Stacy Gardoll

Stacy Gardoll paints from her home in the Perth foothills. She paints contemporary realist paintings of natural themes, predominantly landscapes and seascapes. Stacy strives to capture the calmness and stillness of nature, as a source of reflection and meditation, and as a respite from the busyness of domestic life. She finds endless inspiration in the natural world and is particularly drawn to themes of water and botanica.

Stacy studied Design for Theatre and Film at WAAPA in the 1990’s and worked for many years in Perth and in Melbourne. During this period, Stacy designed and painted sets and costumes for productions in theatre, musical theatre and dance. As a result, she developed a very “painterly” style, which influenced the way she designed, which then led her to experiment with painting as a form of expression in its own right. As painting for theatre is all about creating depth on two dimensional surfaces, so is painting- usually by building up layers gradually, with a mixture of opaque and transparent layers. This process evolves over time much as things in the natural world do- quietly, and gradually.

Since moving to the Perth Foothills with her family in 2012, Stacy has explored these themes of nature. In particular, the effect of light on the environment at various times of the day, and in the different seasons, is a constant source of curiosity. In her work, she tries to capture the fleeting quality of light, and its relationship to the environment, and also to us.

Stacy also engages in large-scale projects, including murals and theatrical scenic art. Her style for these projects, is best described as illustrative, with a strong emphasis on high-contrast, saturated colours. These combinations heighten the overall effect of the work and create drama and impact.

Made in Western Australia.