Going to the ‘Postie’ (sub-branch Post Office) is something that still occurs in many rural and local communities. You can pick up your bills (from your Post Office box), pay your bills, apply for an international passport, buy a few related sundries and even get the occasional bar of chocolate, or a roll of peppermints.

From the above scenario, it looks like the proverbial ‘chicken or the egg’ in working out whether the artwork is imitating life, or life, imitating art. In this case, ‘life’ has imitated ‘art’.

• In both scenarios at the entrance of the Harcourt Post Office, we see two individuals preparing to enter through its front door. The artwork shows a woman, but my real-life photo shows a man. The other watercolour painting is ‘Pedalling‘. Both artworks are painted by Carolyn Marrone.

Bendigo born and raised artist Carolyn Marrone, has contributed both of these works at the annual Harcourt Applefest Art Exhibition. As a regular exhibitor she has shown ‘PO Harcourt’ at the 21st Applefest Art Show (2015); and ‘Pedalling‘ at the 23rd Show (2017).

Marrone is a watercolur and ink artist, who still lives in Bendigo, Central Victoria. With a lifetime love for art and drawing, she has over forty years of art experience, having learned from local artists including Pam Grist, Ross Paterson and Malcolm Webster.

Marrone focuses on capturing everyday events in her works and is mostly known for her art works based on her travels through Italy over the past 18 years, with her Italian husband, Mario. Marrone describes herself  “I am a devotee of the Italian lifestyle. People strolling  for the evening “passeggiata”, playing cards at the bar, sitting with friends in the piazza, or just having a natter with the neighbours from the doorstep or balcony.”

Marrone has exhibited and won many art awards at various art shows including exhibitions at Albert Park College, Moonee Valley, Flemington, Mornington,
Portland, Twin Rivers, Victor Harbour, Clare Valley; and internationally in Italy, Germany and the United States. Marrone is also an illustrator for St. Luke’s Innovative Resources in Bendigo.

• Discover more about Carolyn Marrone at her website.

Regardless of whether life is imitating art, or art imitating life, is the man on the bicycle the same as in the photo?

Only life or art will tell.

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“Is It Art?”