Artist’s works record Donnelly River’s timber industry on canvas

The Friends of Donnelly River Village presented a collection of stories about the town’s history from three distinct perspectives in an art exhibition on the weekend.

A display of prints and paintings by Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Blair Bunning (1909-2001) were among the artists who painted their interpretation of the former milling town from 1949 to 1978.

Her tenacity for painting was described by granddaughter Jane Okeeffe on Saturday at the Donnelly River Mill Workers Club, where an exhibition of her works was held.

Bunning, a Western Australian artist known for captivating the themes of nature and the Donnelly River Mill culture, spent much of her time accompanying her husband Charles Bunning — a prominent timber merchant — in his business endeavours.

During a time when Charlie was regularly travelling down south on business, Betty would join him and brought their young children with her on many occasions.

Armed with her canvas and paint brushes wherever they went, her “compulsion to paint” was considered an “oddity” as a young mum caring for children.

“She would set herself up with easel and canvas around the Donnelly and paint while the children would entertain themselves,” Mrs Okeeffe said.

Stories of Betty’s commitment to painting were shared at the exhibition, such as the time her car battery died as she worked late into the night, using the headlights to finish a painting.

Her depictions of the mill and the surrounding forest captured the rawness and energy of the timber industry, showcasing the industrial processes and the impact on the environment.

Mrs Okeeffe said the trees being milled were painted with a sense of emotion to the violence of the process.

“Massive logs and trees, with gaping slashes and cuts piled high through the energy of the industry, painted a state on the move,” she said.

Developing an intimacy with the forest, her lifelong passion for painting documented the changes throughout the timber industry in canvas and sketchbook.

“She was not afraid to sit painting alone in the forest surrounding the Donnelly River Mill,” Mrs Okeeffe said.

In contrast, her village scenes are about a sense of community, while Mrs Okeeffe said her forest paintings feel at peace in their setting.

A portrait of Jack Seruna, the town’s longest resident, hung nearby at the workers club as Mrs Okeeffe shared his significance in Betty’s life.

Pointing to the portrait, Mrs Okeeffe said she remembered visiting the shack when she was growing up.

“My grandmother was very fond of Jack, so much so that if anyone was visiting, which was when we used to come down, we were asked to bring a long neck of beer and steak to him,” she said.

Betty’s legacy goes far beyond her artwork. As the founder of the Cremorne Art Gallery she served as a gallery director, nurturing emerging artists in Perth’s art community.