SALA Artist - Coralie Joy

Artist profile

Coralie grew up in an apple orchard in the Adelaide hills. She showed promise as an artist from a young age and she also learnt to play the piano. Coralie’s first vocation was as an art teacher. In her 30’s and 40’s she concentrated on being a pianist/entertainer. She performed at restaurants, cabarets, the piano bar at the Festival Theatre and at private parties. One of those private parties was for the late Don Dunstan’s 60th birthday. Coralie has been married and has 2 children. Coralie has had ME/CFS for about 40 years. In the first few years she was still able to be actively involved in entertaining and art, including exhibitions. When she was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia 4 years later, everything became more challenging. Coralie keeps a sketch book handy and continues to play the piano and draw when she has the energy.   

Gallery

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Artist Comments

Metamorphosis 1: I was on holiday in NSW with a friend around 40 years ago when I was starting to become unwell with ME/CFS but hadn’t yet received a diagnosis. I was standing on a cliff looking over the ocean and feeling confused and. I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I saw this image in my mind’s eye.

Metamorphosis 2: This painting represents how I was feeling about ME/CFS when I was diagnosed. Expressing myself with ME/CFS in art can capture much more that what words can.

Soul Refraction IV: This painting was one of five that were specifically painted for an exhibition almost 10 years ago. The guidelines for the exhibition were that each art piece needed to be 20cm x 20cm.  

Image 4: This piece is somewhat representative of a dream. I woke up and swung my legs out of bed and grabbed my sketch book. I pictured myself as an embryo, wanting to be reborn. 

Image 5: I draw and paint just for fun now. Painting large canvases is not possible anymore so I mostly use an A4 size book to bring joy into my life through the use of colour. 

Description of the artwork

Metamorphosis 1:  An abstract figure of a naked and bare-breasted woman with long wild hair is breaking out of a cocoon-like structure. All of the colours are shades of blue. 

Metamorphosis 2: An abstract figure of a naked, crouching woman with bare breasts and long, wild Medusa-like hair seems to be emerging from an opening flower blossom that might also be a flame. All of the colours are warm reds, pinks and oranges with dark blues for shadows and background.

Soul Refraction IV: All done in shades of navy blue and white, half of a woman's pensive face is covered by a riot of chin-length hair going in every direction. There is also an abstract bouquet of roses near her left side.

Image 4: An ink sketch of an abstract, almost cartoon-like embryonic woman is wearing glasses wrapped up in her bed. There are vases of flowers and pot plants swirling around her in front of a window. There is also a coffee mug and plate of food in front of the window. There is an open blank sketch book and pen in her lap. There is a cartoon thought bubble that says, "today when I woke, I felt that my entire life force (well almost) had been sucked out of me during the night and I would have to start again. July 7th '98" Around the ink lines is a watercolour wash of warm pinks and yellows with a hint of blue.

Image 5: A vibrant colour-blocked ink sketch of a woman lyign in bed, half under the covers and half barebreasted with her arms over her head. Her eyes are closed and she has a beautiful beaded necklace on. Abstract floral curtains partially cover a very sunny window with flowers in front of it.

Copyright of all content (images and text) belongs to the artist credited. All work is used here with permission and shall not be used by any other organisation or individual for any purpose or in any way without express written permission of the artist. There are lots of stripes in the curtains and bedsheets.