This winter Jane Canfield was invited to paint around the property of an historic Inn at the base of the Blue Mountains, Ambermere Rose Inn at Little Hartley, she’s now their first exhibitor in their new gallery space.
Situated on 6 acres at the western foothills of the Blue Mountains overlooking Mt York, Ambermere Rose Inn is one of the regions most iconic buildings with a rich & colourful history. “I am very privileged to be the first to exhibit a collection of paintings in their new exhibition space and store.”
“I constantly strive for reduction and simplification in my work, not reproducing exactly what I see, but my version of it, but I do need to have ‘seen’ it to be inspired. These days I am layering my work more and rubbing back, using a reduced colour palette and tonalism.”
Originally built & licensed as The Rose Inn in 1845 by Joseph Collits (son of Pierce Collits – first innkeeper over the Blue Mountains) who held the license from 1845 – 1848 followed by James Sherringham, Thomas Markwell & Edward Field until 1873 when the property was purchased by T.H.Neale the Hartley police magistrate. In the 1860s the Inn held the valuable coaching contract with Cobb & Co whose coaches ran from Sydney to Bathurst twice a week. It was a successful Inn for 28yrs (1845 – 1873) & held high social significance as well as catering for the traveller. In the 1920s it was transformed into a guest-house run by Miss Mawbey & was the beginning of the renaming that we know today as Ambermere.
“I too live in an historic property, a small version of Ambermere, The Junction Inn, Lidsdale, so I am very drawn to the ambience, history and peace that these properties have in abundance.”
Purchased in the late 1990s and re-opened to the public in 2010 by current innkeeper Fiona Richardson, Ambermere Rose Inn has recently undergone a sympathetic restoration to reflect its grass roots.
They now have a new exhibition space! The collection opens Friday 4th of September.
Image: Evening Light, Pipers Flat, Mixed media on board.
“I painted this work based around a 1920’s farm at Pipers Flat NSW. I’ve always been drawn to architecture and buildings in general and the shapes they create.”
Ambermere Rose Inn has a public bar and bistro and pantry store.
5 Ambermere Dr, Little Hartley NSW 2790.
