Joan Allison: The Courage of Colour
18 Nov 2025 – 8 Dec 2025
Opening event 1:30pm, 22 November
Location: Cato Gallery
Colour has always been central to Joan's artistic journey. She takes inspiration from nature’s palette—watching how colours blend, contrast, and harmonise—bringing these observations to the canvas with bold, expressive intent. Through vibrant hues and loose, painterly brushstrokes, Joan strives to create works that are both balanced and alive with energy.
Working within limited timeframes allows for a spontaneous and intuitive process—capturing not only the structure of a subject, but its essence. This body of work reflects her ongoing commitment to the courage of colour: using it not merely as decoration, but as a powerful language to evoke feeling, memory, and connection.
Artist Profile
Growing up amid the serene bushland of the Hawkesbury River in NSW, Joan developed a deep connection to the natural world—a connection that continues to inform and inspire her artistic practice. Her early passion for art was recognised in 1944 while attending Berowra Primary School, when one of her works was selected for a children's exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The show was judged by prominent figures Sir William Dobell and Mrs. H.V. Evatt, marking a formative moment in her creative journey.
From 1976 to 1987, she studied tonal realism in the tradition of Max Meldrum, working primarily in oils. This rigorous foundation in observation and technique was later expanded through workshops between 1990 and 2023, where Joan explored life painting, studio still life, and plein air methods. These experiences introduced her to acrylics, which have since become an integral part of her artistic repertoire.
Joan's work is shaped by the enduring influence of celebrated artists including Margaret Olley, Henri Matisse, Paul Cézanne, and Margaret Preston—each inspiring her with their unique approaches to colour, form, and composition.
Joan is a signatory member of the Victorian Artists Society (V.A.S.)
Acknowledgment of traditional owners.
We would like to pay our respects to the traditional owners of the land on which our building stands, their leaders, past, present and emerging.