SIX women artists come together at Kidogo in an exhibition that expresses their love of the state they call home.

“One was born in WA. All are in love with WA and are here to stay,” the blurb for Variations On a Theme says.

Canadian-born artist and printmaker Ann Land uses sand, ink and paint to create beautifully textured and patterned art.

She collects the sand from Two People’s Bay in Albany: “A fine white silica with no salt in it.”

Her large canvases are laid out on the floor of her heritage-listed studio at Arthur Head as sand and water are mixed, some allowed to run into channels reminiscent of a north-west landscape while others are smooth to the eye, but have a rough sandy texture underpinning the paint or ink that is then applied.

She’s coordinated the exhibition, bringing together artist and printmaking friends Jennifer Sulaj, Carol Hazel, Helen Almond, Yvonne Carroll and Sue Marshall.

Marshall, who heads up the WA printmakers association, employs bitumen, motor oil, inks and plastics in works that convey her concern for the WA environment.

Carroll’s sensuous painting evoke the rhythms of a dancer’s body, while Almond’s relief prints are inspired by nature and the simple observations around her home.

Hazel’s inspiration comes from early morning kayaking while Sulaj uses her art therapist training to “create a visual code of life’s journey through line, colour and tone”.

The exhibition is on at Kidogo until December 2.

by JENNY D’ANGER