Le printemps
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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