Avon Valley Arts Society is hosting a dual exhibition of two-dimentional works by Dorine Taney and Don Byrne at the Northam Arts Centre.

Although these artists are mother and son, their works do not share much common ground.  Dorine's pieces reflect her many interests and her environment, covering a diversity of subject matter in a variety of media and styles, gleaned from a long and interesting life.  Don's works are all created using a technique of mixing four minerals and ores from Newman with water and acrylic medium.

These exhibitions could have been dominated by Don's work, with its strength of colour and medium, but several of Dorine's pieces have a quiet strength that presents a counterbalancing effect.  Her watercolours show an adept handling of that medium, particularly in Approaching Storm, a blustery seascape near Augusta.  And the texture in her pastel The Old Picket Fence is really 'woody'.  One work, Summer Sandhills - Yanchep, an acrylic two tone, has a modern yet timeless appeal as  the sensuous tree branches, dead and silent, twisting toward the shifting sandhills, reflect a stillness yet have a subtle movement.

This sense of timelessness is captured in almost all of Don's works which show a strong spiritual essence despite the earthy medium and subject matter, most of which are landscapes of the Pilbara.

Red Expanse - Great Sandy Desert shows a great sense of depth and space which would be lonely were it not for the beautiful warmth of the red ochre from Newman's iron rich clay.  This immediately draws one into the piece and makes you feel part of the scene.  His control of the technique really is at its best in this work, one of his large pieces.  Much of Don's contribution to the exhibition are small works which have a sense of space and depth but do not evoke quite the same feeling of oneness with the environment as do his larger works.

Shadows - Little Sandy Desert captures the timeless quality of our land with plenty of space to rest the eye, suggestive of Don's experience with Chinese art.  All of Don's works have a lightness and glow to them due to his excellent handling of a potentially heavy medium.

Although these two artists have little common ground there is however a certain calm peacefulness throughout these exhibitions, that holds them together and imbues a strength but gentleness despite the diverse colour and imagery.