Language of Laws at the Caloundra Regional Gallery
Step into the vibrant world of celebrated Sunshine Coast artist Judith Laws, when her captivating exhibition showcasing a lifetime of creativity and exploration opens at the Caloundra Regional Gallery this summer…
If I could use one word to describe meeting local contemporary artist, Judith Laws, it would be ‘kaleidoscopic’. Call it chromatophilia or simply passion, but walking into Judith’s home was like stepping into a living artwork – every wall, chair, cushion and surface a celebration of her lifelong love affair with colour and imagination.
A radiant energy hums through the home she shares with life partner and fellow renowned artist Rex Backhaus-Smith, and I get the sense that ideas are always in motion, paint is still drying somewhere, and new works are constantly forming before their eyes.
Bringing together works from both public and private collections, the upcoming exhibition at Caloundra Regional Gallery, The Language of Laws, is a journey through time, imagination, and fearless experimentation. Running until 1 February, the exhibition will offer visitors a rare chance to see the breadth of Judith’s creative evolution.
From early figurative and travel-inspired paintings and drawings born from adventures with Rex, to her more recent abstract, impressionistic pieces bursting with emotion and colour, Judith laughs with a sparkle in her eye as she shared how they arrived at the title of the exhibition.
“I was presented with three different titles,” she smiled. “When we settled on The Language of Laws, I thought – yes, that’s it, because art really has been my language.”
As I take in the waterfront views and lush gardens laden with beautiful handmade mosaics and sculptures, some made by Rex, their daughter and Judith, it’s easy to see why Judith has never been one to confine herself to a single style or medium.
“I like to work fast while I have an idea,” she explains. “So I use acrylics in all sorts of ways, sometimes like watercolour.
“I’ll pour a bit of water on a big board on the floor and squish the paint around, then I might add pastel, which floats into the water – you wouldn’t believe the results, it’s so exciting.”
Her endearing laughter fills the room again.
“I never feel like a painting is finished,” she admits. “Rex used to say, ‘Stop, stop, stop!’ But I always want to keep taking it further and even when I say I’m done, it won’t be. I keep thinking about it and quite often I’ll draw over the top to create even more depth.”
A partnership woven through art, travel, and shared wonder, together Judith and Rex have roamed from the Sunshine Coast hinterland to the Greek Islands – always sketching, always discovering.
“Travel has always been a huge inspiration,” Judith reflects. “Sometimes a painting will remind me of something I saw in Morocco, or Greece, and those memories just find their way back into the work.”
Now living by the water, an abundance of birdlife and coastal surroundings continue to shape her palette.
“The light here is so different to Montville,” she says. “We had a creek running through the property there, and Rex made me these giant paintbrushes with long handles so I could paint standing up beside the water.”
Rex affectionately says it all adds to the enjoyment; and Judith couldn’t agree more, yet her upcoming show may come as a surprise to many long-time collectors.
“People think I only paint in colour,” she says. “But there’ll be a lot of black-and-whites and charcoal drawings too. It’s good for people to see the whole story – the other side of me.”
With a career spanning more than four decades, Judith’s enthusiasm remains infectious, and her works have consistently evolved, just like she has.
“I still love experimenting,” she says. “I’m always exploring and wondering – what if I tried it this way?”
And there’s no sign of slowing down. Once the exhibition wraps up, Judith and Rex’s creative legacy will continue through a long-awaited book, Sojourn with a Brush, drawn from their travel diaries through Greece.
“It’s not just an art book,” Judith explained. “It’s about our adventures – the donkeys, the mountain villages, the extraordinary people we met. It’s all part of our story.”
As I wrap up the interview, and Judith and Rex wave goodbye, I can’t help but think that writing is like painting with words, and singing is speaking in melody, but Judith Laws speaks in colour.
Don’t miss out on witnessing Judith’s infectious collision of colour at Caloundra Regional Gallery until 1 February.
THE LANGUAGE OF LAWS
Don’t miss this fascinating immersion into works by Judith Laws. FREE entry.
5 December to 1 February
Caloundra Regional Gallery
22 Omrah Avenue, Caloundra
For the latest exhibitions, workshops and adults and kids programs, head to https://gallery.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/
