2025: A Year in Reflection

27 Dec

As 2025 comes to a close, I’m reflecting on a year full of inspiration, exploration, and deepening practice.

Solo Exhibition at MRAG – Found

One of the year’s highlights was my solo exhibition, Found, at Maitland Regional Art Gallery, which was a sell-out and a profoundly rewarding experience. The show allowed me to present a cohesive body of work documenting the landscapes of the Hunter Valley, from Elderslie through to Lambs Valley and beyond. This process of observing, sketching, and painting these areas gave me the chance to engage deeply with the textures, light, and colours of the valley, translating the nuances of this evolving landscape into my work.

Collaboration with the team at MRAG was outstanding. Their support and professionalism made the exhibition process seamless and inspiring. I was also deeply grateful for the feedback from visitors, whose engagement with the work highlighted the ways in which art can illuminate place and invite reflection on the landscapes around us.

In response to Found, I developed a unique series of scarves in collaboration with MRAG. The process involved translating my painted landscapes into textile designs, carefully considering how the colours, textures, and compositions could work on silk. Each design was produced as a limited series, making each piece unique and collectible. I worked closely with the gallery team to select motifs and colour palettes that captured the essence of the Hunter Valley landscapes while remaining wearable and tactile. Each scarf became a miniature extension of the exhibition, allowing audiences to take the landscape with them and experience the textures, light, and atmosphere of the valley in a new and intimate way. This collaboration not only extended the reach of the exhibition but also provided a creative dialogue between painting, design, and materiality.

Workshops and Collaboration

Back home, I led a workshop at MRAG’s En Plein Air Community Day, sharing ideas and painting outdoors with fellow artists. It was a joyful reminder of the value of collaboration, dialogue, and experimentation in the creative process

Travel and Painting Trips

Travel continued to shape my practice. Sofala and The Corridor Project offered landscapes rich in texture and light, feeding my curiosity about place and material. A trip to Tasmania with a friend opened fresh perspectives and became a fertile source of inspiration for future work. These trips will provide me with great inspiration for the year to come.

Summer Salon and Community

Over the summer, I participated in the Strait Jacket Summer Salon, which offered not just the opportunity to show work but a real sense of community and connection. It was energising to share the space with other artists and feel part of a creative dialogue. The exhibition closes January 30.

Gratitude to Galleries

I’m deeply grateful to the galleries who continue to support my work: The Moree Gallery, Grainger Gallery, and Watershed Gallery. Your encouragement makes this journey possible.

Looking Ahead

2025 has been about observation, reflection, and quiet growth. In 2026, I aim to focus on producing a cohesive body of landscape work that fully expresses my vision and continues to explore light, texture, and the qualities of place that have captivated me this year.

Here’s to continuing the journey, one brushstroke at a time.

Yours in art,

Rebecca

Rebecca Rath