Harbour Flora

Eora/Sydney-based artist Nicola Woodcock makes her much-anticipated return to Michael Reid Northern Beaches with Harbour Flora – a dazzling new suite of bright and ebullient nature studies. Woodcock is among the most beloved and in-demand names to regularly light up our program, delighting visitors to our Newport gallery with a slew of special releases and group showings, including her star turn in our fifth-anniversary show. Following the success of these projects, as well as her 2025 solo exhibition at our Southern Highlands sister gallery, Harbour Flora marks her first full-scale solo presentation in three years.

“In autumn, I began walking the Sydney Harbour trails as a weekly ritual – moving from The Spit to Manly, Bradleys Head to Chowder Bay and on to Balmoral – seeking both exercise and mental clarity,” says Woodcock of the seeds for her series. “Along these foreshore tracks I observed the native flora growing through sandstone, leaf litter and coastal scrub, becoming increasingly aware of the shifting colours and textures of the season.” Most recently selected as a finalist in the 2025 Waverley Woollahra Art School 9×5 Landscape Art Prize, Woodcock has previously appeared in the Northern Beaches Environmental Art Prize, The Little Things Art Prize and the National Emerging Art Prize among other prominent Australian art awards.

“Walking through the landscape brought a sense of liberation and peace,” says the artist. “The act of walking the trails along the harbour’s edge sharpened my attention to the resilience and sculptural beauty of the native plants: banksias aglow against dry earth and clumps of delicate flannel flowers emerging through tangled bushland.” Back in the studio, the artist works with oil pastels on custom birch panels, beginning with a brown wash of pastel to dirty up the colours and introduce contrast as she lays down her vibrant hues. “Using a palette of earthy reds, browns and ochres contrasting with jewel-like bursts of colour, these artworks explore the native flowers I encountered,” she says, describing Harbour Flora as a series shaped by “memory, movement and atmosphere.”

For enquiries, please email sophienolan@michaelreid.com.au