{"title":"Meg Stewart","description":"\u003cp\u003eMeg Stewart is a celebrated Australian author renowned for her engaging and insightful biographical works. Her writing captivates readers with its depth, warmth, and meticulous attention to detail, bringing to life the stories of fascinating individuals.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOne of her standout works is \u003cem\u003eFar From a Still Life\u003c\/em\u003e, a lively biography that artfully explores the multifaceted life of the acclaimed Australian artist Margaret Olley. Through Stewart's compelling narrative, readers are transported into the vibrant world of Olley, uncovering the passions and challenges that shaped her illustrious career and personal life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eStewart's books, categorised under Biography \u0026amp; Memoir, offer more than just an account of events; they provide an immersive experience that encourages readers to connect deeply with the subject's journey. Her adept storytelling and empathetic perspective ensure that each biography she pens is not just informative, but also profoundly humanising and inspiring.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eExplore the works of Meg Stewart for an enriching dive into the lives of remarkable individuals, masterfully captured through her skilled and observant lens.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"far-from-a-still-life-by-meg-stewart-9781742755854","title":"Far From a Still Life","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFar From a Still Life\u003c\/em\u003e by Meg Stewart offers an intimate biography of Margaret Olley, arguably Australia's most loved artist and one of the country's most generous benefactors to public art galleries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe story begins in the 1920s in the lush, tropical environment of Tully, North Queensland, where Margaret spent her early childhood on a cane farm and dairy. It unfolds to narrate her life-long love affair with painting. During her time at boarding school at Somerville House, Brisbane, Margaret found a mentor in art teacher Caroline Barker, which paved the way for her to blossom as an art student at East Sydney Technical College.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe book reveals intriguing details about her friendships with well-known figures like Donald Friend, William Dobell, and Russell Drysdale and recounts the success of her first solo exhibition in Sydney at the age of twenty-five. Her bohemian adventures in Europe with fellow Australian artists, including David Strachan, followed. She travelled around England, France, Italy, and Spain with her sketchbook in hand, met Alice B. Toklas in Paris, and lived on a vineyard in Cassis in the South of France.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHer journey continued back in Australia where, in the late 1950s in Brisbane, Margaret struggled with alcoholism. She was eventually forced to confront her addiction to either dry out or face a creative demise. Following her decision to give up drinking, her return to life and painting was joyous.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFar from a Still Life\u003c\/em\u003e chronicles her personal darkness, her 'black hole', where she contemplated giving up both painting and living, and overcoming the freedom of a walking frame. Despite these difficult times, Margaret persevered with her passion for producing art, continued her generous donations to galleries, and entertained celebrities like Barry Humphries and Maggie Smith in her famously cluttered Paddington terrace.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith new material detailing her final journeys around regional galleries to donate her work and her feverish painting up until her passing, this is a rich and comprehensive look at over eighty years of Margaret Olley’s life, her lovers and friends, and, naturally, her painting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46371454976236,"sku":"9781742755854","price":35.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/13460223482808.jpg?v=1744811583"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/meg-stewart.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}