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The Tamworth Visitor Information Centre may have the BIG Golden Guitar, UNE Tamworth one made of Lego, but I'm betting Pinot & Picasso Tamworth has the smallest one!
Renowned local artist Tony La-Chiusa added a touch of country when creating our fabulous Frida Kahlo mural
There's been 1,000's of pictures taken with her since Pinot & Picasso Tamworth opened in 2021.
Wall mural Pinot & Picasso - 5m x 3m
“Tony La Chiusa is among that rare breed who move seamlessly between both hemispheres of the brain ”
Richard Jones (HWRHS), Tony La Chiusa and Mike Rabbitt
Iconic paintings on sale for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service
Tony La Chiusa likes to paint icons.
We’re talking Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, John Lennon, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, Tupac Shakur, Johnny Cash, Michael Jackson, Clint Eastwood – even Al Capone.
He’s also painted the pop star Pink, who has her own kind of iconic qualities.
On of the iconic Pink! Images donated by Tony La Chiusa
Tony has two versions of the singer – Soft Pink and Hot Pink. Clever that.
About 15 of Tony’s large paintings will be on sale or auctioned on Thursday at Bar Petite in Newcastle’s East End.
“My work is mainly for big walls, where they have an impact,” Tony said.
“The eyes are probably about the size of my hand. That’s an indication of how big they are.”
The works are priced from $1000 to $3500. A quarter of the proceeds will be donated to the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service. Mike Rabbitt is hosting.
Tony says he paints icons because “people love them”.
“These types of paintings are probably the most popular types of paintings in the world. They appeal to all age groups,” he said.
He likes ‘em, too.
“I’ve always been a big fan of the older icons like Audrey Hepburn. She’s one of the true icons. She’s quite lovely to paint.
“I did a few Pinks because she was touring Australia at the time. Everyone kept saying ‘why don’t you do a Pink’.”
Tony, of Tamworth, isn’t a typical artist. He ran a plastering business for 30 years and was a top water polo and rugby league player. He coached the West Tamworth Lions first grade rugby league team for 18 years, winning eight premierships.
Rugby League journalist Barry Toohey, who now writes for the Newcastle Herald, once described Tony as the “Wayne Bennett of the bush”.
Tony retired from footy coaching in 2013, giving him a lot more time to paint.
“People get surprised when they see I do paintings. They go ‘what’s an old front rower doing painting?’ But it’s something I’ve done all my life and always enjoyed.”
By Damon Cronshaw
Northern Daily Leader
November 14 2018
“The chances are that if you’ve come across Tony La Chiusa artwork you’ll remember it .”
