We dragged ourselves away from Tamborine Mountain and collected our newly repaired and serviced caravan from Carrera to head south into New South Wales. I was keen to call into the Margaret Olley Art Exhibition at Murwillumbah which was on our way to our destination for a couple of nights, Byron Bay.

The exhibition was held at the Tweed Regional Gallery which was also displaying work by other artists who have been inspired by Olley including Linda Kruger, Natalie Popovski and Deb Mostert. We certainly found their work interesting but it was Margaret Olley’s still life paintings I was keen to see.

The gallery has recreated some of Olley’s home which was also her art studio – in particular the ‘yellow room’ and ‘hat factory’. It was amazing to see the actual yellow room which was the subject of one of her paintings.

As well as Olley’s own artwork, there were several portraits of her but I was a little disappointed that Ben Quilty’s Archibald prize winning portrait wasn’t there.

The gallery itself is set up high with the most lovely panoramic views of the Tweed Valley.

After a browse in the gift shop, we made to leave. On our way out, however, a wonderful painting of David Gulpilil caught our eye. This work was by artist Craig Ruddy and won the Archibald Prize in 2004. We were in Nhulunbuy recently when Gulpilil’s body was returned to await a traditional Aboriginal burial. We have always loved him as an actor.

Coincidentally I was talking to the lady in the caravan next to us and she was telling me that Craig Ruddy was a good friend of her friend and that he passed away here in Byron Bay earlier this year from covid complications.