Giorgia Bel is a self-taught Newcastle-based artist who picked up a paint brush when a time of illness forced her to rest a few years ago. ‘I wasn’t quite well enough to work full-time, so I painted and worked a little, and 5 years on, we are here,’ Giorgia says.

She has a focus on exploring the natural beauty of Australia’s landscapes, and just about every one of her earthy-toned paintings features native white bark trees like paperbarks or eucalyptus!

Price range: $1400 – $8400, or $500 – $800 for unframed works

Where to buy: Brunswick St Gallery, Saint Cloche, Gallery Raye, Sunday Salon, and CLO Studios

Painting by Chantel de Latour.

Now based in Melbourne, Chantel de Latour lived in the south of France during her childhood, which inspired her connection to coastal landscapes. Photo – Courtesy of Chantel de Latour

‘I am interested in the nature of fluid boundaries, for example, the demarcation between public and private spaces,’ Chantel says.

Painting by Chantel de Latour.

Chantel de Latour

Abandoned tennis courts, swimming pools, beaches, and countryside cottages are just some of the reoccurring subjects of Chantel de Latour’s reflective paintings.

The Melbourne-based artist spent her childhood in the south of France, and after living in a range of different landscapes across her life, she says her resulting practice is all about exploring the unseen feelings imbued in these unique places.

Price range: $800-$1200

Where to buy: Michael Reid Northern Beaches, or through her website

‘Ambergate Gums One’ by Sky Jasper Mooney.

‘Ambergate Gums Two’ by Sky Jasper Mooney.

‘A Flame Pea Dream’ by Sky Jasper Mooney.

‘Tree Fern One’ by Sky Jasper Mooney.

Sky Jasper Mooney

Sky Jasper Mooney has been painting since he was in high school, but his more recent hiking and camping adventures is what really sparked his love of painting landscapes! His works aim to transport viewers into what calls the ‘visual symphony’ of the Australian bush, where rustling leaves and earthy scents collide.

His paintings offer a contemporary take on the impressionist style, with layered and imperfect brush strokes that highlight native flora like banksias, grass trees, and gum trees, along with the vibrant hues of Australian wildflowers.

Price range: $690 – $1200

Where to buy: Brunswick Street Gallery, Cornerstore Gallery, and directly through Instagram

‘Blue Water And Yellow Flowers’ by Emily Persson.

​Melbourne-based artist Emily Persson. Photo – Delanie Potts

Left: ‘Again and Again’ by Emily Persson. Right: ‘Mcilroys Road Tree Line Sublime’ by Emily Persson.

Emily Persson

If you are drawn to the water, then you’ll love Emily Persson’s richly textured seascapes. ‘I visit the Mornington Peninsula often and am always inspired by the landscape,’ the Melbourne-based artist explains.

‘Using the impasto method to capture the rugged cliffs, textured grass and the tall oak trees is a delightful part of the process.’ The seasons also play a big part in her immersive paintings, as she focuses on coastlines more in summer, and Victoria’s countryside in winter!

Price range: $2000 – $8800

 Where to buy: Wentworth Galleries

‘Early Warning, Dusk’ by Michele Burder.

Michele Burder in her studio. Photo – Delanie Potts

Right: ‘Respire, City Edge’ by Michele Burder.

Michele Burder

With 30 years painting experience, Michele Burder is an expert at capturing landscapes in motion. The artist paints urban scenes like public parks and local reserves she’s seen from the window of a moving car, or on a walk, depicting familiar slightly blurred green spaces with a sense of familiarity.

‘I’m inspired by the pattern of light and shadow created by the sun hitting the structures of trees, roads and paths along with the passage of movement through a landscape,’ Michele notes.

Price range: $800 – $5000

Where to buy: Gallery Rayé, or through Michele’s website

Yindjibarndi artist and Elder Wendy Hubert. Photo – Juluwarlu Art Group

‘Ngurra (Country)’ by Wendy Hubert.

Painting by Wendy Hubert.

Painting by Wendy Hubert.

Wendy Hubert

Wendy Hubert is a respected Yindjibarndi Elder, Cultural Custodian and Linguist who has been painting with Juluwarlu Art Group since 2019. Since then, she’s become known for her landscape paintings depicting scenes from her childhood and important places on Ngurra (country), in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.

‘I paint to show people how to appreciate Country, to not rubbish it, always pick your rubbish up because Country will be there forever, for generations to generation,’ Wendy says.

Price range: $300 – $4000

Where to buy: Juluwarlu Art Group

‘Burnet Bushland Circuit’ by Jessie Rose Ford.

‘Merri Creek’ by Jessie Rose Ford.

‘Darebin Parklands’ by Jessie Rose Ford.

‘By The Creek’ by Jessie Rose Ford.

Jessie Rose Ford

At the start of the pandemic in 2020, Jessie Rose Ford was missing nature and outdoor adventures so much that she started to paint the trees in her backyard.

The Melbourne artist had previously worked with watercolours to create detailed botanical paintings for years, but she quickly fell in love with the freedom of oil painting outside and started focusing on local landscapes around the Merri Creek, Yarra River and beyond. Her favourite time to paint is just before golden hour, which casts her works in a warm glow!

Price range: $280 – $2600

Where to buy: Saint Cloche, Brunswick Street Gallery, No Vacancy Gallery, Interlude Gallery, and through Jessie’s website or Instagram

Paintings by Chloe Caday.

Chloe Caday in her backyard studio. Photo – Courtesy of Chloe Caday

‘At The Heart Of Midnight’ by Chloe Caday.

‘Sirena and Bulan’ by Chloe Caday.

Chloe Caday

Artist Chloe Caday explores her memories of growing up in Australian and her birthplace, the Philippines, in her tranquil paintings. She now lives in regional Victoria with her growing family, where she often paints outside in the bushland that surrounds their home in muted, moody tones.

‘I love how a landscape holds the power to reconnect us with history and stories of not only the intricacies of the flora, but also stories of the people from the land, their traditions, culture and practices.’

Price range: $700 – $3500

Where to buy: Curatorial+Co and Cook Street Collective

 

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