Samantha Dennison

My still life paintings reveal ideas of stillness, space, and place. I paint the plants that catch my eye, collecting as I walk, those that flower in our garden, my friends’ gardens or bush blocks surrounding our home, watching for when certain plants are in flower each year. I am also fascinated by the forms and surfaces of ceramic vessels as painting subjects, and while I collect these from other artists, joining my local community pottery group has changed the way I make my still life paintings. I am making my own vessels again, this time in a collaborative studio. Each vessel holds a story; the maker’s, the making, in the materials, and their sources. These narratives are embedded within the natural forms and textures of the pots which I then use in my paintings.
Artist Statement - Samantha Dennison

'Rooted in her lived experience as a regional artist, educator, potter and parent, Dennison’s work has long explored stillness, intimacy and domestic rhythm. Earlier still lifes featured botanical specimens plucked from her own garden or collected during walks, set in delicate compositions that reflected the textures of home and community. That domestic focus has given way to something more elemental in recent years. The vessels she paints are no longer borrowed; they are of her own making, crafted from earth she has touched and transformed.'
Excerpt from catalogue essay by Phe Luxford 2025