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 create striking and intricate works. To read more about her Cartographic Career, click here.
Her paintings capture the complexity and interconnectedness of our world while also highlighting the stunning patterns and textures that emerge when viewed from above.
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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 more meaningfully.
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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
Finalist - Art Lovers Prize
Exhibitions
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2023
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Show and tell - Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show
Apollo Bay Art Show
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2022
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REDROSPECTIVE - Red Gallery - Fitzroy North
Top Views - incub8er - Fitzroy
WOMEN* NOW Exhibition - Queen Victoria Womens Centre - Melbourne
Mission to Sea Farer's Art Prize 2022
Harmony - MAVA Exhibition - Post Gallery, West Brunswick
Kenneth Jack Memorial Drawing Prize - AGRA, Camberwell
Fusion - Post Gallery, West Brunswick
Smörgåsbord - MAVA Exhibition - Hutt Gallery, Fertree Gallery
2021
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Shadows at Play - MAVA Exhibition - Online
At Sea - MAVA Exhibition - 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
Truth To Be Known - MAVA Exhibition - In.cube8r, Prahran
Passage of Time - MAVA Exhibition - AGRA Gallery, Camberwell
Stockland International Women's Day - Pines Shopping Centre, Doncaster East
smART – Track Gallery, Mount Waverley
Frida - Mream Studios - Maidstone
A4 Art Australia - Herring Island
2019
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Manifest - MAVA Exhibition - 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
Red Hill Art Show
Canterbury Art Show
Nostalgia - In.cube8r Gallery, Fitzroy
Yarra Glen Art Show
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
Although satisfied with having found “my thing”, I have explored my childhood emotions and personal experiences within this new collection. The works represent my past memories with a cartographic fusion. It explores depth, shadow and how aphantasia has affected my inability to visualise my ideas and my limited recollection of my childhood and past. Follow me on social media to see some of my process leading up to Opening Night.
2017
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c ART ographic -Solo Exhibition - Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy
My first solo exhibition and a very different direction to my 2016 collection. The exhibition was at The Brunswick Street Gallery in Fitzroy. The collection was inspired by my Cartographic career of nearly 30 years. The map making processes of today, I believe, have lost the romance and hand skills that were once required. All maps, regardless of era, are thoroughly researched, follow rules of placement, colour and size, precision and mathematics. Using my Cartographic knowledge I created a collection that presented a fresh perspective on mapping. The collection includes atlas decoupage, hand written song names, road network designs, mapping related colours and technical precision.
2016
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Pop Art - Group Exhibition - ArtBoy Gallery - Prahran
This was my first time exhibiting and it was a group exhibition at ArtBoy Gallery in Prahran.
The pieces were either collage or mixed media on canvas and the subjects were all iconic people.
Tyler, my son, showing his support at my 2017 Solo Exhibition
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