[Greens-Media] Media Release: Tamara Smith MP Commissions artwork for community birthday cards

[Kirsty Donovan]

Media Release: Tamara Smith MP Commissions artwork for community birthday cards

Tamara Smith MP commissions stunning representation of local landscape for community birthday cards in 2020.


Elena Larkin is an artist based near Melbourne, Victoria. Painting from life, she finds inspiration in the direct experience of a subject. Concerned with humans' ecological impact, she aspires to cultivate a love and respect for the earth and our fellow inhabitants through her art practice. Growing up on a fruit orchard in the Northern Rivers of NSW with several dogs, chickens, geese, goats, a cat, guinea pigs, fish, crayfish and native animals, she has always valued her relationships with other species and felt curious about their experiences of the world. The simultaneously peaceful and thrilling nature of painting en plein air appeals to her as a way to engage with the land and share space with other beings.
Elena's work has been shortlisted for the John Villiers Outback Art Prize 2019 and the Naked & Nude Art Prize 2019. She holds a BA (Honours) in Creative Writing from the University of Melbourne. She resides in the bushlands of Cottles Bridge with her partner who is also a painter, enjoying the company of kangaroos, wombats, wrens and choughs.

Last week, she presented a bespoke representation of Shelley Beach in Ballina to Tamara Smith, the Member for Ballina. This stunning piece will form the basis of the electorate-wide birthday cards Ms Smith hand signs each month.

"I am delighted to support a young artist with an environmental message. We are blessed to live in this area and I am happy to celebrate that. I look forward to sharing Elena's work with the community" Ms Smith said.

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Contact: Kirsty Donovan E. kirsty.donovan at parliament.nsw.gov.au<mailto:kirsty.donovan at parliament.nsw.gov.au>

Kirsty Donovan
Senior Electorate Officer
Office of Tamara Smith, Member for Ballina
Office 1, 7 Moon Street, Ballina
Phone: 02 6686 7522
Website<http://www.tamarasmith.com.au/> Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/TamaraSmithMP/> Twitter<https://twitter.com/greenstamara>

Our office respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we work - the Bundjalung Nation
[Tamara Smith____email_signature]<http://www.tamarasmith.com.au/>