Artist's Drawing & Inspiration - USA (2019-09)

ArtistDrawingandInspiration 59

INSIGHT

behardtoliveintheNorthern
Territorywithoutbeinginfluenced
byallthemarvellousAboriginal
artistswhopaintherewithsucha
passionfortheircountry.I admire
thevibrantcoloursofthewestern
desertartists,particularlysomeofthe
womenartistswhomustpaintunder
particularlyharshsocialandphysical
conditions...theirpaintingsare
mostlyunaffordableforme,butI have
a coupleoflovelyworksbywomen
fromDalyRiver.I particularlylovean
invigoratingsemi-abstractaboutstick
insects(inorange,limegreenand
yellow)entitled‘TheCreaturesthat

EatBushPotatoes’byMaryKunji.

I exhibitregularlyandcurrently

haveworksinCarolPhayer’sArt

WarehouseinDarwin.I haveput

onthreesoloexhibitionsinDarwin

recently:‘TheCreek’in 2005 (a

seriesofpastelspaintedovertwo

years,recordingthedramaticflooding

anddryingoftheseasonalcreekthat

runsthroughourblockatHumpty

Doo);‘Speargrass’in 2006 atIvor

Cole’sinnovativeGallerySometimes;

andlastyear,‘Watercolours’at

TerritoryColours.Mymain 2008

showwas‘ASenseofPlace’– a joint

exhibitionwiththreeotherwomen

artists(theArtisannes)JasmineJan,

KelliMcGregorandCarolynBursa

atDarwinVisualArtAssociation.

Myseriesofpastelsexploredthe

areadirectlybehindourproperty

whichhasbeenravagedbyextractive

industryworkingswhichhave

completelyalteredthelandscapeand

creeksystem.Thankfully,forthe

timebeing,theareaisbeingquietly

re-invadedbyNature.

For2009,I haveinminda showof

my‘FallenFlowers’– largishpastels

ofthewoodlandfloor,carpetedwith

leavesandfallennativeblooms– which

I alwaysfindratherpoignant. n