2023 Residencies and more...

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I have realised that 2023 has been a year where i have invested in future paintings... Travel has been the focus and it has been a rich reward in itself...

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January saw me trip over to Sydney for a workshop with Marie Mansfield - I had booked and paid for a workshop during COVID which of course didn't quite work out as I had planned and when I had the opportunity to use my credit, I jumped at the chance.  Very inspiring to watch Marie in action - I learnt so much!

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In April I finally got to head to Tasmania/Lutruwita to undertake an artist residency with Salamanca Arts Centre after a two year delay due to COVID.  I have been very keen to get to paint the landscape of this southerly state for a long time and I was not disappointed.  It really is a landscape painters dream.... There is real mood here... a deep silence in the wild places and a laid back feel to urban areas and little towns...  So much to unpack from this experience.  It was interesting that I drew more than painted here - I think I was setting out daily to explore new places and drawing allowed me to capture places quickly with my new best friend, water soluble graphite sticks... just yum...  I was joined by two amazing artists who I had become firm friends with on our NT painting trip from last year - Julz Beresford and Sophie Perez.  We painted and laughed our way through some challenging plein air weather and have all come away inspired by this landscape and is currently the focus of my current body of work - I have tentatively call this series "Cold Water Stories".

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I have just got back from another trip to the Pilbara - again with an inspiring group of women artists - Carly le Cerf (my usual partner in art inspired shenanigans), Lauren Kennedy, Samantha Dennison, Rachel Falls Williams and Jess Howard.  Taking a group of artist out into the Pilbara landscape, watching a ceramicist and photographer and writer and 4 painters work in this landscape - truly inspiring!  I can't wait to see what emerges from this trip - hopefully a group exhibition next year...

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I am heading to Sydney Contemporary for some professional development and then October is focused on a group exhibition with Cook Street Gallery on the Mornington Peninsula - the work from the East Mac trip is being exhibited in early October.  

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And that brings me up to now... what a year so far!