Celebrating Nillumbik Women 2009 - Nillumbik Shire Council

Ev Hales
Nominated by Jennifer Ginsberg
Ev Hales has made an enormous
contribution to the social and cultural life
of Nillumbik. Her great talent and skill as
an artist and educator have enriched the
community for 37 years. She taught art at
Hurstbridge High School, Diamond Valley
Learning Centre and at Living & Learning
Centres. As the mother of three children,
she was deeply involved in the life of
local primary and secondary schools. Ev
worked as President of Australian Porcelain
Art Teachers, Victoria and served on the
Committee of DVLC and the Australian Guild
of Realists Artists, editing their Hues Bulletin
and coordinated a Mural for the Bicentennial
Year, undertaken by the Victorian Guild of
Child Painters.
Ev’s unassuming, down-to-earth style,
generous spirit and friendly manner was
coupled with a dedication to sparking
interest and nurturing talent in her students.
She has a deep commitment to passing
on skills and insights developed over a
lifetime of artistic endeavour. As such, she
continues to be in high demand as a tutor,
conducting workshops (day and residential)
and private classes both within and outside
the Shire. Ev’s love of Plein Air has resulted
in a stunning array of wonderful paintings
chronicling finely observed intimate moments
and broad brush bold sweeps of glowing
colour and form. Her paintings capture the
Australian landscape in all its myriad moods.
Ev’s extraordinary design sense resulted
in a book for craftspeople: Australian
Orchid Design (1991). She has more books
gestating in her bottom drawer!
Originally a Printmaker, Ev has long
since diversified into porcelain (on glaze),
watercolour, oils and pastel. She achieved
local, state and national recognition, including
the AGRA Art Excellence Award, HC
Inaugural Kenneth Jack Award, numerous
Best Awards – Watercolour, Oils and on
Porcelain, Highly Commendable and first
prizes in Rotary Shows over many years. Ev
has had frequent solo and group exhibitions
in local galleries and wineries and elsewhere
in the last twenty years. She is represented
in a great number of private collections. Ev is
part of Nillumbik’s Artists’ Open Studios.