Margaret Hadfield

“It is only paint, loosen up” are just two of the sayings my students now throw back to me. We have a laugh and enjoy our few hours painting together. They learn from me and I learn from them. It is magical to know that I empower them to get in touch with their creative flair and enjoy the simple pleasure of expression through painting’. Margaret Hadfield-Zorgdrager.

Margaret Hadfield –Zorgdrager was born in Coonabarabran, New South Wales in 1956. Her parents Pieter and Tryntje migrated to Australia in 1951 from the island of Terschelling, the Netherlands. From a very early age she knew art was her essence, and sold her first painting at age 13. Margaret perfected her craft through self-development and was inspired by nature’s beauty. Light flows through her seascapes/landscapes; very large murals and portraiture. Margaret has held several successful solo exhibitions, including one in the Netherlands.

For the last 32 years she has been a resident artist in the Canberra region, firstly as the co-founder of the Artist’s Shed, and now her own gallery called the ARTISTS SHED in Fyshwick. Margaret paints in all mediums and her landscapes, portraits have featured in numerous art awards, including the Fisher’s Ghost Art Prize, Paddington Art Prize, Peter Norville Art Prize, Country Energy Art Prize, Portia Geach Portrait Prize and Shirley Hannan Portrait Prize.

In 2013 Helen Reddy, Natasha Stott Despoja, Geraldine Cox, Prof. Fiona Wood, Matilda House-Williams and Lauren Jackson, each ‘sat’ for portraits which Margaret painted.

Margaret has won the Gallipoli Art Prize and her Gallipoli Series number 24 military themed paintings commemorating the service and sacrifice of Australian service personnel. Six of these were exhibited by the Australian Government between 2010 and 2012 in the Netherlands, Turkey and France. This series will be exhibited widely over the ensuing years, commencing with a solo exhibition in the Griffith Regional Gallery, NSW, in April, May 2015, followed by a solo exhibition in “The Q”, Queanbeyan, NSW in June 2015, and then on to Singleton Library, NSW, and then Corowa Art Gallery.

In 2014 Margaret’s painting of the 2013 Royal Australian Navy (RAN) fleet entry was purchased by the National Maritime Museum, Sydney, and her painting of HMAS Perth now hangs onboard the warship. In 2014 Margaret was special guest of the RAN when her painting of the submarine AE1 was used by the media and official ceremonies in Rabaul, Papua New Guinea.

Margaret Hadfield’s unique teaching style has developed from this vast experience and her knowledge of visual artist supplies. Her highly successful four x 2.5 hour class “Absolute Beginners Course” has enabled many to develop their own artistic pastimes and careers. This course instructs colour mixing, brush and palette knife techniques and the development of individual styles. This enables those who wish to join Margaret’s popular regular day and evening classes for artists of all abilities, purely recreational or otherwise. Margaret’s classes are open to adults and high school students.