By Jed Lanyon
A local artist is showcasing Healesville as over 70 works of art will be on display featuring some of the town’s prominent architecture.
From businesses, homes, quirky letterboxes and anything that makes Healesville special, Christine Cafarella-Pearce has spent the last several months mapping out the beautiful Yarra Valley town as a part of YAVA’s Healesville Snapshot online exhibition.
After putting an annual trip on hold, due to the bushfires from last summer, Ms Cafarella-Pearce decided to take up painting the buildings of Healesville, having painted the landscape of the area for such a long period.
“I’m very much about painting what I’m passionate about and at the moment it’s houses and buildings and that’s quite strange for me,” she said.
“I got really involved in the architecture and the nooks and crannies behind it all.”
Having painted the houses of Healesville residents, Ms Cafarella-Pearce notified locals their homes would be part of the exhibition, with some opting to purchase the artworks.
She will even be accepting limited offers to create commissioned works for locals wanting their home painted or for businesses wanting to hang a piece of Healesville in their store.
“I have had a very positive response from a few people … Everyone I’ve spoken to has loved the idea to pieces.”
Ms Cafarella-Pearce said a visual diary has been created featuring all the works and she welcomes locals to look around and take in their home town on a deeper level.
“With the book, you just feel like you’re travelling through Healesville.”
Ms Cafarella-Pearce has lived in the area for over 20 years. In discussing what it meant to live in Healesville, she felt uneasy being referred to as a ‘Healesville local’.
“You’ve got to have a parent buried in the cemetery to be considered a real local here,” she joked.
Ms Cafarella-Pearce said the idea was sparked prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, but the restrictions meant she could spend a great deal of time on the collection.
“We all have a bit more time on our hands to soak in the atmosphere and get to know our place a bit better and that’s probably a good thing.
“Life was pretty tough in my mind. So for me, I was looking for the little things to put joy into every day.
“I just wanted to be able to show Healesville people what Healesville looks like through my eyes.”
For more information about the Healesville Snapshot exhibition, visit https://www.yava.org.au/snapshotvirtual
Visit YAVA’s Instagram page to take part in their Map Quest competition, where a signed copy of Ms Cafarella-Pearce’s book will be given away to residents who take part in a challenge to find the artwork locations.
