Her subjects range from chickens, exotic and native Australian birds, to flowers. These themes have provided McCoy with both joy and an element of escape.

"The last 12 months has been a time of personal heartbreak and grief so picking up tools to create a work that's decanted from my environment has allowed me to lose myself in the process," she says.

The exhibition also incorporates Immens-McCoy's hand-built ceramics.

"Hand-building has always appealed to me. Using my hands and other tools to create a ceramic sculpture, organic vase or a screen print. The development bit-by-bit is at the heart of making for me," she says.

40 Annie St, Wichkam; Friday to Saturday 11am to 4pm.

Two + Two is on exhibition now until August 1 at SMAC Studios.

Consisting of two painters and two printmakers; Jackie Maudrell-Hall, Carol Archer, Steph Berrick and Leigh Dennis with each artist exhibiting their own interpretations of the world.

Maudrell-Hall says: "I'm tyring to capture the very essence of the natural landscape, the fleeting light and the wild moments of nature", while Berrick says "It is an exciting art form (printmaking) but also allows great freedom of creativity and experimentation."

Archer wants her viewers to feel immersed in the landscape and Dennis is "excited by the way the elements, paint, paper, water and the artist's vision blend to create the finished painting."

73 Elizabeth St, Tighes Hill; Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 4pm. Meet the artists during this time too.

Maitland Regional Art Gallery members art sale starts 10am on Friday, August 6, until Sunday, September 12.

The art sale includes over 300 paintings, prints and sculptures starting from $50 and including collectable artists such as David Boyd, Charles Blackman, Emily Besser, Lottie Consalvo, John Coburn, Nell; local artists including James Rhodes and Annabel Sutton plus painting from Warlukurlangu - Artists of Yuendumu and many more!

The sale is a fund-raising exhibition to help deliver the gallery's programs.

Clouds ends at Newcastle Art Space and Earthworks starts at Back to Back Galleries.

Ahn Wells is director of Gallery 139.