Artist Interview with Narelle Higson
Light, Landscape and the Inspiration Behind Where the Light Breaks Through
Ahead of her solo exhibition Where the Light Breaks Through, showing at The Corner Store Gallery from 5–14 June, we sat down with Australian artist Narelle Higson to talk about her creative practice, her distinctive use of oil pastels and the inspiration behind this new collection. Drawing on memories of travelling through the Australian landscape in search of wildflowers, Narelle creates richly layered works that capture the changing light, colour and atmosphere of the natural world. We spoke about her artistic journey, the stories behind the exhibition, and what she's looking forward to during her artist residency in Orange, NSW. The exhibition launches online at 8pm on 4 June, with an opening celebration on Friday 5 June from 6pm, kindly sponsored by Swinging Bridge Wines.
Narelle Higson, Pom Poms, 2026, Oil pastel and cold wax on board, 53x53cm framed.
Where the Light Breaks Through is such a poetic title. What does it mean to you, and how did it become the anchor for this exhibition?
I can thank an instagram follower for this title :-) Whilst I was working on the body of work for the exhibition, someone commented on one of my posts that they “really loved the light breaking through” in my works…and the rest is history.
Like many artists, I have always been intrigued by light and how it can change how we perceive colour, mood and our surroundings. My late mum would often ring me and say “are you looking at the sunset?!” - to which I would reply: I am now :-) (as I took the phone outside to enjoy it). The pieces in this little collection have a focus on the flowers she loved, and the shifting light she would draw my attention to.
Your oil pastel works have a remarkable sense of luminosity and depth. Can you tell us a little about your process of layering, scraping back, and revealing the surface?
Part of my process came about due to my lack of interest in being careful and considered. I find it too stressful to try and “get things right” the first time (watercolours are not my friend because of this….). I love using oil pastels as they can be layered and scratched into with sharp tools (fun!!) to reveal forgotten or planned layers underneath. Traditionally there’s a limit to how many layers you can add due to the nature of the medium, which I found frustrating. Through many hours/days/years of experimenting I came up with a process of sealing the pastels with wax, meaning that I could come back to the piece in a few days time and start afresh with a new layer on top, whilst still being able to remove layers as the piece is only “candle firm” when fresh. There are definitely pros and cons to this method…and it certainly doesn’t suit everyone’s way of working, but it allows me to relax and not worry about being too precious when working.
Narelle Higson, Sherebert Sunset in progress.
You've been exhibiting with The Corner Store Gallery for several years now. How has your practice evolved since we first began working together?
Ah yes - it has been a while now! I thank you so much for supporting my work.
I think my themes have remained the same (light/landscape/oilpastels) however I have grown in confidence in my process due to the (almost) daily practice and from support from you and people who like my work enough to spend their money on it - which means the world to me. Life has thrown a few curveballs in the last few years but my trusty art supplies have stepped up to help anchor and assist in focussing on the here and now. The pieces in this exhibition are quite small and carefully considered…however I’m also moving into larger less considered pieces that are a bit more abstract. Stay tune for works like that in the future!
You're travelling from Western Australia to Orange for an artist residency. What are you most looking forward to about spending time here?
When you offered me some dates during the year I remember thinking: Orange had snow last winter, I choose WINTER! Looking at the 7deg maximum forecast for my arrival day I’m now wondering what this Perth girl was thinking :))
I will be travelling by train from Sydney and I am very much looking forward to enjoying the countryside - I have not been to regional NSW before. I am looking forward to slowing down/stopping for a bit - life has been somewhat hectic. I am VERY much looking forward to the workshops - to meet new people in real life (creating from home can be a lonely business) and sharing my love for scribbling without stress. I’m looking forward to seeing the gallery, stealing your space to work on some new pieces - and meeting you, Madi. You have been an absolute breeze to work with - and honestly I think your support and professionalism has helped change the course of my life (in the best way).
Narelle Higson, Resilience, 2026, Oil pastel and cold wax on board, 17x47cm framed.
Narelle Higson, Sheltered, 2026, Oil pastel and cold wax on board, 27x27cm framed.
Narelle Higson, Australian landscape artist working in oil pastels, The Corner Store Gallery, Orange NSW.