Biography

Des Rolph is a Sunshine Coast based artist who completed her Masters in Visual Art at QCA, Griffith University in 2014. Her major project explored the importance that plein air studies have on capturing the essence of a landscape, that can be further explored in a more creative process in the studio.

Consequently her work responds emotionally to the various landscapes she has explored. Travels into the landscape have included the Australian outback, in particular the Channel Country west of Quilpie in far west Queensland. Here the spirituality of the landscape sees her work encompassing the human spirit and how connection to a sense of place invites the viewer to wonder about the mystery of the universe. in these paintings you may find playful Min Min lights in the landscape which may surround a human or animal figure.

Living on the coast, the vibrant energy of the coastal landscape sees her approach differently to that of the outback. The twisted trees, cliff faces and rocks, moulded by the power of the wind and the sea are portrayed in works painted with energy and vibrancy, where you can see the brushwork of the artist and follow her journey through the painted surface.

She has been finalist in some of Australia’s highly regarded art competitions, such as the Sunshine Coast Art Prize (SCAP), the Waltzing Matilda Art Prize, and the Heysen Prize for Landscape. Her work has been extensively purchased both here in Australia and overseas.