“Rapt in Rubyvale” – Maxine Wild & Gaye Steel
‘Rapt in Rubyvale’ an exhibition of paintings by local artists Gaye Steel and Maxine Wild of painting showing the delights and quirks of the small sapphire mining town of Rubyvale, where the two artists live. It’s casual beauty is often unnoticed. This exhibition attempts to show the “other side” of a mining town and it’s surrounds.
The large collection of plein-air oil paintings will hang until June 16 and be open for viewing during office hours. En Plein Air painting originated with the French impressionist movement of the 1860s.
Like the artists such as Monet, Manet, and Van Gogh, Maxine and Gaye say they prefer painting en plein air (in the open air) where they are able to capture the colour and light of the scene more readily than when painting from a photograph.
Gaye and Maxine began their project in 2020 and could be seen painting during the winter months around Rubyvale township and surrounding sites from Mt Leura to Boot and Kettle Creek.
Their paintings aim to capture not only the quiet beauty of the surrounding country but the quirky charm of the mining town and its environs.
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| Maxine Wild - Approaching Rubyvale | Maxine Wild - Rubyvale Town | Gaye Steel - Approach to Rubyvale |
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| Maxine Wild - Desparado Rig | Maxine Wild - Rusty Rig | Gaye Steel - Bedford Hill Mining Truck |
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| Gaye Steel - Mining Truck | Gaye Steel - Chook Palace | Gaye Steel - Old Yellow |
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| Gaye Steel - Bedford Hill Truck | Maxine Wild - Greta's Rig | Maxine Wild - Mining Rig by Moonlight |
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| Maxine Wild - Mining Rig at Night | Maxine Wild - Bedford | Maxine Wild - Chris's Rig |
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| Gaye Steel - Bedford Hill Mine Truck 2 | Maxine Wild - Put out to Pasture | Maxine Wild - Rig & Windmill |
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| Gaye Steel - Retired | Maxine Wild - Eddy's Shed | Gaye Steel - Eddy's Domain |
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| Maxine Wild - Turquoise Rig | Gaye Steel - Mine in Progess | Gaye Steel - Camels on the common |
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| Maxine Wild - Little Egypt | Maxine Wild - A Temporary Camp | Maxine Wild - Just a bit of Bush |
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| Gaye Steel - Dreamy Oasis | Gaye Steel - Red Mountain | Gaye Steel - Boot n Kettle |
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| Gaye Steel - Mount Leura | Maxine Wild - Trees at Boot n Kettle | Maxine Wild - Bush Boomers |
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| Gaye Steel - Ole Man Gum Tree | Maxine Wild - After a Flood - Boot n Kettle Creek | Gaye Steel - Boot n Kettle - A Good Season |
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| Gaye Steel - Oasis Heaven | Maxine Wild - Red Mountain | Maxine Wild - Mine Pit Wetlands |
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| Gaye Steel - Greta's Mine | Maxine Wild - At the End of Keilambete Road | Maxine Wild - So Many Birds Visit my Garden |
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| Maxine Wild - Dry Bush Gully | Gaye Steel - Bruce Lane Crossing | Maxine Wild - Grandfather Gum |
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| Gaye Steel - Trees | Gaye Steel - Sapphire Mounds by Moonlight | Gaye Steel - Road to Keilambete |
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| Maxine Wild - Rock & Dirt | Gaye Steel - Dry Bush | Maxine Wild - Looking Towards Ruby Cres. Ridge |
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| Maxine Wild - Out at Reward | Gaye Steel - Rubyvale Pasture | Gaye Steel - Rust Devil 1 |
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| Gaye Steel - Rust Devil 2 | Gaye Steel - Night Markets | Maxine Wild - Home Sweet Home |
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| Gaye Steel - Mine Camp Hubble | Maxine Wild - Rubyvale Tennis Club | Gaye Steel - Done Diggin', Gone Fishin' |
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| Gaye Steel - Bedford hill Dwellings | Gaye Steel - Bedford Hill Road | Gaye Steel - Miner |
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| Maxine Wild - On it's Last Legs | Maxine Wild - Bush Backyard | Maxine Wild - Weekend Fossikers |
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| Gaye Steel - New Road | Maxine Wild - Rubyvale Town | Maxine Wild - Bush Telegraph |
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| Maxine Wild - Birds on the Table | Gaye Steel - Painter at Work (Maxine) | Gaye Steel - Miners Cottage |
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| Gaye Steel - On Mine Own | Gaye Steel - Rubyvale | Maxine Wild - Saturday Markets on the Flat |
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| Gaye Steel - The Birds | Maxine Wild - Rubyvale Cottage | Maxine Wild - The Friendly Grocer |