Miranda Summers
Miranda was raised in Sussex England and trained and accredited in Fine Art and Theatre Production. Miranda commenced a theatrical career as a Prop Maker and Scenic Artist for Russell Beck Studios in London’s West End working with the English National Opera, Royal Opera House and in Television with Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmonson. Miranda joined the team at the Designers Guild on Kings Road, London for a short spell as a visual merchandiser before taking an explorative holiday to her native homeland Australia. Falling in love with the landscape and the people she began a career with Opera Australia initially with Team Props moving on to becoming a Stage Manager and ultimately an Assistant Director. Miranda assisted with direction for the ‘Operatic World Premiere of Brett Whiteley 2019’, Graeme Murphys ‘Turandot’, David McVicars ‘Don Giovanni’, Francesca Zambello’s ‘La Traviata’ and Handa’s Opera on Sydney Harbour, HOSH 2020.
Artistic expression is paramount to Miranda’s practice/life balance, alongside ‘growing the palette knife’ in her own demonstrative style as she explores the hidden grace and beauty of Australia’s rugged landscape. Miranda was a finalist in the Port Lincoln Art Prize 2021 and recently completed an exhibition titled ‘Everywhere I Look’ at Be Brave Art Space.
Artist Statement
“I live and have a studio in North Sydney and paint landscapes, waterways and Aussie native flora. I paint impasto oils, alla prima with palette knives directly onto stretched cotton canvas. I am often drawn to vast expanses glimpsed beyond the sometimes-chaotic bush of our coastal natives. My landscapes are composed to lead the eye through chaos towards space and calm. Painted to put the viewer under and amongst tree limbs and leaves shading the viewer and framing the space beyond. My flora paintings are all about loving the chaos, the sculptural layering, the stacking of thick paint and finally seeing order as a sense of calm develops and takes hold.
My joy is to paint the story of our unique environment, the grace, humility and synergy that our beautiful trees, plants and flowers imbued with and the symbiosis of Australia’s natural habitat. I am constantly reminded that we can all coexist harmoniously like our natives to better care for her, our heartland and each other.” – Miranda
Artist CV
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2021 Kuringgai Pop Up Exhibition, traffic jam galleries Sydney NSW
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021 Everywhere I Look, Be Brave Art Space Avalon NSW
2021 RME Downland Art Exhibition, Toowoomba QLD
2021 Flora, Dandenong VIC
2021 Grammar Art Show, Toowoomba QLD
2021 Inside this Box, The Corner Stone Gallery Orange NSW
2020 Contemporary Australian Art Display, The Corner Stone Gallery Orange NSW
2015 Emergence, Underground Art Space Warringah Creative Space NSW
AWARDS
2021 Finalist Port Lincoln Arts Prize, SA
2017 Finalist Northern Beaches Art Prize NSW
2016 Finalist Northern Beaches Art Prize NSW
HIGHLIGHTS
2021 – 2017 Volunteered Digital Illustrations, 6 books for ‘Short Stories Tall, theatre show
2020 Painting Donation, Cancer Research
2018 Painting Donations, Opera Australia Benevolent Fund
EDUCATION
HND 1996 Theatre Production Northbrook College, Sussex UK
BA 1995 Jewellery and Silversmithing, London Guildhall University, incomplete
ND 1991 Fine Art, Northbrook College Sussex UK