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Review

Blessings

Paintings exploring stories of angels, by Cheryle Bannon

Decoy Café Bar Gallery, 303 Exhibition St, Melbourne

20 October 2018 to 14 February 2019

Review by Shelley Vincent

In this exhibition of 32 works by Cheryle Bannon, colour and mixed media have been used to portray the physical manifestation of various angels.

Three of Cheryle Bannon's artworks in Decoy Café Bar Gallery

The colours used create richly vibrant works. Turquoise overlays red. Orange snuggles against green. Various blues sing out or provide a calm background, depending on their shade. The warm tones in the halos of the angels spread like sunshine after rain. Very light shades of many colours pick out wings, halos and faces. On some works a glossy medium has been used to highlight the scene.

Bloom in possibilities, acrylic & mixed media, 40 x 51 cm, by Cheryle Bannon

All works are listed as being "acrylic & mixed media". In some pieces you can see how the mixed media has been used to create texture on the works. On Finding her wings it looks like textured wallpaper, or similar, has been used and the flowing shapes create an interesting surface. On Bloom in possibilities the added material (maybe fine cloth?) defines the neckline of the angel's robe.

The dreamer of dreams, acrylic & mixed media, 92 x 61 cm, by Cheryle Bannon

Place we call home, acrylic & mixed media, 41 x 31 cm, by Cheryle Bannon

Some sort of fine netting has been added to Carrying the eternal flame to provide texture to the angel's wings creating an invitingly touchable surface. The dreamer of dreams employs a decorative paper in the background to add subtle pattern. Cut-out words have been added to Place we call home to reinforce the meaning of the piece.

The storyteller, acrylic & mixed media, 51 x 40 cm, by Cheryle Bannon

Sacred connected spaces, acrylic & mixed media, 61 x 61 cm, by Cheryle Bannon

Houses appear in many of the works. An angel cradles a small house in The storyteller and Blessings cradled gently. A house appears on the robe of the flying angel in Sacred connected spaces. And home is, of course, the whole idea in Place we call home.

Sharing our soul light, acrylic & mixed media 30.5 x 30.5, by Cheryle Bannon

That whispered guidance, acrylic & mixed media, 46 x 46 cm, by Cheryle Bannon

The natural world is frequently depicted in these works. There are mammals - both domestic and, possibly, wild. A rabbit is cradled by an angel in Sharing our soul light. A small dog and an angel share a moment in The invitation. A variety of birds appear here and there. That whispered guidance has a friendly owl. A hummingbird appears as an outlined image on the angel’s robe in The angel garden - Resonance. Crows wait for food in Gathering Blessings.

Gathering Blessings, acrylic & mixed media, 40 x 50 cm, by Cheryle Bannon

Angel Blessings, acrylic & mixed media, 102 x 76 cm, by Cheryle Bannon

Butterflies feature in Angel Blessings. Flowers are in abundance in many works, as both the main feature or as part of the overall scene. Bunches of flowers are presented in Tranquil spaces, Bloom in possibilities, and We all have wings.

Tranquil spaces, acrylic & mixed media, 40 x 31 cm, by Cheryle Bannon

We all have wings, acrylic & mixed media, 46 x 46 cm, by Cheryle Bannon

Most works are of a small size making them intimate and easily approachable. Anyone interested in angels will be delighted with this collection of serene pieces.

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