Jos Coufreur,
Artist
I grew up in the Wollongong area and have always had a passion for art.
The biggest attractions were, and still are, the waterways; the rivers, the estuary, and the sea. Mandurah is also the perfect size, not too big but large enough that there is no need to go to the big city. Everything we need is here.
I started exhibiting my work at a very young age, just 13. When I was 17, my parents took the family back to Holland where I attended the Royal Academy of Art in Den Bosch.
I met and married my lovely wife Hilly and together we moved to New Zealand where we stayed for 26 years, raising four children.
One of our children moved from New Zealand to Perth and he convinced his younger sister to come over to. When she moved to Perth, she loved it so much that she convinced her younger sibling and so on until all four of our children had moved to Perth.
They then started telling us that we should come too. Of course, we didn’t need much convincing as all of our children were now in WA!
Hilly and I aren’t city people so we looked to settle somewhere either north or south of Perth. When we saw Mandurah, we were hooked! That was seven years ago and we still love it.
Mandurah is very inspiring when it comes to my art. I paint outdoors, or as the French would say, ‘en plein air’, with the local Mandurah Plein Air Artists. Each Tuesday. we go out and paint on location. If you see us around Mandurah, stop and say hello. There are so many beautiful spots to paint. Some of my favourites are Cooper’s Mill, Egret Point, Doddi’s Beach and Keith Holmes Reserve.
The foreshore, wetlands and rivers are things every visitor should experience. They offer so many nice spots for recreation or picnics. The foreshore in particular is one of my favourite spots. The view is great and there are always lots of people about enjoying it. It’s so nice to just sit and watch all the hustle and bustle or enjoy the peaceful bay.
Sailing is one of my great hobbies and Mandurah is perfect for that. Recently I’ve really got into taking road trips with the caravan and this is a great base from which to explore.
Jos’s top spots for coffee in Mandurah
I love my coffee!! Try:
- Moka
- Nourishing the Soul
- Tod’s Cafe
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