Untitled drops by at Jeff Liss and Jo Springthorpe

Untitled drops by at Jeff Liss and Jo Springthorpe

Untitled drops by at Jeff Liss and Jo Springthorpe

Tell us a little about yourselves, your home and art collection.

 

Both of us are involved in very creative work and are inspired daily by our natural world, colours, lines and forms of the urban environment. 

We both have a passion for creating beautiful, unique homes. We have bought and renovated a few homes, always centred around a sense of family, never driven by fashion or popular styles. In fact we like quite “out of the box” styles... our current home is a 70’s mid-century renovation kept entirely true to its style. The project was a labour of love; more of an art project than a home renovation. We honoured the architect, Dennis Elliott, and kept the original body of the house. We “clipped” on additional spaces without losing the 70’s elements and materials.
All our art purchases have been emotional and impulsive, not motivated by value or how accomplished or recognised the artist is. 

 

 

 

Jeff is also an artist and works out of a creative studio hub in Woodstock. He recently had an exhibition titled “Something About Power”, which was a sell-out.
One of our favourite art pieces is “Hillbrow Tower” by Lorenzo Nassimbeni, which was a gift from architect Antonio Zaninovich on completion of our home in Higgovale. It is a very architectural piece of art that lives in balance with a brutalist style sideboard inherited from Jo’s Grandmother.

 

 

What’s the story behind the first artwork you bought? 

The first painting we bought was a beautiful moody landscape called “Dry River Bed” (1998) by Walter Meyer. We were drawn to the painting because of the warm depth of the shadow in the dry river bed. In the following years we bought three more Walter Meyer paintings as we love the intensity of the light and shadow he captures in his painting,  the loading of his paint and his signature brush strokes. All of these pieces live in our kitchen.

What advice would you give someone who wants to buy art for the first time? 


Definitely follow your heart and love what you buy, because you have to live with it!

 

 

Who would you collect next? 

We will collect when we are next inspired by a piece and our budget allows it.

What are some of the most sentimental or meaningful pieces you have? 

In our bedroom we have a wall of pieces that have mostly been given to us by friends and family. They all have special attachments to experiences and relationships. It's a hodgepodge of styles, shapes and frames, but it works for us. One piece is a drawing that the famous American pop artist, Peter Max done, did of Jo on a paper napkin when she was living in New York and having coffee at a table next to him in a restaurant.

 

 

If you could have your pick of art from Untitled, which would you choose? Where would you put them? And why?

 

 

Jo: “I am a ceramist and a collector of mid century pottery. I’d display some of Lyndi's alongside my pieces on the shelves in the kitchen. I loved styling these artworks which are organic and colorful against my 70’s mosaic tiled kitchen wall and the organic white bagged walls. The artworks are very emotive and make me feel happy!”

 

Click here to view available works by Lyndi Sales

 

 

Jeff and Jo: “We love the soft colour tones and mysteriousness. Plus there’s intrigue in the depth of perspective on tangled space. There’s a natural mood to the colour tones, which appeals to the eye. It’s so calming and we love how the two paintings work together.”

 

 

Click here to view available works by Amber Moir

 

 

Jo: “I’ve always admired Amy’s work. The skill and intensity is captivating and the use of recycled materials adds meaning and uniqueness. I just love her colour combinations, so clever! I also find her work calming and therapeutic.”

 

Click here to view "Cabin Sound" by Amy Rusch

 

 

Jeff: “The mood of this is mysterious. It is a dark space that is wide open to the interpretation of the viewer. It’s small and intimate, and the choice of positioning the tree off centre makes for an interesting composition.”

 

Click here to view "Daydreaming IV" by Zarah Cassim

 

Jo and Jeff co-own a family run business, Chasing Bees.

See what else they would have asked for.