The Artist
Born in Perth and moving to the WA wheatbelt at a young age, Peta was raised on a farm, exposing her to rural and city life.
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Peta is an artist who explores the beauty of aerial views, utilizing her background in cartography to thought-provoking works. To read more about her Cartographic Career, click here.
Her paintings capture the complexity and interconnectedness of our world while also highlighting diversity.
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What makes Peta's art even more remarkable is that she has a condition called Aphantasia, which means that she is unable to visualize images in her mind's eye. Despite this challenge, Peta has found a unique way to connect with the world around her and translate it into a visual representation. Click here to read an article about how Peta overcame a challenge at University.
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Through her art, Peta invites viewers to consider the world from a different perspective and encourages us to pause, reflect, and engage with the world around us. Her recent practice has introduced sculpture, mixed media and continued exploration.
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Peta's interest in aerial views expanded during the Melbourne lockdowns in 2020-21. She began photographing footpaths while on her daily walks, capturing the stunning beauty of the natural world from a unique and often overlooked perspective.
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With her iPhone, Peta captures the shapes and patterns to highlight the interplay between human and natural forces and how we leave our mark on our surroundings.
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Peta's photographs also showcase her creativity, as she composes each shot to create a stunning visual representation of the world around us. Her work serves as a reminder that art can take many forms and that curiosity can be found in even the most mundane and everyday aspects of our world.
"Peta your art work is amazing! Thanks to you, my living room wall is no longer bare, it brings colour and life into our little apartment! Would highly recommend you to any and everyone who is looking for an artist!" - Bianca
CUSTOMER
REVIEW
P.Louise.G
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Derived by her given name names.
"Peta Louise Gardner"
Peta’s signature utilises her middle name and initial of her first and maiden names.
#plouiseg
MY SIGNATURE
Awards and prizes
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2023
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Membership to Vice Chancellors List - Curtin University
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2022
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Finalist - Mission to Seafarers Art Prize
Finalist - Biblio Art Prize
Academic Excellence Award - Curtin University
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2020
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Finalist - Biblio Art Prize
Peoples Choice Award Winner - Southern Buoy Studios Landscape Prize
Finalist - Southern Buoy Studios Landscape Prize
Tyler, my son, showing his support at my 2017 Solo Exhibition
Exhibitions
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2023
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Show and tell - Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show
Maldon Landscape Prize - Edge Galleries - Maldon
Biblio Art Prize - Port Fairy
Art That Transforms - Quadrant Gallery - Hawthorn
Linden New Art Postcard Show - Linden New ART- St Kilda
EGAG WRAP Small Artworks Prize - East Gippsland Art Gallery - Bairnsdale
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2022
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REDROSPECTIVE - Red Gallery - Fitzroy North
WOMEN* NOW Exhibition - Queen Victoria Women Centre - Melbourne
Mission to Sea Farer's Art Prize 2022
Kenneth Jack Memorial Drawing Prize - AGRA, Camberwell
2021
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At Sea - Southern Buoy, Mornington
SBS Landscape Prize - Southern Buoy, Mornington
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2020
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You Are Here - International Online Exhibition
STRUCTURE - in.cube8r, 321 Smith Street, Fitzroy
Passage of Time - AGRA Gallery, Camberwell
Stockland International Women's Day - Pines Shopping Centre, Doncaster East
Frida - Mream Studios - Maidstone
2019
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Manifest - 345AC Gallery, Mont Albert
Linden New Art Postcard Show - St Kilda
SMALL - Group Exhibition - Forty Five Downstairs
VCA Short Courses Exhibition - Artspace VCA, Southbank
VAS Portrait - Melbourne
Vitroform – Lord Coconut, Melbourne
Walk In The Park – Manningham Gallery
Urban Tropes – Solo Exhibition – Art at St Francis, Melbourne
Well Red - Mream Studios - Maidstone
Two Cents Worth – No Vacancy Gallery
smART – Track Gallery, Mount Waverley
Square-Circle? - Black Cat Gallery, Collingwood
2018
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Linden New Art Postcard Show – St Kilda
SMALL – Fortyfive Downstairs - Melbourne
Works on Paper – Orange, NSW
Not To Scale: Mapping Memories in Colour - Solo Exhibition - The Stockroom - Ringwood
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2017
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c ART ographic -Solo Exhibition - Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy
2016
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Pop Art - Group Exhibition - ArtBoy Gallery - Prahran
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My Dad, and my biggest fan, pointing out my work at The Linden New Art Postcard Show in 2018
CARTOGRAPHIC CAREER
Nov 2005-Feb 2016
Self Employed
Duties Include;
All work associated with the Lands Department and Department of Planning in Western Australia
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Preparation of Deposited Plans, Survey Strata and Strata Plans
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Preparation of Surveys Sheets
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Creation of CSD files, including more complex types
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Preparation of Site, Feature, Contour and Regional Development Plans
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E-lodgement preparation and lodgement
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Legal Plan Audit
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Preparation of Gross Net Lettable and other miscellaneous Plans
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Maintenance of business network and IT
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Website development and updates
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Custom Art
Apr 2004–Oct 2005
McMullen Nolan & Partners Surveyors WA
Cartographic/Computing Team Cartographer/Graphic Designer
Duties Included;
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Preparation of Sales Plans for Real Estate companies
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Updating and maintaining the Satterley Web Page
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Updating 3D terrain models of estate area
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Creating furnishings such as trees for 3D Terrain models and adhering to base
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Designing logos and layout of sales plans and other miscellaneous plans
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Assisting with satellite imagery projects
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Creating sales plan overall bases from engineering and other service plans
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Providing Microstation and technical support to my team, and others, as required
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Printing and collating sales plans for clients
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Apr 1998-Mar 2004
Department of Land Information Statutory Services
Senior Cartographic Officer
Duties Included;
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Preparation of Deposited Plans for Pastoral Leases and Easements.
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Preparation of DP’s for Townsites, Port Authorities, Marine Parks and State Forests
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Auditing of Crown DP’s containing unsurveyed information
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Writing of technical descriptions for Local Authorities, Town- sites and Port Authorities
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Major involvement with Pastoral Exclusion Project for the Minister.
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Solving complex mathematical closes
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Providing Microstation, CSD and other technical support to my team, and others, as required
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Preparation of Concept Plans
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Thorough investigative research and testing for E-Lodgement, in- cluding onsite evaluation and support forthe Survey Industry
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Searching and collation of survey information from DLI databases
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Manual drafting amendments and colour washes, when required.
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Preparation of Certified Plans to be presented as evidence in court
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Supervision and support for less experienced staff members
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Preparation of 3 dimensional easement plans for Forrest Place
1992–1998
Department of Land Information Freehold Plan Registration Senior SurveyExaminer
Duties Included;
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Full Audits of Freehold surveys, including preparation of alignment sketches and field book examination
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Major role in assisting the survey industry with introduction of CSD files
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Performing complex mathematical closes including easement sketches
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Resolution of mathematical closes that were not within allowable limits
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Manual drafting amendments and colour wash applications
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Investigative searching of DLI resources for required survey information
1988–1990
Department of Land Information Cartographic Services CartographicDraftsperson
Duties Included;
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Preparing and maintaining Public Plans, involving manual drafting and extensive colour washes
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Updating and maintaining DLI’s Spatial Cadastral Database
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Assisting in the Pastoral Ranglelands Project