Glass half full for local artist

Warkworth artist Julie Beaumont’s bold glasswork will feature at Mahurangi East Tennis Club’s annual fundraiser, The Great Summer Art Exhibition, at the Snells Beach Community Hall, which runs from December 31 to January 2.

Beaumont said she would exhibit an array of pieces with differing styles, not to mention sizes on display.

“I’ve visited the Mahu East tennis club many times and know a lot of the members there, and people in the area, so I’m trying to support them. I’m actually a squash player though and belong to Warkworth Rackets,” she said.

“I do a lot of handcrafted coasters, serving plates, necklaces, wall pieces and faces. Also sculptural works inspired by coral. I’ve got a giant piece going into the show – some metre-tall flower vases.”

She’ll also have artwork on the cash-and-carry tables as a way to show unsold pieces from previous years, as only new work can go into the exhibition.

Beaumont, who has two home studios on Wilson Road, discovered glass art about eight years ago and has since immersed herself in fusing, slumping and sculptural techniques.

Now her work sells from $35 for tiles up to $3500 for larger feature pieces.

She creates many elements herself using powdered, broken or melted glass, sometimes dripping molten glass through a hole in her kiln or re-firing pieces to build texture.

Her style is eclectic, shifting from geometric Mondrian-like elements to tall abstract faces reminiscent of Picasso. She also does metalwork and woodwork.

Beaumont is “basically self-taught” and honed her craft through experimentation with glass and online courses, while having an understanding of colour theory as a longtime hairdresser also helped her development.

Her strong generational ties to the district have been an ongoing influence on her work.

Born in Warkworth, Beaumont attended Warkworth School and Mahurangi College, her grandmother was born in Matakana in 1900, her mother in Kaipara Flats in 1930 and her father on Pulham Road in 1922.

“I’m surrounded by fantastic inspiration with the beaches and the river. Everywhere you look you see colours, right?”

Beaumont teaches glasswork art classes throughout the year when not preparing for exhibitions.

“These are students that have got no previous experience and you should see what they’re putting together,” she said.

Now art lovers will be able to see what Beaumont has put together at The Great Summer Art Exhibition.
The exhibition officially opens with Preview Night on Tuesday, December 30, at 7pm. Tickets cost $20 at the door and include refreshments, priority viewing of the exhibition, the opportunity to purchase artworks and attending the prizegiving ceremony. The main exhibition will run from Wednesday, December 31 to Friday, January 2, open 10am to 4pm daily, with admission by donation.