Creative Escape: Artist Debra Meier’s Guide To The Central Coast

Have you ever watched the sun rise over a secluded beach, the sky unfurling in soft pinks and golds, while Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos rasp out to greet the new day? If not, you’re missing one of the Central Coast’s quietest yet most spectacular rituals – a moment where nature takes centre stage.

This natural abundance isn’t just a feast for the senses; it’s a wellspring of inspiration for the artists who call this coastline home. Among them is painter Debra Meier, who translates the region’s vivid flora and fauna into light-filled, dynamic canvases.

Her residency at Creative Spaces, a gallery container nestled within Toukley Village Green, runs until the end of March. A longtime Coast local, Debra knows this landscape intimately – its shifting colours and hidden corners. She shares some of its secrets with us.

PHOTOS: AARON LESLIE

Hi Debra! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your artistic practice? 

I grew up on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and moved up to the Central Coast as a young mum in the 1990s. I create paintings from photographs I take of nature, using watercolours and white gouache at the end for highlights.

When did you start creating, and what inspires you?

My mum recognised that I could draw when I was only 3 years old! She collected my artwork all through my childhood. I’ve drawn and painted my entire life, but took the leap into watercolours in 2018. Before that I spent 25 years working as a textile/graphic designer in the fashion industry in the heart of Sydney. My textile designs sold in London, Paris, New York, and – of course! – Sydney.

I’m inspired by what brings me joy. I must have an emotional connection with the subjects I paint, and this connection is often expressed as a smile. Like walking through the bush and spying nature’s little hidden-away gems – that makes me smile! I photograph them and usually can’t wait to race home and paint them. I also feel drawn to supporting, painting and promoting endangered wildlife species.

What makes living on the Central Coast unique? 

We’re surrounded by nature here on the Coast. I live in Noraville, only two minutes away from a gorgeous bushwalk. Three minutes and I reach the secluded Jenny Dixon beach. The Toukley district is surrounded by lakes and birdlife – whenever I walk, nature’s beauty is just begging me to paint it. 

Your work celebrates Australian fauna, flora, and birdlife – what are your favourite Coastie spots to find inspiration?

Every Friday my sister Elle and I go for a long bushwalk with a group of long-term girlfriends. We wander through the bush to Norah Head lighthouse, and then walk back along the beach and the back breaks to the Rockpool. We go for a swim at Cabbage Tree Bay [above] or lounge around like mermaids in many of the swimming spots along the way. 

Another favourite is the Red Gum forest in Wyrrabalong National Park, often combined with a quick detour to the Sensory Garden on Wilford Barret Drive at The Entrance. There’s plenty of native flowering gums there for inspiration! 

Do you have a favourite bird to paint, or a plant that keeps popping up in your work?

So many favourites that I can’t name them all! My Dad fed a multi-generational family of magpies in French’s Forest in Sydney where I grew up, feeding them too. So that’s a favourite! I love all cockatoos but my local variety – the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo – is such a treat to see flying high over the trees, followed by their haunting cries. 

The gentle Eastern Rosella is another favourite with their sweet, beeping call early in the morning. I can’t help being fascinated by gumblossoms, gumnuts and gum leaves. They always recur in my art and I think it may have something to do with Mum reading me the Snugglepot and Cuddlepie stories from May Gibbs as a child. 

The Red Gums in your work have a special meaning to you – can you tell us about that story?

When the Red Gum forest at the North Entrance peninsula was under threat from rutile sand mining in the late 1960s, my grandfather, Arthur Kindred, participated in the protests and demonstrations called The Battle for the Red Gums. Granddad was a WW1 veteran and witnessed first hand the devastation of The Somme, so he understood that being in nature is healing and restorative for the human soul. The protesters and the local Wyong Council won the battle in the Supreme Court. Granddad was an early ‘greenie’ and that legacy has been passed on to me and my family. 

To this day, I walk through the Red Gum forest with its huge old-growth trees towering above me, still preserved, and I’m thankful to my Granddad.

What have you enjoyed most about your residency at Creative Spaces’ Toukley Container Gallery so far?

I enjoy meeting people, especially followers on social media who’ve travelled a long way to visit me. When it’s quiet, I paint my watercolours while looking out at the huge Ficus tree that the Toukley Container Art Gallery is nestled under. 

Why are projects like Creative Spaces’ Toukley Container Gallery important?  

I’d say that the local community benefits by having their local area promoted, displayed, and interpreted through the eyes of artists, photographers and sculptors. We all need to be proud of the beautiful area that we live in. Pride in the area leads people to care for their community and its surroundings. The many workshops offered at the Toukley Container Art Gallery also engages the community and encourages people to create connections and explore their creativity. 

What are your must-visit spots in Toukley and along the Coast?

My all-time favourite cafe is the Beach Haus at Norah Head. We sit outside under the trees listening to the Galahs and the ocean waves and it’s a pure delight. 

My favourite cafe in Toukley is Filippo Cafe, run by a lovely family of Filipino women – their rice paper rolls are to die for! Noble Thai is my favourite lunch-time visit and next door is Blu-J’s cafe for Australian food. Dunes by Dish on top of Soldiers Beach surf club is a must for the beautiful ocean views. Other favourites are Bamboo Buddha at Holgate, and 8 at Trinity at Lake Macquarie. 

What are your top tips for making the most of a visit to the Central Coast?

Get out in nature! Whether it’s a bushwalk, a swim at the beach, or a boat ride around Tuggerah Lakes. The bike rides around the lakes and through the Red Gum forest is also worthy of your time. You’ll always come away with a smile on your face!

This article was created in partnership with our friends at Destination Central Coast. For all the insider tips on planning a creative weekend escape from headland to hinterland, head to their website.