About Margaret

The environment has always been a strong influence on my work – its power, its delicate balance and harmonies, its colour, patterns and energy. 

Another powerful influence on my work is the power of the elements and the links with the influences of feng shui.  Almost all of my work shows the elements – fire, air, earth, water and metal.

Landscape is still the major subject in my work. It has a haunting appeal. The shapes within the landscape have a calligraphy all their own. A feature of my work is to show a duality, a combination of several views – aerial, ground and underground in many of my landscapes.  I build the paintings on many layers of thin glazes in order to create depth and transparency to the colour.

A successful collaboration of 10 years with an internationally renowned wood-turning artist further developed my style in its current direction.  All our exhibitions worked with the theme of the elements – fire, air, earth, water and metal.

I painted and gilded large wall shields (some as large as 6 feet in diameter), turned vessels and sculptures.  A multi-layered base of glazes was painted on turned shapes, variegated copper leaf was applied and the decoration was finished with intricate, delicate patterns and lines, echoing the elements of nature. We successfully pushed the boundaries beyond traditionally accepted wood-turning. Our collaboration resulted in many major awards and successful exhibitions and the pieces are collected both in Australia and internationally, including the Northern Territory Museum and Art Gallery, Detroit Museum, Chicago Art Institute, the Robert Bohlan collection and the Irving Lipton collection.

“As well as using fine Australian timbers such as jarrah and huon pine, Hughes and Salt have used colour and the application of metal leaf to transform plain MDF (medium density fibreboard) into vivid and dramatic frames and sculptural forms.

“These are self-assured statements from a turner and an artist who are setting the international standard.”

David Maclaren,
Director, Bungendore Wood Works Gallery,
catalogue for exhibition “Turning the Elements.”

Margaret (centre) at Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery Exhibition "Turning the Elements" showing large shield sold to Singapore gentleman.