This year marks 50 years since Ida Montague’s arrival in Australia. As many immigrants and returning expats to this wondrous land have remarked, it is the vast light which makes its first and lasting impression on all arrivals. Five decades on and Ida’s experience of this intense light has filtered through to a vivid appreciation of colour and abstraction of pattern, which we can now recognise as an almost ‘iridescent’ quality reflected throughout her art practice.

This play-of-colour is reminiscent of Australian opals and derives from her earlier career as a gem merchant; marketing and exporting stones from the gem fields of Lightning Ridge. She worked directly with the miners who dug, cut and polished, whilst she would classify, price and present these unique stones to the appropriate market - often Japan and Hong Kong.

Through her dissection of light, patterns evolve and echo across her favoured subjects. For a long time she was captivated by the beautiful, statuesque stance of Brahman cattle which she faced when working in the cattle trade. Later pattern rendered the movement and prowess she witnessed in the distinguished sport of polo. As a spectator in Argentina, the UK and rural Australia she was both fascinated and challenged by the speed and pride of the players and their ponies.

More recently, her focus has shifted to contemporary colour studies of Australia’s native trees. Having spent a lot of time in the Upper Murray region of New South Wales, with Mount Kosciuszko in full view from the front verandah, she began to admire local natives Red River Gum, windswept Snow Gums and Eucalyptus in its many variations. One local exploration of note was with John Landy MBE - renowned Olympian, former Governor of Victoria, Author and Botanist - as he was researching for his book ‘Close to Nature’. 

Here Ida gets under the surface and shows us the many weathered layers of our natives, once more revealing a full spectrum of colours, patterns of patina and the true iridescence of this stunning country.

October 2021

Ida Montague

B.V.A. (Hons), JCU

Dip Art & Design, TAFE Qld

Cert Coloured Gemstones, GIA

Permanent Collections

The Australian Library of Art, The State Library of Queensland

Sunshine Coast University Hospital, Townsville District Hospital

Private and Corporate collections: Australia, Argentina, Brunei, Denmark, France, Sweden, United Kingdom, U.S.A.

PORTRAIT COMMISSIONS

Ida welcomes portrait commissions in both her distinctive canvas paintings in colour, or her raw black & white, charcoal / graphite drawings on paper.  She has captured large characters such as Bob Katter MP, the late legendary musician, conductor and educator Richard Gill AO, to humble countrymen of the North. Commission pricing is determined by size, medium and format.

Studio visit by appointment - telephone +61 (0)450 355537