There is nothing ordinary about Alison Coulthurst

Alison Coulthurst is an artist whose soul leaks into her artwork. The feminine beauty, the earthy tones, the multilayered canvas all evoke a spirit of strength and warmth. This June, SOHO Galleries presented her latest exhibition “There Are No Ordinary Moments”, a collection influenced by her experiences living overseas and what it means to paint your emotions.

The exhibition is an expression of what Coulthurst thinks ‘living in the moment’ means. Recently, Alison relocated back to Australia after living in Europe for a few years amongst the wine country of France. During her time abroad, she reflected on how is it “important to embrace my surroundings wherever i am”.

“I’ve returned with a new frame of mind to be in the moment and live in the present. I am following me feelings and my enhanced energy and have painted these emotions onto the canvas.”

At first glance, it is clear how Alison has decided to demonstrate how to be living in the moment. Her works exude expressions of femininity and earthiness that a pertinent to our society in 2015. The themes presented throughout the show are free flowing and natural, with a consistent theme presenting itself throughout the works.

To me, the most interesting thing about Coulthursts’ work is the connection she portrays of flowers and females. Flowers have often been represented as similar to the female form and an earthly symbol for womanhood. A lot of the art in this collection have very vivid portrayals of the female figure, in particular “Glittering with Desire” and “Love is all we have”. Those paired with “You will never have anymore time than in this moment” and “There are no ordinary moments” bond together perfectly.

These womanly figures are so voluptuous and sensual. The figures are unashamed to be exposed so publicly and they ooze a confidence most women crave but are not all brave enough to show. It’s living in the moment!

Sgraffito works really well with how Coulthurst produces her artwork. Sgraffito is the scratching through a surface to reveal colours underneath the top layer of paint. It adds dimensions and makes a canvas come alive and pop. Each of the artworks in this exhibition have their own reason to shine without taking away from any other paintings in the collection.

What’s important about this art show is how it makes you feel. I showed a friend some of the works from the exhibition and her reaction was different to mine. The purpose is to live in your own moment and take from the experience what you think is most important.

The gallery, the mood, the lighting, it all marries together perfectly to produce a show that lives in the moment and is open to your own interpretation. If you are into strength, femininity and love, this is the show for you. Perfect for a quiet afternoon of learning and art.

I strongly recommend heading down to the SOHO Galleries on Cathedral St and catching the tail end of “There Are No Ordinary Moments”. It will be showing until the 3rd of July.

For information, head to the SOHO Galleries website here.