This painting called 'Cultivated' was selected as a finalist for The Hunters Hill Art Show, which has been a goal of mine for a few years now. The best thing is that it was enthusiastically purchased by a lovely young architect as a gift for her sister's 21st. Serendipitously the said young architect owns the 'twin sister' of this painting.
It's been interesting making new connections and cultivating relationships over art. Painting landscapes from memories and imagined places surprisingly unearths unusual coincidences and common ground which is far more rewarding than the finished 'look' of a piece. Cultivated was a reference to both the agricultural patterns in Central Western NSW, but also to the growing of our inner landscape stories.
'Treelines' (featured in the last newsletter) was selected as the winner of an exhibtion at The Corner Store Gallery in Orange during FOOD week and will appear on bottle labels of family boutique brewery, Small Acres Cyder. Meeting James and Gail Kendell, passionate crafters amongst the orchard rows just outside Orange at their cider festival day (Morris dancers included!) was a real highlight for my family and I this Autumn. My fondness for that beautiful part of the country continues to grow...
Collaboration is all the buzz in creative circles at the moment. Understandably artists, makers, galleries and retailers are opening up to mutually beneficial relationships where aesthetics, values, and wares are complimentary. Cultivating these relationships can be so rewarding on an artistic and personal level, but also commercially for small businesses and independant crafters.
Working towards an exhibtion at Saint Cloche Gallery in collaboration with ceramicist Rachael Harrex, we discovered in each other a common fascination for rugged mountain landscapes. Our winter show 'Gradient' explores the vast, quiet horizons and gradations in colour and clines found in alpine and polar places. A simpatico in approach to both materials and topic has been cultivated by expert curator Kitty Wong. Opening on the 16th August in Paddington, I'll keep you posted!
Thank you for your continued encouragement and interest.
