A LITTLE LOVE LETTER THAT KEEPS GROWING……

Back in June there were 5,000 of you and today there are more than 9,000, and honestly, I still have to pinch myself every time I open Instagram.

GC Insider started as my way of expressing my love for this city and the creative souls quietly making magic all over the coast. I never imagined that it would lead to such wonderful photography clients, collaborations and new friendships. Some of the people I've met this year have truly changed how I see my own work, and what matters to me when it comes to giving back.

So, whether you've been here since the very first post or found us last week, thank you. Every like, comment, share and message means more than you know. This little community is growing, and it's all because of you!

And there's so much more to come: more places to discover, more people to celebrate, and more stories that remind us how lucky we are to call the Gold Coast home.

ARTISTS IN FOCUS

This week it's been an absolute honour to reconnect with two more Locals We Love, Emily Rose Hastie and Bec Talbot.

Emily is a founding member of the iconic Mint Art House, and she has supported so many others through their Art mentorship programs.

RIVER HOUSE BACKING THE ARTS

River House in Southport is fast becoming known for championing the local arts community. They've already hosted a string of live art events this year and just launched their Art Series of dinners, giving local artists a larger platform and network to show their work at fraction of the price of a traditional gallery. Owner Kristee is an avid art lover herself and wanted a way to give back to the community. They still have some openings for artists to apply to their program via their website.

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT'S OCTOBER?!

Where did this year go? Before the Christmas rush sweeps us all up, now is the perfect time to capture the moments that matter, whether that's a celebration you want to remember forever, headshots that finally feel like you, or images that tell your brand's story the way it deserves to be told. 

If you've been quietly thinking "one day I'll get in touch with Fee," consider this your sign and no job is too small! 

I'd genuinely love to hear what you're dreaming up.

With so much gratitude,
Fee x

LOCALS WE LOVE - ART IN FOCUS

Mint Art House: a little calm & lot of creativity

I turned up at Mint Art House in a bit of a flap after a full day of running around after the kids. Then I met Emily Rose Hastie and could feel my shoulders drop. 

She's quiet and down to earth, and that same calm runs through the whole place, which she started with a group of local artists back in 2019.

Mint is a warehouse full of artist studios, but it's really about the community. 

Some come for a workshop and a bit of headspace, some come to meet others, and some get to see their work hanging on a gallery wall for the first time.

More than 45 artists have been part of Mint so far, and they hosted over 30 exhibitions. The collective has worked with Surface Festival, BLEACH* Festival, Stockland and This Is Art, and its Level Up program with the City of Gold Coast gives two young artists each year a chance to work and exhibit there. Its artists have been recognised at SWELL, the National Emerging Art Prize and the Brisbane Portrait Prize, and their work has been commissioned by HOTA and bought by Baz Luhrmann.

Emily's own work is something else, she is a talented a sculptor and pyrographer, and her Archibald entry was a portrait of conservationist Christine Milne AO, burned and carved into a 2.7 metre timber canvas. She also had four hours to paint Dannii Minogue on ABC's Portrait Artist of the Year, and her piece New Dawn, New Day was at SWELL this year.

I walked out feeling calmer and really glad we have places like this on the Coast & I have since been lucky enough to shoot and support their artists with photography.

Find Mint at @mintarthouse and Emily at @emilyrosehastie.

Locals We Love: Bec Talbot

There’s something about Bec Talbot’s paintings that makes me want to pause and stay a little longer. Soft layers, shifting light and hints of our coastline and hinterland feel beautifully familiar, while leaving room for your own memories.

I love that everyone can see something a little different in her work.

The Gold Coast artist found her way to painting after a life-altering cancer diagnosis led her to step away from teaching. What began as a source of calm and comfort became a deeply personal creative practice, and knowing that story makes her work all the more meaningful.

Bec’s paintings have found homes across Australia and internationally, with features in Home Beautiful and Vanity Fair. But what draws me in most is the feeling they leave behind: a little stillness, a connection to somewhere you’ve loved, a reason to look again.

If you haven’t discovered her work yet, consider this your introduction.

She’s a local talent I’m so happy to share.

Discover Bec’s work

INVITATION @ RIVERHOUSE
An evening with Bec Talbot, Artist

Join me by the river for a beautiful evening of art, good food and conversation with local artist Bec Talbot

Hear Bec share her unexpected path into painting and the personal journey behind her atmospheric works.

With a two-course dinner, a beverage on arrival and the chance to explore Bec’s newest collection, exclusively exhibited at River House until sold out, there’s every reason to make a night of it.

I’d love to see you there!

LET’S CHAT FOOD AND VENUE PHOTOGRAPHY

Fee
Gold Coast Insider
fee@goldcoastinsider.info
0421 571 845