L’été
Summer is heating up!
An ode to sun, sand, surf and soft beginnings.
La mer ou la montagne ? (The ocean or the mountains?)
The great summer vacation dilemma - to head to the ocean or to the mountains? Which would you choose? For me, it’s an impossible task so of course I have to do both! When I reflect on my recent art residency in Tasmania, I consider myself very lucky that I could have time with the trees whilst also getting a good dose of Vitamin Sea. Both fill my soul and art with life. I love a lot of things about Tasmania and its geographical variation across a small distance is definitely one of them as it always brings endless inspiration, unique experiences and you never have to choose.
Another gift that came from Tasmania this year was the theme of connection. I had travelled south with great plans and endless to-do lists but life had other plans for me. If it wasn’t my health that got in the way, it was the extreme weather. Having been trained in the school of chronic pain for over a decade, I’m quite experienced in the art form of pivoting and so as my grand plans fell to pieces, I set my sights on exploring the local community. What I found in this small rural community was the feeling of my whole world becoming so much bigger.
Since returning to the mainland, I can see how that decision to pivot was also a pivotal moment in my life. It’s something I am forever baffled by but incredibly grateful for that my art practice is not just about art - it unearths a deeply buried authentic part of me that has been a stranger for far too long. In my art, I find answers, solutions, awareness and myself. In times of incredible pain or disconnection, art reaches out to comfort me. She reveals to me what it is I need to know and perhaps what I am now ready to see. Since exploring the theme of connection, it’s been a profound period of reflection too and a whole new way of being.
Shadow play in the Valley of the Giants.
Connection was felt deeply in my field work with the gentle giants too. It has been a ritual to visit them each time I return and each time I learn something different. This time, the lesson and beauty of connection was revealed to me following the aftermath of being trapped in the forest. How did that happen? Well I was supporting efforts of a peaceful protest to protect old-growth forest by delivering food and chatting with the forest defenders. During that time of documenting and interviewing people for my body of work, a person blocked the lock on the gate making it impossible to leave. We were all trapped. What was a little day trip turned into an unexpected overnight trip and I consider myself very lucky that nothing happened whilst we waited for help to arrive from Hobart.
I learned a lot from those volunteers whilst waiting to be freed. They could have been angry or scared by the actions of this individual but sadly, they have seen it all before. I was then briefed on possible escalations and what next steps would be. With help on the way, it was time for a cuppa and a chat around the camp fire. We could have easily chatted about what divides us from others and the actions of this individual with the intent to harm but instead, we chatted about our why. Why we felt we needed to be there and accept those risks. Some answers simply moved me to tears. Hindsight can be a double-edged sword and sometimes leave people holding onto so much guilt and grief when they look back.
Photo by Melissa Hammond
Maya Angelou has a really helpful quote that I use in my advocacy work:
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
Even in the last three years of exploring this body of work, I have learnt so much and how my choices feed the problem. For example, I used to love framing my artwork in Tassie Oak but it was during my 2nd art residency in Tasmania that I found out it was actually from old-growth forests, destroying the very thing I love and was trying to protect. I simply had no idea. A lot of the problem is just not knowing or having the information and that is the ethos of my advocacy work - making the invisible, visible. The other side of the problem is from allowing ourselves to become disconnected to natural resources. Our lives have become so hectic with modern-day conveniences that we can forget to remember where it all comes from.
It’s here I remind myself about what the indigenous people have taught me - nature is not separate from us, it is a part of us. Would you chop off an arm for a quick fix? Of course not but a lot of decisions around our environment and environmental use are done in a way that is not sustainable and has already wiped out so many species. The problem is so big and if you’re reading this feeling helpless, I would quote Bob Brown here and say:
“Don’t get depressed, get active.”
The beautiful part of this body of work for me is seeing the actions of how one person can make a huge difference. Whether that is showing up at a peaceful protest, chatting to your local Government representative, making changes in the home, or donating where you can…it all matters as it’s all connected.
So back to my story. The next morning with the gate unlocked and my field work done, I drove deeper into the forest to visit my bestie - The Towering Giant. Saved by forest defenders and now part of the United Nations World Heritage Area, I always feel something special in its presence. After the 24 hours I had just experienced, I was craving its safety, wisdom and the relief of being able to rest my body on its soft moss-covered trunk. As my body sunk into the moss, it took an imprint and showed me exactly what I needed to see - the power of connection.
I have visited the Towering Giant on many occasions over the last three years but I have never seen this. A hand - gently touching the earth. Not one that was pushing, pulling, pressuring, suppressing, grabbing, forcing, taking - to me, it was just gently connecting. And then it made me question, how different would our lives and the environment look like if we too took a moment to connect?
Before ending my residency, I returned to the Towering Giant and took some sun prints and a moss-print. It’s an extremely powerful piece that I hope to present in an exhibition in the future and share more with you then. My hope is that I get to return the favour. When that tree took my print, it showed me what I needed to see so hopefully by taking its print, I can show it a world still committed to protecting the natural environment.
Sun prints from the shadows and foliage around the Towering Giant by Melissa Hammond
Moss print - work by Melissa Hammond
Hamilton Inn - Photo by Melissa Hammond
A big part of connection through this residency was connecting to the wonderful rural community in Tasmania: the two-legged and the four-legged kind. I was blown away by kindness and how friendly everyone was. So moved as I was by the experience, I elected to share it with a local Tasmanian community paper when asked to write something about my art residency:
The Highland Digest - December 2025
Melissa Hammond - Artist in Residence
Every time I come to Tasmania, I return to the mainland a different person. I cross the Bass Strait looking out over the sea and reflect on the person I was before arriving in Tasmania to the person I am leaving. Each time, something shifts and each time, something will pull me back to Tassie.
I have just completed my third art residency based in Hamilton where this time I had two months to focus on art projects and explore new ones. I usually arrive with grand plans and projects, and sometimes they work and sometimes the residency (and Tassie weather) has its own plans for me. I can safely say the latter was the case for this particular residency. The extreme weather and wind had me grounded and so I had to pivot.
During my stay, each residency reveals a different theme and this year was connection. It was profound and hit me on so many levels. Having time to reflect on why it affected me and my art practice so much, I think it’s because now more than ever, it has become so easy to disconnect and in a way, become numb to a lot of things. Returning to Hamilton and the Central Highlands of Tasmania was like pressing the big reset button.
Having unsafe conditions to do field and en plein air work, I explored the local communities and it was there that connection took on a whole new meaning. I had just rocked up to do a yoga class through Ash Cottage in Ouse and that yoga class turned into coffee, which turned into exercises classes, monthly cook ups, more coffee catch ups, drinks and cards at the Hamilton Inn, council meetings, being a guest costume judge for the district’s Halloween Party, invites to table tennis and dinners, acts of kindness, chats with neighbours, Aunty V’s coffee and cakes with mates but most importantly, it turned into community. I went from a very digital life to being plugged back into a community. Pun intended!
Isn’t it funny that something that allows us to be more connected can actually make us feel more disconnected. I can only speak for myself but that is what happened to me. Being part of a community, a real community, this beautiful community in the Central Highlands of Tassie reminded me just how powerful connection is. I can’t thank you all enough for welcoming me into your community and I look forward to when we can connect again.
Written by Melissa Hammond
For those that love the rural life, I have to share my daily routine with my resident buddies Franklin and Peaches. Every day I would take a little walk or waddle and would stop to give some grass to Franklin and some pats to Peaches. They were super friendly and as it turns out, Peaches loved a good race along the fence line. Here are some cute clips of us together. A big thank you to Franklin and Peaches’ Mum and Dad for letting us play as it not only gave me a much needed break from work but it was also super fun to soak up some rural life.
Afternoon catch ups with Peaches
Racing Peaches
The final point of connection I had during my residency was volunteering in the biennial Unconformity Art Festival in Queenstown, Tasmania for the first time. Queenstown has suffered long-term damage from a history of mining and to me, this art festival symbolises an invitation to reconnect and work in harmony with the environment again.
I had stopped in Queenstown during my 2nd art residency in Tasmania and was moved by the scares left in the landscape from the mining and acid rain. It was like driving on the moon. The colour palette of Queenstown for me is this bright toxic orange, deep purples and blacks. The damage by the hand of man is everywhere to see. I did have reservations about returning, being sensitive to environments, but I met an artist before going that lifted the sadness. She said something along the lines of not seeing what was taken but what is now thriving. Another words, look for the signs of hope and healing. For me, this festival was like doing the same - looking for signs of hope and healing in the relationship between humans and the environment.
My Summer Projects
The start of 2026 welcomes some new and exciting challenges!
The first is working with oil paints for the first time! It’s exciting and daunting but I am really lucky to be under the guidance of Studio Escalier again and this time, online. I will need to be up at crazy-o’clock for some demonstrations and lectures to be on Paris time but it is totally worth it. I guess any excuse to eat croissants at 4am!
As the art course wraps up with Studio Escalier in February, I will then be gearing up for my first solo exhibition in March. It’s a big moment in the life of an artist to have their first solo exhibition and I can’t wait to share my artwork and love of France with Canberra. The exhibition will be from 26 March to 6 April during my favourite season in Canberra - autumn! To learn more, click here.
On the advocacy front, I will be busy collating ideas from the invisible disability community to help improve access and inclusion in the ACT. If you live in the ACT and manage an invisible disability or know someone who does, I would love to hear from you. To learn more about this project, click here.
And finally, I am going to be shaking up my shop and newsletter. The more time I delve into the power of connection, the more I value personal connections with my patrons, collectors, donors and subscribers. To reflect this, there will be a couple of changes of how I share my work and news. Watch this space!
Up for a new year challenge?
Summer in Australia is a season for new beginnings. In that spirit, I wanted to share a challenge I recently completed as I geared up for the new year. Inspired by a Mel Robbins podcast, she asks to do the following:
Go through all your photos on your phone from 1 January 2025 and write down all your highlights and lowlights in the year.
Once you have your lists, ask yourself these three questions:
What am I going to stop doing?
What am I going to start doing?
What am I going to continue doing?
Since coming back from Tasmania, I have been reflecting on quite a lot and this challenge also helped to change a narrative. This past year, I have been so very unwell managing my invisible disability and just remembered a lot of time with physicians, in bed or on the couch feeling trapped in my body. I honestly didn’t think I got that much done but when I went through all my photos, I realised despite everything thrown at me, I actually achieved so very much. In that awareness, there was self-compassion and an invitation to be kinder to myself. I’m not sure what this challenge will reveal to you but I would highly recommend it.
Final thoughts -
My final thoughts in my final journal for the year is just gratitude. Gratitude for the support from this community and all that I have been able to achieve because of it. My donors, supporters, collectors and subscribers - you have made this art journey possible and I can’t wait to continue this adventure with you all in 2026.
A big thank you also to my patrons, long-term supporters and dear friends Michael and Penelope who made my time in Tasmania possible. Thank you! And a big thank you to my community in Tassie that supported me and took care of me when life did not go to plan. Thank you!
And finally, in the spirit of connection, I would like to invite you to take time this season to connect with your body, your loved ones, your environment, your neighbours and even strangers. As our lives become more digital and hectic, we become more vulnerable to disconnection and isolation. I can’t emphasis enough what a game-changer it has been for me to be plugged back into a real community and the benefits that have been overflowing from that. My hope is that this space can also be one where we can connect.
That concludes my final studio journal for the year and I really hope your enjoyed yourself and Tasmania as much I did. I will be back in the new year and until then, I wish you a very happy, safe and peaceful start to the new year.
Melissa x
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Le printemps
Spring has sprung!
A new season. A new canvas. A new chapter.
Spring has sprung!
Just like the weather in spring can be chaotic and unpredictable at times, I can safely say that my life these past couple of months has been too. I had wished to get this journal to you sooner but the reality is, managing a life with invisible disabilities is like getting a masters degree in the sacred (and frustrating) art form of pivoting. The good news about being almost two months late is that I can share a bit of my Tasmanian art residency with you.
This journal will be packed with my art and travel from the last couple of months. It will include behind-the-scenes pics and videos, personal diary entries and sketches that only my subscribers will have access to. That’s you! We will kick things off in London for the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition, then head to Scotland before heading back Down Under to Queensland for the Doyles and then to Newcastle for my art residency at Nobby’s Lighthouse. As mentioned, I will include a little bit of my travel and work from Tassie for you too.
Being a bumper issue, what I will do is break the journal into geographical regions so you can either read along or skip to the art-travel adventure that interests you the most. So with your cuppa in hand, let me take you on an adventure around the world. Bon voyage !
London and the Royal Academy of Arts
Two days before sending out my last newsletter, I received the wonderful news that my artwork titled ‘NOT AGAIN’ was selected from over 18,000 entries worldwide for the famous Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition. It was a massive honour and monumental moment in my art practice to have my first major institutional hang in the longest running open exhibition in the world. Within the email from the Royal Academy (RA) was an invitation to attend the celebratory Varnishing Day reception for artists and it was in just 10 days. My answer? Like Jane Bennet said in the Jane Austin classic, Pride and Prejudice, “Yes. A thousand times yes!”
Ok, so I didn’t actually say that, just some British-referenced humour, but it was a no brainer for me. I said yes in a heartbeat. The really funny thing was that the Academy asked us to share our reaction to the news with them and well…my reaction went worldwide. I had not anticipated that! Check out this happy snap. I could be embarrassed that my late night bed time pic went viral but I'm not. I was overjoyed by the news and it was a delight to be representing a reaction to the news from the other side of the world. I was recognised quite a bit though by the staff, fellow exhibitors and members of the public but minus the towel on my head, I had a few people guessing why I looked so familiar.
What is Varnishing Day you maybe asking? It is a special day for the selected artists that is steeped in tradition. It goes back to 1769, to the very first Summer Exhibition where the selected artists were invited to come back to the gallery to have time to varnish their works before the exhibition opened to the public. It also included a church service with celebrations afterwards. Although artists no longer varnish their works, it is a day of networking, social engagements, press, nibbles, traditions and celebration. Most importantly, it is an opportunity to see the exhibition and our works hanging on the great walls of the RA for the very first time before the doors open to the public.
Now managing invisible disabilities does make quick turnaround events on the other side of the world feel out of reach but here is an excerpt from my journal that I wrote from the Sydney International Airport on my way to London that sums up why I felt I had to go:
05.06.2025
…“Life is just too short so although health has presented some challenges, I want to make sure too that I can look back without any regrets. So I am off to balance the life scales AND celebrate AND have fun.”
I landed at 630am on the Friday morning to give my body a couple of days to get treatment and recover from the flight before the big event on Monday and even though it was technically summer in the UK, it was freezing cold. Freezing! Not the type of a summer an Aussie is used to at all. Beware fellow Aussies and pack your winter woolies. I was set though with my big outdoor oodie, beanie and gloves and it was a good thing too as I couldn’t check-in until 3pm. So how did I pass the time? I went straight to the RA.
That moment of walking into the foyer and seeing the grand entrance for the Summer Exhibition knowing I was behind those doors is something I will always remember. I had only learnt about the RA Summer Exhibition in December and thought it would be a dream to one day see my artwork there. I know dreams can come true but I honestly wasn’t expecting it at lighting speed. It’s safe to say I was experiencing jet lag and a bit of shock that morning stepping into my dream.
Before we get into Varnishing Day, here are some pics from the first couple of days of travel and exploring London. If you would like to learn more about a particular pic, just give it a click.
Varnishing Day
I can safely say that coming from the other side of the world, I didn’t realise just how big the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition was and the enormity of being invited to a Varnishing Day. It’s the biggest art event in the UK and Varnishing Day had all the traditions and delights that easily make it one of life’s highlights for any of the lucky artists invited.
The big event started at 11am meeting at the Burlington House courtyard to the cheerful and summery sound of steel pan drums playing. No plus ones were allowed to attend so it was a lovely opportunity for artists to reconnect with artist friends and people like me to meet other artists for the first time. In an awkward attempt to get a selfie of the Academy behind me with the sun in my eyes, I met my first UK RA art buddy with her kind offer to take a happy snap for me. Her name is Fiona Swapp and she was a first time entrant and exhibitor too! It would also turn out that we would share another thing in common that day.
‘Seek Him that Maketh the Seven Stars’ by Jonathan Dove (b. 1959). Commissioned by the Royal Academy for the annual Varnishing Day service. First performed at the opening of the Summer Exhibition, St James’s, Piccadilly, May 1995.
At 11:15am it was time for the traditions of Varnishing Day to kick off. It started with a procession to St James’s Church, also known as shutting down Piccadilly, for the ‘Service for Artists’. It was quite a sight to see the traffic come to a holt by police and RA staff in high-vis vests as the mass of artists were escorted down the road to the 17th-century church. I had lost sight of Fiona in the bustling crowd but ended up meeting my next UK RA art buddy who was also a a first time entrant and exhibitor - Paul Steer.
The ‘Service for Artists’ is something I have never experienced before. It was a service to celebrate artists as truth-tellers and peacemakers and the incredible value we bring to society. In a time when we have become more deeply divided, we were encouraged as artists to do our best in healing hatred towards one another and instead open channels for conversing towards peace.
This aligned with this year’s Summer Exhibition theme of ‘dialogues’ coordinated by Farshid Moussavi RA. The service was guided by Reverend Dr Ayla Lepinea and the speeches were all by female artists in senior positions too, even the first female president in the entire Royal Academy’s 257 history - Rebecca Salter PRA. This in itself was very inspiring.
The service went for an hour and then it was time to make our way back for the big event - the opening of the 2025 Summer Exhibition. This would be the first time the doors to the Summer Exhibition would open and following long-standing traditions, this privilege is given to the exhibiting artists.
Once we arrived, we were greeted by flutes of champagne and escorted up the grand staircase to the large glass doors and in we went. Besides the chance to see my artwork and where it was hanging for the first time, this part of Varnishing Day is reserved for celebrating, networking, press and nibbles. The only problem…there were 1,729 artworks to see spread across 12 rooms with less than 90 minutes till Varnishing Day was over. It was a bit of a mad rush to find my artwork and take it all in but before I knew it, it was over in a flash.
Take a look around the room my artwork is hanging up in - it’s an explosion of colour!
One of the highlights of Varnishing Day was meeting such wonderful people and artists. Everyone was just so kind and supportive of one another. It was a really wonderful atmosphere. On my way back to the RA, I met UK artist Faith Chevannes and chatted about her artwork called ‘De-extinction. The Tassie Tiger’, then caught up with Fiona again and found out we were in the same room with her oil study of a pear, met UK artist Frederick Jones and chatted about his cheeky artwork titled, ‘Blind Date’, got to see fellow Australian artist Gai Saunders’ artwork titled, ‘I LEFT MY DREAM ON MY PILLOW’ and sent a pic back home to her, caught up with Paul again and found his work hanging next to idol Dame Tracey Emin RA (wow!) and then got a pic of my beloved Newbie Club - Paul, Fiona and I - first time entrants and exhibitors. Whooohooo!
I then got to meet some of my amazing wall buddies. Ironically, these three ladies had something in common….their subjects. UK artist Lindsey Moran had a very detailed photopolymer print of a reflection in a tea pot called ‘Park Life’, UK artist Fi Starr had an acrylic painting of a kettle and UK artist Biff Bannister, whose artwork was directly underneath mine, was of a coffee plunger titled, ‘Caffeine’ as a tribute to her brother and sharing a cuppa together. I would have loved more time together but alas, the event was wrapping up so we managed to get a quick picture together to mark the special occasion of meeting for the first time as wall buddies.
Lindsey is a seasoned exhibitor of the Summer Exhibition and was so kind to answer my newbie questions and take me under her wing. The first question I had for her was why each room had a Royal Academicians’ name? She explained that out of the selected works, each of the Royal Academicians then selects which artworks they would like to hang in their room and Vanessa Jackson RA had selected ours.
Lindsey then set up a chance encounter to meet with and chat to Royal Academy royalty by introducing me to Vanessa Jackson RA. During our brief chat, I got to ask her why she had selected my artwork and what she thought about its symbolism. Here is a happy snap of that very memorable moment looking up at my work, all made possible by Lindsey.
Vanessa’s room was an explosion of colour! Much like her own style, she had shared she wanted her space to reflect bright pieces and domestic settings. Her carefully curated selection was deeply admired and hence featured quite a lot in media and footage tied to the RA Summer Exhibition. I guess nothing says summer more than bright fun colours.
We also got to chat about the selection process and what it was like to judge over 18,000 pieces of work. She spoke of the gruelling long days and how the fate of an artwork was decided every 3 seconds! The phrase, ‘First impressions count’ couldn’t be more true in this instance. It felt so humbling to know that out of all of those entries, my little artwork with a lot to say was able to move the panel within that time and be selected.
Just like that, time was up and we were being escorted out of the exhibition and out of the Royal Academy. Varnishing Day for 2025 had come to a close. A truly memorable life experience and one I will always be grateful for having. A very big thank you to Creative Australia who provided me with the funding to make this special trip to the UK for Varnishing Day even possible and to represent Australia in the biggest art event in the UK. Thank you.
Academicians Room and Somerset House
It’s such a shame that I cannot share pics of inside the Academicians Room - the chairs! If you have followed my work for some time, the chair motif is a beloved one that organically made its way into my art practice and the chairs inside had so much character. I did do a couple of sketches though that I am happy to share with you that you can find below.
“At the heart of the Royal Academy are the Academicians – a group of world-leading artists and architects who are responsible for our overall direction and governance. As stipulated in our founding documents, there are a maximum of 100 Academicians at any one time, and vacancies for new members only arise when an existing RA reaches the age of 75 and becomes a Senior Academician or on the death of an RA.” Source. The Academicians Room is exclusively for their private use but by being an exhibitor in the Summer Exhibition, I was invited into this sacred space. It was like a private oasis in another country with splashes of bright exotic colours in the upholstery, large ferns, French oak parquetry floor with dark timber lined walls, chairs of different shapes and from different eras, crystal jars filled with delicious treats to enjoy with a cuppa, Royal Academicians’ artwork hanging on the walls and so much soft, beautiful natural light. With time slowing, it felt like I had been transported to a different time and place.
After I treated myself to a lunch from their summer menu and washed it down with some bubbles, I then set out to do the next part of my Royal Academy adventure - a history tour to Somerset House. Once again, if you would like to learn more about a particular pic, just give it a click.
The North Wing of Somerset House was the second home to the Royal Academy between 1779 to 1837 with it hosting the first Summer Exhibition in 1780. Words simply cannot describe just how beautiful it is - the plaster moulding and paintings on the ceilings alone are works of art. Now home to the Courtauld Institute of Art, it has one of the greatest art collections in the United Kingdom that is open to the public for viewing. It is also home to the Great Room - the first purpose-built exhibition space in the United Kingdom and the first top-lit public gallery in Europe. At one point, the ceiling was painted to mimic the sky. On a grey cold London day, you can only imagine what it must have been like to be in inside this exhibition space.
The Great Room - Somerset House
Known then as the Exhibition Room and now the Great Room, the first Summer Exhibition had over 200 artists and attracted more than 60,000 people. It was the place to be seen! Upon entering the Great Room is the original Greek text above the door that translates to ‘Let no stranger to the muses enter.’ Another words, entry was for people who appreciated art…or let’s be honest, those who wanted to be seen to back then for the sake of their reputation in high society.
The Summer Exhibitions inside the Great Room had a famous feature called ‘‘the Line’ as a way to distinguish the artworks. It marked the door-frame height and went around the entire room. It is said artists competed fiercely to be displayed ‘on the Line’ and there are even some famous Varnishing Day fights documented between artists William Turner and John Constable...one even involving a gun! I have taken a little video for you from inside the Great Room so that you can see the space for yourself. If you would like to get a glimpse of what it would have looked like back then to attend a Summer Exhibition at Somerset House and see the works displayed “on the line”, click here.
If you are a Turner fan and interested in retracing my steps from the Royal Academy to Somerset House, may I also recommend stopping at the birthplace of Turner. Although the original house is gone, you can still get a feel for the area and retrace his steps to the River Thames where he had painted some of his most famous works. Head to The Porterhouse pub in Convent Garden where you will see the plaque.
If you are interested in getting to know more about the Royal Academy of Arts and their time at the Somerset House like I did, I would recommend at least half a day, if not more, to see all the levels and rooms. There is so much history to take in and the Courtauld collection of works spanning from the Middle Ages to the 20th century is a must see for art lovers - of course boasting exquisite pieces from Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, Renoir, Seurat and more! For me, this excursion to get to know the Royal Academy of Arts more was really special and it left me with such awe and gratitude to now be part of its long history.
Opening Day and last bits of London
One of the things I wanted to do on this trip to London for the Summer Exhibition was to also attend the public opening. Held a week after Varnishing Day, the doors to the biggest annual art event in the UK swing open to the public for the 257th time. I went in the early afternoon to have some recovery time from my transit day the day before and to hopefully go at a quieter time. By this time, London had become a bit of a furnace with summer well and truely arriving - a bit of a contrast from when I first arrived in big coats and beanies. Needing to cool down after a sticky train ride there, I popped in to try another perk of being an exhibitor - the members’ Shenkman Bar. What was I to order? A Pimm’s of course!
Here are some pictures below of opening and my last days in London. To learn more of my travels, just click the pictures to get a little bit more information. Ok, that wraps up London!
Scotland and the Isle of Skye
For the week I had in-between Varnishing Day and the Opening of the Summer Exhibition, I took myself to Scotland. With rugged landscapes that have inspired many artists and photographers to make the journey, this one was also personal. With family heritage in Scotland, I have always wanted to go and be in the land of my fellow red-nose-and-cheeks. I have to say, I was expecting to feel in a similar way I had when my feet touched French soil for the first time - like I was returning home, only it was to a home I had never been before. Expecting to feel my Scottish DNA rejoice in finally being back in their homeland, I was caught off-guard by every fibre of my being telling me to get the hell out of there. Was this the reason my ancestor had fled?
Of course when something illogical like this happens, I tend to push it down or dismiss it but this was a feeling I couldn’t shake. I checked into my accommodation on Rose Street and booked a walking tour thinking I just needed to get my bearings and learn some more about Edinburgh in order to settle down. Now you might laugh at the tour I had chosen to do after I had just shared with you about feeling uneasy, but I have always been one to go straight to the source. I signed up for the ‘Dark History’ tour with the All Stars Guides. Let’s just say that after doing that tour, the reason I felt so uneasy was completely justified! For this tour, it’s better to have dinner afterwards as it is a very gruesome history lesson along the Royal Mile.
Edinburgh Castle - Scotland
I do need to stress that Edinburgh was completely fine, safe and that my feelings of uneasiness came from an unidentified source. The Scottish folk call it the heebie-jeebies or the willies and were not at all surprised with what I was experiencing saying that the town was haunted. And yes, there are many ghosts tours to partake in if that is your thing but for me, I was having trouble deciding if I should stay or go with the hair on the back of my neck unable to come down.
The next day I signed myself up for the obligatory Endinburgh Castle walking tour. As we were walking up the hill to a clearing in front of the castle, out of nowhere, I had this uncontrollable urge to cry. It surprised me to say the least. What in the hell?! I remember that as we continued up the street, I had to use all my energy not to give in to the urge and look like someone that had lost their marbles. It wasn’t until I got back to my room later that day that I found out I had walked over the site where thousands upon thousands of women were burnt alive at the stake for suspicion of a being a witch…which was determined in those days if you were left handed, had an interest in herbs or if someone didn’t like you and framed you. Men were also burnt alive for trying to protect their Mums, sisters or wives. Heebie-jeebies!!
Searching for a connection to Scotland, whilst in Edinburgh Castle I had enquired about my heritage. The lady typed in the name and the first thing she said to me was, “You’re French”. I just had to laugh. Apparently my Scottish heritage is more French than Scottish and it explains my story and my lifelong pull and connection to the country. Obviously there is more to explore the next time I go to France to retrace the steps of my ancestors.
Affected by the memories held in the city, I was given a tip by my guide to rub the toe of the philosopher David Hume’s bronze statue at the start of the Royal Mile for good luck. The irony here is that the people of Edinburgh are very superstitious but Hume rejected all forms of religion and superstitions. His statue is also opposite the site of the last public hanging in Edinburgh but try not to focus on that. Either way, when I touched Hume’s toe, I felt a bolt of electricity run through me like I had earthed myself and then there was nothing. The hairs on the back of my neck finally settled and I felt like myself again - free of the heebee-jeebies at last. If you’re a sensitive-soul like me and find yourself tangled in the history of the city, make your way to Hume’s toe and give it a good old rub!
Before I leave Edinburgh, I do want to share some art and what I loved most about their galleries. The first thing I noticed was the iconic dramatic landscapes followed by the amount of portraits with red heads - both uniquely Scottish! I visited the National Gallery of Scotland and the Portrait Gallery. Before I dive into the art, I will first share some pics of my time in Scotland. If you would like to know more, just click on the pic.
Mathematician ‘Mary Somerville’ by Thomas Phillips
They say that galleries can reflect the values and culture of a city and what I had learned from the Scottish galleries was profound. My favourite gallery was the National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh. Here is an excerpt from my journal:
16.06.25
“I loved how the portraits reflected a love for academics instead of actors and musicians. It was better balanced with more female portraits and female artists. I loved that. I wish I had longer but I had to go. Huge congrats to them.”
I was so inspired by the works and the sitters. To see so many powerful female figures that challenged authority for equality that we benefit from today was also truly inspiring. Growing up knowing women’s voices have been suppressed for so long and hardly seeing any female representation in galleries or in public statues, it was game changer being in a gallery that provided equal weight and value stretching back much further than what I thought possible.
Given Edinburgh’s history for medical advances, there were a number of portraits in the field of medicine. In particular, with their interests in death, there were portraits and paintings that reflected that mood also. One in particular was of forensic anthropologist Professor Dame Sue Black - Baroness Black of Strome standing over a covered dead body. The painting is called ‘Unknown Man’ by Ken Currie. This was a first for me seeing a forensic anthropologist holding space in a gallery.
There was also a large focus on poets, philosophers, Noble Prize winners, royalty of course and a lot of academics. Actors and musicians did feature but no way near as much as they were not the main attraction. I felt the Scottish Portrait Gallery was not about celebrating fame in its sitters but instead highlighting those that made an academic contribution.
This painting titled, ‘Mary Somerville’, 1834 by Thomas Phillips was also another that stood out to me. Mary was forbidden from studying mathematics so she studied secretly at night. She ended up gaining national and international acclaim for her contributions to astronomy, science and geography. Her publications include, ‘The Mechanism of the Heavens’ (1831) and ‘On the Connection of the Physical Sciences’ (1834). She was also the first to sign the petition to Parliament in 1869 demanding female suffrage (right to vote). As a previous mathematician myself and advocate for women’s rights, being introduced to Mary and learning of her story in the portrait gallery was very memorable.
The other painting that I have to mention is ‘Self-Portrait’, 1919 by Mary S. Hunter. This painting still lingers on my mind because for something that was painted in 1919, it feels so modern…or did Mary succeed in achieving that timeless quality in her work. It’s stunning! If you head to Edinburgh, be sure to check out the National and Portrait Gallery. Not only are there stunning works of art but it is the quickest way to get to know Scotland, their culture and what they value most as a society. Trust me, it speaks volumes and will leave you inspired.
Isle of Skye
Following the artist trail of exploring the Scottish Highlands, I now understand why this area of the world is a must for any type of traveller. Let me say straight up front that the photos do not do it justice - my eyeballs are still processing what they saw! Beauty beyond words that makes you think you must be looking at a green screen. What led me here was quite peculiar but I’m forever grateful to those incessant nudges as the landscape now lives within me. I shall explain what I mean later but for now, let me introduce you to the Isle of Skye.
You might be wondering…did the heebie-jeebies follow me up north? No siree. It was a very different experience and art was flowing out of me. I can’t say the same for my tour guide though as he was unable to walk on particular Bronze Age grave sites and Jacobite battle grounds as he got them pretty bad. At one Jacobite battle ground, he showed me the hair on his arms as it was standing up. After what I went through in Edinburgh, I get it. The past feels very much alive in Scotland. For me, the landscape had the artist within sketching away and documenting textures and colours. Here is another excerpt from my journal on my first day on the tour up north:
13.06.25
“ What I am noticing most in the landscape is the purple in the Scottish hills. The chimney tops are also a pale yellow.”
So circling back to why I was here. Of course, it’s somewhat of an obligatory journey as a landscape artist to come but I also had another reason. Last year I began to have vivid dreams of me standing in the Scottish bogs, vision of perfect health (fairly common when you’re so unwell to dream of it being resolved) in black pants and a green jacket having my photo taken. This dream ran on repeat for some time. Each time I would try and get a bit more information about when and where. It was bizarre for me as it came out of nowhere and at the time I was preparing to return to France for my residency. Why was I dreaming about Scotland?
The dream had me thinking I might be there for my upcoming 40th birthday but then the wonderful news came that I was accepted into the Studio Escalier art school in Paris and would be there instead. At that point, my screen saver was of the Louvre so when I arrived in Paris for art school and walked into my screen saver on my way to a Louvre lecture, chills followed. I had literally walked into an image I had seen multiple times a day, every day, for over 12 months. When I had returned back home, the Scottish dream was still on replay so I Googled Scotland and waited for that inner ding, flicking through images and then it happened. I didn’t know where it was, only that the inner ding told me that I was getting close and it became my new screen saver.
Photo by Sandy Watson
Two months later, the Royal Academy gave me the wonderful news that I would be exhibiting in the 2025 Summer Exhibition and invited me over for Varnishing Day. A day or two passed and I got a surprise call that I would be receiving additional grant funding that would make the trip over and a wee trip to Scotland possible. Was I a vision of perfect health that I had seen in my dreams? Absolutely not. If anything, my invisible disability was becoming more visible. With many reasons to not go for my health’s sake, I knew I had to anyway. The next breadcrumb was waiting for me.
Whilst I was on this tour, there was a lovely lady by the name of Sandy who at times was my personal travel photographer. She wanted me to be in the pics that I was taking around Scotland so she took it upon herself to snap pics of me as we went. It wasn’t until I had got home and looked through my photos that I saw that returning nagging dream fulfilled - me standing in the Scottish bogs with black pants and a green jacket having my photo taken. Thank you Sandy!
On that same day, I then stepped into my screen saver for the second time this year at Quiraing. I sat there on the hill and felt so open and free. I got here but why here? What was that inner ding trying to tell me? As I sat there, the next breadcrumb revealed itself.
14.06.25
…"Besides being excited to arrive where I was being pulled to come to, I saw something in the landscape that was unlocked for me…that mountain in the distance was a runway! A launch pad. And I answered the call - “I’m ready!” ”
My runway
Can you see it?
Can you see yourself running up and taking flight too?
I can confess that being unwell for so long has meant managing my chronic pain has become my full-time job and the idea of taking a risk seems out of the question. How could I launch into the unknown when life was already filled with medical appointments, rehab, endless to-do lists and I’m struggling to live day-to-day? Sitting there though and reflecting on the last 6 months, even the last week, of how so many wonderful things happened by just answering that inner ding to apply for an art residency on the other side of the world against all logic had opened so many doors. I understood then why I was brought here. There will always be reasons to not do something but this place, this landscape, this real “screen saver” of mine reminded me that if I was brave enough to get on that runway and launch myself that I would take flight. “Are you ready?” it asked me? “I’m ready!”
Queensland and The Doyles Art Award
A week after getting back from my UK trip, it was then up to sunny Queensland for the Doyles Award and to drop off my artwork. I was lucky to be a first time entrant and finalist for the Still Life category with my artwork titled, ‘Making the Invisible Visible’ - an invisible disability advocacy painting. On my long drive up, I stopped at an Aussie icon, the Big Banana and then got to see fellow Canberran artists at the Tweed Regional Gallery. Multidisciplinary artist Sammy Hawker had an exhibition called ‘Worlds Around Us’ that shared another way of seeing humpback whales and oil painter Fiona Cotton was doing a residency. I hadn’t planned it but the day I arrived, the gallery was also having a Plein Air festival so of course I had to join in. If you go to the gallery, the Margaret Olly home studio exhibition is a must see as they have recreated her home inside the gallery and everywhere you look is like a painting.
Plein Air Festival - Tweed Regional Gallery
On my 1,200km journey north, I just had one stop to go and that was to drop off my artwork. As much as a love oil pastels, they can be a pain in the butt. It can be a love-hate relationship at times. This medium requires your full attention when packing for transit, in transit and unpacking. Most people don’t know that oil pastels never really set. Even with loads of varnishing sprays, you can still scratch into it. To make sure she arrived ok, I had to first wrap her in a special glassine paper, then loads of bubble wrap, then into a special travel bag, and then placed her delicately into her own safe spot in the car to protect her from knocks or falls. After 3 days of travel and the occasional bumpy road, I was so relieved to have done my part to get her there safe and sound.
With a few days before the big opening, I travelled further north to catch up with family and check out some galleries too. A real gem I came across was BRAG (Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery) and it just so happened that fellow Chateau d’Orquevaux resident Sasha Parlett was soon to be exhibiting there with her touring group exhibition, ‘Carbon Dating’. This wasn’t the only Chateau connection in Queensland! On my way back down for the Doyles Opening, I stopped in to see Nikita Fitzpatrick who was getting ready for her first solo exhibition at The Old Ambulance Station. What a hoot to reconnect with these amazing indigenous artists, but this time in Australia.
Before I share my stories from the Doyles, here are some pics of my time around Queensland. Just click on a pic if you would like to know more.
The Doyles Art Award
‘The Doyles’ is a not for profit fine art award in honour of famous Australian landscape painter, d’Arcy William Doyle. Predominantly a landscape prize, the award also has Still Life, Figurative, All Ability and Junior categories. My gosh you should have seen the juniors! I had learned about this art award after attending the inaugural Capital Plein Air Festival in Canberra where we were encouraged to enter our landscape works into the prize. Check out some of the pics from the event below.
Opening night red carpet
The Opening of the Doyles was a lot of fun with its own little red carpet and delicious locally made nibbles. Loads of people were there and it was lovely to meet a whole bunch of new artists, other volunteers and staff. The other lovely surprise was catching up with fellow Canberran artist Fiona Cotton again who I had seen at the Tweed Regional Gallery whilst she was doing her residency. She had two of her artworks in the Still Life category and was super sweet to introduce me to the judges that were able to make the Opening. The judges this year were Susi Muddiman OAM, Amber Creswell Bell and Jessica Le Clerc. If you would like to learn more about these powerhouse women and their valued contribution to the arts, click here.
Although I was unsuccessful in getting a Canberran landscape into the prize, I was successful in the Still Life category with an invisible disability advocacy artwork. For me personally, it meant even more to be selected as a finalist in this category after learning d’Arcy Doyle had an invisible terminal condition himself of bone cancer that he and his wife, Jennefer managed for many years before his death in 2001. If you would like to learn more about my artwork and its symbolism, I have a little video on instagram that you can watch here.
To make sure I could get my artwork home safely after the exhibition, I decided to stay for the duration of the Doyles and be a volunteer. It was a lot of fun! It was also very rewarding to be working on the advocacy front through both my artwork and chatting with visitors. To make sure I didn’t use too many spoons during the exhibition, I was lucky and found a lovely family to stay with close by in the suburb of Bonogin that was surrounded by bushland and had a remedial massage therapist that came to the house - life saver!
If you are an artist or art lover and come for the Doyles next year, be sure to stay for a few days and do the Mudgeeraba Food and Art Trail whilst in town. It’s a self-guided tour around Mudgeeraba and the surrounds that you can take at your own pace. I also did a day trip to Mount Tambourine to do the famous Gallery Walk and check out the rare glow worms. There are loads of bush walks too but if you are strapped for time and can only do one, head to the Springbrook National Park to see the three remaining Antarctic Beech Trees that link back to Gondwana! On the same track, you will also get to see the ‘Best of All Lookout’. Of course, if this coincides with a winter escape, be sure to make your way to the countless Sunshine Coast beaches for a healthy dose of Vitamin Sea.
That wraps up my time in Queensland. On to the next exciting art destination!
Newcastle and the Lighthouse Arts Residency
One of the ways I help with minimising my travel expenses is to house sit. My trip to Newcastle, or as the locals call it, Newy, started with a little house sit looking after an adorable doggy by the name of Benson. I was in Newcastle for my annual pilgrimage to the Lighthouse Arts Residency and to also attend Amber Creswell Bell’s Emerging Artist Masterclass at the Newcastle Art Space. So between cute play and cuddles with Benson, I was a sponge for knowledge. If you are an artist and can get along to one of Amber’s masterclasses, I would highly recommend it and if you can’t, never fear as she offers 1-on-1 sessions. For further information, click here.
If you have been reading along, you may have seen Amber’s name pop up before. That’s right! She was a judge at the Doyles. What a small world it is but I was also very lucky that it all lined up too. I learnt a lot in the masterclass and was frantically filling up pages of my journal - like I said, I was a sponge. There were a lot of things that stuck out to me but one that I think is relevant no matter what you do in life is her 4 pillar recipe for success: hard work, self-belief, network and support from others.
With the weekend coming to close and Benson’s parents home, it was time to get ready for my annual residency at Lighthouse Arts. Before I do though, here are some pics of Newy.
Lighthouse Arts Residency
For my residency, I was very lucky to be staying with fellow resident and friend Kim Barnes. Kim is an author and illustrator and I first met her during my first ever residency at the Lighthouse Arts. Since then it has been a wonderful annual ritual of art and friendship to reconnect in person with her and the other fabulous artists that I have met at the lighthouse.
For those that are new to the arts, you might be wondering what an arts residency is. To put it simply, it is a dedicated period of time to work on a project. It can be in a different geographical location or somewhere close by. It can be funded or self-funded. It can be working with others, on your own projects or a combination of both. There are lots of different ways to have an art residency but the most important thing is that it brings value to an art’s practice. Here are some pics from my recent art residency at Nobby’s Lighthouse in Newy.
I usually do this residency in the summer to start the new year anew and refreshed with a clear vision for the art year ahead but this year, I had to switch things up. I was in Paris for my Studio Escalier art school program this year so for the first time, I did a winter residency with the Lighthouse. What I wasn’t expecting was how soft the light was and the completely different colour palette. The winter mornings and afternoons were so pink. So pink! Apparently it’s a winter phenomenon in Newcastle with the lower angle of the sun. It was stunning. It was also whale migration season so as I looked out the window from the lighthouse cottage, I would see the spouts of water or the occasional flipper splash. Incredibly special!
Last time I was here I did an oil pastel body of work called ‘Coastal Series’. It followed the view from my window each day as we were rotated around the cottages. I had planned to do another series at this residency but sometimes, residencies have their own plans for you. The travel and busy period was starting to catch up with me and instead of producing more work, I ended up going into reconcile mode. An art business is not just about making art. There is a whole crazy amount of admin and other non-art related work that goes into it. With all the travel, I was falling behind so the gift that the residency gave me was the space and time to get back on top of things.
The reason the Lighthouse Arts Residency is a ritual of mine is because it has taught me about finding balance. Balance in health, lifestyle and art. I may lose my way through the year and burn the candles at both ends but coming back is like a reset button. I start my day with a swim or yoga, the studios are open between 10am to 4pm, I then have time to go for a swim or a walk or my other ritual of trying a new scoop of ice cream from the East End Ice Creamery and watching the waves before it gets dark, and then back to my accommodation for a relaxing night before doing it all again for a week. So for this residency, it reminded me that I was out of balance and as much as I wanted to do a new body of work, I had to unburden myself first from all the paperwork that was building. It may not have been what I had planned but it was exactly what I needed. It wasn’t all work and no play though. You might recall from my last blog that I was doing the Craft and Design Daily Creative Challenge. So before I would get into the paperwork and emails, I would do some writing and have some play time with my daily creative challenge. Here is a video of the challenge completed if you would like to see - click here.
If you are an artist and on the hunt for your next residency, do yourself a favour and check out the Lighthouse Arts Residency - you will have a whale of a time! And if you are a tourist and in Newy for the weekend, definitely go and check out the gallery, shop and that view! One of the best in the city.
Tasmania and the gentle giants
The final destination of this whirlwind tour is Tasmania. Being a bit behind in my newsletter release this season has meant I can share a little of what I am currently working on. Not too much though - just a little taste before the summer blog is released in the coming months. Like the Lighthouse, this is my third residency in Tassie and it is so very nourishing to my practice and to me personally for a whole suite of reasons. The colour palette completely changes to dark greens, blacks and splashes of lime and my art practice shifts into photography and writing. It is also a sacred healing time with the Tassie moss and the gentle giants - also known as massive trees! I can’t thank my dear friends Michael and Penelope enough for this opportunity to stay in their property whilst in Tasmania. They have been my art supporters from the very beginning, even modelling for me for my very first exhibition pieces! Just like Amber said, the 4th pillar of success is support from others and because of their continued help and support, I have really seen my art practice blossom. Thank you Michael and Penelope!
Here are some snapshots of what I have been working on during this Tassie residency. In my upcoming summer newsletter, I will be sharing more of my work, stories and my photography. Stay tuned!
The Gentle Giants
A continued body of work that I return to each time I am here is documenting the gentle giants. These old growth forests with trees that are sometimes thousands of years old are under threat from climate change and deforestation. Each time I return to Tasmania, I spend time in the Mount Field National Park and The Styx. On this particular trip, as I was driving down to Tasmania, I had learnt that a part of the Styx old growth forest was under threat of being logged and cleared. As soon as I arrived, I attended the Bob Brown Foundation community day to learn more of how I could help. I returned a week later with food for the forest defenders and then unexpectedly found myself stuck having to stay overnight in the bush. I will share more of what happened and my work on this project in the next newsletter but for now, if you would like to help, head to the Bob Brown Foundation to learn more, make a tax-deductible donation, or even sign up to be trained to protect the forests from the frontline.
Whilst I was out there, I met a forest defender who shared with me the impact that just one person can make. From their time on the frontline, they shared this brutal reality with me:
“The fate of a forest, whether it is completely destroyed or lives for just one more day, can be determined by just one person.”
How powerful is that?! One person can determine if a whole area of precious old growth forest, that is home to so many endangered species, will live or die. You could interpret this as the decision maker but what they have witnessed on the frontline is that just one person from the general public has the power to make the world of difference. That one person, standing in peaceful protest on that one day can delay logging which gives more time to researches to survey the area and document the homes of endangered species, which ultimately changes an area from being logged to being protected. One person. Until native old growth forest logging ends in Australia, we need more people to be that one person to stand up for our gentle giants who are unable to speak and defend themselves.
From my time in the Styx, I hope to do an exhibition sharing what I have seen and witnessed and ultimately help by planting more seeds for positive change. Here are a couple of pictures from my recent body of work in the Styx from this residency. More on this in the next newsletter.
The art of connecting.
Final thoughts -
It’s time to prepare for landing so ensure your seat and tray tables are in their upright position. Cue that Qantas landing music! I hope you have enjoyed your adventure around the world with me. It sure has been a bumper issue this time filled with loads of travel and art.
What you may have noticed in my writing is that I share moments of connection: to other artists I meet, to those that offered me kindness and support, people and businesses that slowed down to connect with me and artworks that have changed me. Connection is a theme that is emerging from my time in Tasmania but I feel it has surfaced because it has become easier to disconnect. So as the sun begins to warm up your days, I invite you to find those moments in time to truly connect in ways that feel important to you and with those around you.
If you have enjoyed my artwork, photography, stories and travel tips and would like to see more, I invite you to make a donation below to support my art practice. Any donation will go towards preparing the next studio journal and my upcoming first solo exhibition.
That concludes my second studio journal, ‘Le Printemps’ and I really hope you enjoyed yourself and got to learn a bit more about me and my art practice. I will be back in December with the summer edition but until then, please take care and bee kind - especially to yourself.
Melissa x
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L’hiver
Quelle vue ! (What a view!)
The view from my studio window at Chateau d’Orquevaux
Quelle vue (What a view) !
Even now I cannot believe this was the view from my studio window at Chateau d’Orquevaux in France. Turns out I suffered from extreme beauty! Can you believe it? And yes it’s a real thing. With so much beauty around, the French are accustomed to its symptoms but for this visiting Australian, I didn’t even know this was a real thing.
How did I get my diagnosis? From a young Parisian lady visiting the chateau one weekend. She had asked me how I was finding my residency and as we got a chatting in Franglish (a blend of French and English), I explained that it was just so beautiful here that my body was rejecting what my eyes were seeing. As I explained my symptoms of how my brain was telling me it was all fake - it had to be a blue screen, dizziness, unable to concentrate…sounding absolutely crazy, the smile on this lady’s face got bigger and bigger. Yep, she has to be thinking I’m crazy too but she said, “Oui ! C’est le syndrome de Stendhal”….QUOI !
Turns out I was surrounded by so much beauty that I experienced Stendal Syndrome or as it’s also know, the Florence Syndrome, named after 19th-century French author from his time in Florence, Italy. As unsettling as the symptoms were, it is a thing of beauty to be around so much beauty that your brain simply cannot handle it. I would hate to say, “I wish you to experience this for yourself one day”, given how you might faint and all, but it’s simply overwhelming - in all the wonderful ways.
Watching the snow fall at Chateau d’Orquevaux.
On the topic of beautiful and bizarre, let me introduce you to a French winter expression to say it is freezing cold. You may hear it on your travels in the future or you may just like to give it a go and use it this winter if you are feeling a little French.
“Il fait un froid de canard”
[eel fay un fwar der can-are]
which literally translates to “it makes a cold of duck” or more simply, “it is duck cold”. Steeped in tradition, this comes from a very old hunting expression but today, it’s just a cute and classic French idiom. Maybe in the next newsletter, I should share a little clip of me saying a French expression but to be honest, I had a French teacher tell me I had horses hair on my tongue (another classic French idiom) so it maybe best that I leave it to the native speakers and the college of YouTube!
The Icy Veils - Lutruwita/Tasmania - Digital photography
It’s quite natural that as winter comes around, hibernation habits are quick to set in but as a professional artist, I have seen my art practice shift between the seasons too. My autumn chia tea in the studio becomes a winter decadent hot chocolate, it takes me longer to start in the morning and I become a bit of a night owl but most importantly, I start to write a lot more and do less visual art.
Last winter, I wrote and worked on my Advocacy Gallery and it was a big project that was also quite raw as I relived the visceral sensations of intense nerve pain that travelled through my body at the different stages of my rehabilitation journey. If you haven’t had a chance to see it yet, I would encourage you to check it out but go gently.
I am most proud of my work on the ‘Faces of Chronic Pain’ as it not only captures the complexity of chronic pain but I also plan to use these images and words in a book soon to help people understand and for those that are in it, feel seen.
The writing project I am drawn to this winter is exploring grief. Prompted by an upcoming writing competition on the subject, the parts of my identity that have been hurt and lost after a car accident that changed my life now crave to be heard through my pen.
It will be a piece that talks about grieving the loss of your old life and how it has become almost taboo in a way to make space for a human and an uncomfortably healing natural process. Too quick we are to put a positive spin on life’s hardships or losing a part of ourselves and what I found out the hard way with my pain treatment and journey is what I thought was resilience and moving on was just me storing all that trauma up to be dealt with on another day. Already this project is pouring out so I can’t wait to cocoon, write and see what comes.
For me, autumn is a season of letting go and winter is a time to reflect. This winter, there is particularly a lot to reflect on - not just because a lot has happened but I’ve also had two winters in a row. I have lived the life spectrum to its fullest! There have been extreme highs and lows and what I am finding as I am getting older is accepting that the best and worst things in life can happen at the exact same time…even the same day…even before getting a morning cuppa. So here are some pictures as I reflect on winter number one - the good and the challenging.
My Winter Projects
The next three months for me can be summed up in two words: art and travel.
In a couple of days, I will flying to London to participate in the artists events with the other lucky artists that were selected for the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition.
It kicks off with ‘Varnishing Day’ where the selected artists and only them (no plus 1 allowed sorry) are invited to view the exhibition before it opens to the public. It’s a day of networking, social engagements, press, nibbles, traditions and celebration. It is called Varnishing Day because back when it started in 1769, the selected artists were invited to come back to the gallery to have time to varnish their works before the exhibition opened.
I can’t wait to get back to London and celebrate this big moment in my art career - this is my first artwork to be hung in a major institution! I can’t believe it.
Once I get home, I will then be:
making my way up to Queensland to drop off my exhibition piece for the Doyles Art Award and attend the Opening and Awards Night. Cross your fingers for me.
heading to Taree to attend the ‘Naked Nude’ exhibition where I hope one of my advocacy artworks will be hanging.
attending my 3rd consecutive annual artist residency at Lighthouse Arts in Newcastle. As the name suggests, I will be working from the grounds of a lighthouse. It’s amazing, and then finally
making my way south as winter comes to a close to arrive in Tasmania for the start of spring. I can’t wait to share what I will be getting up to down there in the next newsletter. Exciting times ahead!
Me having some cheeky fun in the Valley of the Giants, Tasmania - my happy place.
Up for a winter challenge?
Are you feeling inspired yourself after reading about all this art and travel? Then why not join me in July for a free creative daily challenge and practice hosted by Craft + Design Canberra. It’s free, open to anyone and everyone (no skills required), any age, from anywhere in the world and you can do whatever you want! How good is that!
For the whole month of July, Craft + Design will be sending a daily email with a daily word prompt around the theme of rewilding - “a call to return to untamed creativity, embrace imperfection, and connect with the raw, natural forces that shape both art and life.”
I am so excited by this community building project but also by the theme this year. I am always amazed to see all the different types of artwork and interpretations that come from a single word prompt. So incredibly powerful. It’s a creative challenge that I have absolutely adored watching unfold and always felt I was missing out on something amazing by not being able to participate due to health. Not this year my friends.
This year will be my first year participating in the event because I want to challenge myself to rewild a little and make self-care a priority through a daily creative practice that is not related to my artwork work. I want to carve out a bit of time each day to ground and find joy just for me. I hope you will join me, have some fun and experience the benefits of a daily art practice in any form that feels like you.
To learn more and register for this free and fun event, click the button below:
Final thoughts -
My motto through my intensive rehab and now a business brand is to ‘BEE KIND’ - and to be honest, it is still a lesson and a daily reminder for me.
The reason I want to share this with you is because although there are a lot of benefits to winter, I can also be a bit hard on myself for not having the same energy, enthusiasm or waistline as I did earlier in the year.
If this resonates with you too, then I hope you will remember with me to BEE GENTLE, BEE PATIENT, and BEE KIND - because there is only one you and this season and any struggles you are met with will pass. And remember, if those winter blues set in, join me for the July Challenge and we can help each other.
That concludes my very first studio journal, ‘L’hiver’ and I really hope you enjoyed yourself and got to learn a bit more about me and my art practice. I will be back on the 1st of September with a new studio journal and newsletter so until then, please take care, bee kind and stay toasty warm.
Melissa x
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