John Dickinson

November 18 - December 23 2007  

"This collection is the culmination of two passions, Ecuador, and the study of evolution.  I had been visiting Ecuador for 15 years, after meeting and subsequently marrying my beautiful Ecuadorian wife.  I had travelled to almost every province of this amazing country, but, due to their remoteness, had never been to the Galapagos Islands .  For roughly the same period of time, I have been reading everything I can get my hands on about evolution, including, naturally enough, works about the significance of the Galapagos Islands in developing an understanding of evolution.  The islands were born in volcanic fire from in the deep Pacific Ocean only a short time ago (geologically speaking).  The circumstances of their birth and their recent colonisation by life makes them not just a place where evolution literally leaps off the page, but a remote and striking visual environment.

After 15 years, my wife and I finally visited the Galapagos.  My reading in evolution left me unprepared for the otherworldly character of the islands.  Where I had imagined palm fringed pacific beaches, I found volcanic rock and weird almost Martian landscapes, as well as, of course, the wildlife that makes the islands so famous.  There are, sadly, many more moments that were recorded only in my visual cortex; the shark swimming by me just off Pinnacle Rock at Isla Bartolome; discovering a giant sea turtle resting on the sand in the shallows just off the beach; two dolphins launching themselves from the bow wave of Angelique leaving trails of phosphoresence in the night...  I'll have to go back".

John learned photography at his father's side, in the field and in the kitchen darkroom.  Despite early promise, winning competitions while at college and capturing some spectacular shots as a young adult, in Australia and farther afield, John spent 20 years instead discovering through great effort that he was not meant to be writer.  While still fascinated by the striking images that could be recorded through his lens, and filling his walls and those of his friends with his photography, it remained a sideline.  A few months ago, John was invited to exhibit his images at the birthday celebrations for a large organisation.  Spurred by the success of this "in-house" exhibition, John took the leap to exhibit his photography publically.  John sees striking images all around him, and takes pleasure in capturing visual moments so he can relive them forever.  This has, he says, the side benefit that he can share them with you too. 

An exhibition of prints and drawings by Antonia Aitken

Opening Saturday 3 March 2007 at 4pm
Exhibition continues 10am – 4pm Sundays only 4, 11, 18, 25  March and April 1

theblueroof Gallery
11 Johnson Street Tharwa ACT
(note: due to Tharwa bridge closure access to Tharwa is via Point Hut Crossing)


Reading Namadgi comprises etchings, wood block prints, drawings and sound recordings, the result of a year long field-based project in Namadgi National Park, south west of Canberra. A recent honours graduate of the ANU School of Art’s Printmedia and Drawing workshop, Antonia Aitken developed these works on site during 2006. They form part of her ongoing visual and conceptual exploration of a strongly felt attachment to the land. Through her site specific art practice she intends to continue questioning concepts of place and belonging for non-indigenous people
in post colonial Australia.

Leonie Allan is a 23 year old artist, writer and photographer.

Through her vibrant acrylic and mixed media artwork, Leonie portrays enchanting women and magical beings, such as fairies and mermaids.

Leonie's work is to document joy and explore the divine in every moment and every human. Every woman is a goddess with her own myth of magnificence, and Leonie's art is a celebration of this.

Leonie's lust for life and her search for the beauty in our day to day life is found within the bright colours and the richness of her canvases. She is able to capture the innocence of the child, their magical places and beings, and portray it through the woman in us all. She allows us to a goddess for a moment, and to seek out the heavenly beauty that surrounds us all.

A native of the Whitsundays in North Queensland, Leonie now calls Canberra home. Leonie's creations can be viewed at her website:- www.leonielife.com

Exhibition Dates 4/06/06 - 1/7/06 Sundays 10am - 4pm

Katie Dawson is a young Canberran photographic artist who was first introduced to photography as a high school student. Since then she has been working at her craft, developing her skills in this difficult area of the arts. Katie has an innate eye for composition and an uncanny knack for picking her subjects. "Pink" is her debut exhibition.

 "Pink" is an essay into the colours, textures and forms of the rich flora found in the Canberra region. Katie's photographs evoke the scents and feel of these marvelous flowers. We hope that you enjoy them as much as we do!

Exhibition dates 26 March - 30 April 2006    Sundays from 10am until 4pm