Artists reveal their muses

THE Loft Gallery will welcome its new resident artist Julie Kent tonight as it opens an exhibition of her work. Paintings by the award-winning Casterton artist will feature alongside varied works of four other artists in the Expressions of Inspirational Art exhibition.Kent, who has been painting for 24 years, said she hoped to meet and share her work with a range of visitors to the gallery."I am very excited about being the artist-in-residence here," she said.Using a range of acrylic, water colours and pastels, Kent said her artwork reflected her various sources of inspiration."I'm a very spontaneous painter, it's impressionistic and comes straight from the heart,'' Kent said."I'm inspired by my travels, people I've met and places I've been."Also featured in the exhibition is functional glass art by Molly Galpin, slate carvings by Patrick Dwyer, hand-carved wood sculptures by Cam Dwyer and hand-made jewellery by Cecile.Galpin said she enjoyed giving old items, such as crockery, glass, jewellery and records, a new lease of life as art."I just like the idea of being able to recycle things for art," she said."No two pieces are ever the same. I create each one from my head and my heart.''Inspired by the natural world, Cam Dwyer said his sculptures often took on a life of their own."I start off with a knowledge of what I want to create, but then (the wood) takes over and it tells me what it wants to be," he said.The exhibition opens tonight from 7pm to 9pm.