Ideal States and Sacred Places

Pennie Steel was born in the United Kingdom in 1947 and emigrated to Sydney in 1969 where she completed a post-graduate and Masters degree.

After retiring from teaching, she lived in South Australia and Queensland before returning to NSW in 2011. She now lives and works with her husband and fellow artist Brian Reid in Cathkin Braes, Lurline Street SteelReid Studio is at Cathkin Braes.

Cathkin Braes was built by stone mason and architect John Howie in 1912 in the Queen Anne Federation style.

Howie was the builder and stonemason for many significant Sydney buildings including the General Post Office and Central Station.

Sense of Place

“My work is based in mythology. I am interested in the link between History and Myth and the artefacts associated with stories. Currently my body of work consists of 3D structures, some in domes, fabricated from recycled card, paper and styrofoam. These I called Ideal States and Sacred Places. A natural progression was to indicate these ‘places’ realised in 2d form on canvas panels.

“Subsequent motivation comes from reading texts which link the history and mythology to a sense of place.”

“To live as an artist in an artisan’s building is quite wonderful. There is an ambience in Cathkin Braes which reflects excellence of design and workmanship.

“The garden is an ongoing project. When my Mother bought this property, the garden was pretty ordinary and new turf covered poor unworked soil. The trees are a reminder of the age of the house and stand majestically along the edges of the property despite being savaged by the electricity company.

“When the power has been moved underground as part of the Treeline Lurline project and new plantings and street furniture placed strategically, the streetscape will reflect the value of this legacy. Both residents and visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy and be proud of the First Nations and subsequent Settlement History.”