At the moment it is all about finding joy in the little things. For me, that has been taking my paint brushes and paper outdoors and working en plein air!
Working through lockdowns and all this general turbulence in life and business has really made me have a new appreciation for where I live. Wadawarrung country or the Surf Coast is truly beautiful and I have increasingly wanted to express that in my artwork.
Although pretty difficult between government restrictions and the weather I have made several trips now to work en plein air (outdoors). It is such a interesting way to work, with no barriers between you and the subject, just responding to the things you are seeing and feeling and allowing the subconscious to come to the fore. It is truly mindful, which I think is another thing that has attracted me to it.
The original stimulus was learning from fabulous painter and teacher, Nicole Kelly. Last year I did two online landscape painting courses with her that were just incredible and I learned so much. New ideas and ways to approach things, a fresh perspective and I got introduced to artist's work I hadn't seen before. It was very refreshing! It also forced me to do and paint things I wouldn't choose to myself which I probably learned more from than anything. All of this bolstered my confidence in my foray into landscape.
A change of direction is always a little scary - but it's the thrills that make your heart beat that little bit faster and drives you along. That's not to say I'm leaving florals forever, this is just something I'm curious about and keen to explore! I think taking down boundaries and breaking your own rules is a super important part of your creative journey (probably life in general too!)
From here I would like to build a body of plein air works and show them. I enjoy it so much! I'm also keen to explore taking these quick responses and new marks to a much larger scale in the studio. I've already started playing with this but it is going to take some time to find my language. See below for a sneak peek!
My trusty Princeton travel brushes. The handle is aluminium and it comes off and becomes a cap to protect the bristles as you move around.
The beautiful yellow gums by my studio at Ashmore Arts.
