Roberta’s interest in art and design began when she was a child. Roberta worked in a period where the status of the artist described as a designer, was often derogatory. Nowadays, the skilled and innovative designer has gained prestige in the artistic community. In fact, art is seen as being more profound and enriched when the artist brings to their work greater depth and breadth of experience. During her career, Roberta was commissioned to design numerous murals, flags, invitations and print material of which she was very proud.

During the 1950s Roberta received design commissions (including a mural screen commissioned by Government House for the Royal Visit of 1954) and was a founding member of the Society of Interior Designers of Australia. Critics were later to comment on the strength of drawing and design in Roberta’s paintings. She began entering major art competitions in the early 1960s and in 1962 was shortlisted and highly commended for her entries in the Blake Prize.

Murals

 

Flags

Roberta put her unique design skills, keen eye, and ingenuity to work by creating a number of flag designs to celebrate local festivals. Her brilliant designs were bold, colourful and refreshing. The reasoning behind these flag designs was to unite the villages of the Southern Highlands. This helped to create and promote the tourism industry in this spectacular region, with Bowral, Berrima, Mittagong, Moss Vale, Bundanoon and Robertson being represented. She explains the process of how she went about funding, designing, and creating flags for her community.

Before any designing took place a budget had to be finalised. The fabric was always found in my auctioneer cousin’s warehouse from where the textiles were sourced. It was a treasure house of fabulous fabrics at a low price. Now purchased: back to the drawing board, and so my flags were born. 2.5 metres long and 1m wide, I usually cut out in my gallery on one of my oak refractory tables; sewn together using my mother’s 70-year-old, electrified, Singer machine. These flags, all 26 of them, were in place 24/7 for about 3 months, withstanding the wind pressure of hundreds of trucks, which at the time passed through Berrima. By the way, the flagpoles were a gift to Historic Berrima, by the Boral company at the time of the Bi-Centenary of Australia in 1988. [Roberta Bell-Allen, 2015]

 

 

Invitations

Roberta used her design skills in the promotion of her galleries, creating posters and invitations for many of the exhibitions at both The Barn and The Bell gallery.

Design expertise was an invaluable asset in my career as a gallery owner and director, reflecting my connection with artists, clients and the public. It became, in a way, a signature for my promotions through various invitations, exhibitions, posters and Christmas cards. [Roberta Bell-Allen]

 

Showrooms and Displays

Roberta is featured, in the centre of her final year of study, surrounded by a body of work for examination.

Left is the exquisite antique room at The Barn Gallery. The centre photo displays one of the many magical Christmas angels designed by Roberta throughout her life to enliven her gallery spaces with a festive spirit

 

To the left above one can see the newly-designed, fanlight entry doors based on the ancient Georgian architecture surrounding new The Bell Gallery in Historic Berrima.

To the far right is the exhibition and display designed by Roberta for the Mercedes car-sale room at Wollongong, featuring an old Renault.

 

Decorative Art

Icons painted on wood and fun royal characters.

Antique Collector

 

Posters

Roberta designed many striking posters to advertise gallery exhibitions and other cultural events.