New Norcia many times before with
art groups and also had discussions
with the monks about starting an
artist in residence program there, but
things move slowly and quietly with the
monks amid their strict daily routines.
There were about 20 artists here
this year, staying in the old nuns
quarters. When I say 20, you really
need to add one or two, as most
years, some will insist they were visited
during the night by one of the rooms’
original occupants! Did I mention
they make there own wine up here?
From my sketchbook
Abandoned Cottage, Gillingarra
As I’ve mentioned many times before
in this column, whenever you’re out
and about, ‘Grab the Moment’ and
always have your sketchbook handy.
I was ready for a break on my drive
out to New Norcia and on pulling
over, spotted this abandoned farm
cottage close to the road, so grabbed
the opportunity to sit and draw.
Moving On (Group Therapy)
Now my Teacher’s Pet articles all
about moving on with your artwork
and while I and most of the other
contributors to this magazine will
regularly go through the text book
approach to each medium, explain
how our work follows or varies from
the normal approach and why we work
like we do, the one thing we simple
cannot do through a magazine article,
is replace the huge learning curve
we all get from simply being part of
a group activity. My postcard for this
article is about such a group most of
whom, including me, meet annually
for a long weekend at the monastery.
The people your mixing with will have
a variety of artistic skills, and may well
work in many different mediums, but
just by noticing how their approach
to a subject varies from your own,
often makes you re-evaluate your
own way of doing things. Not to the
extent of following their path, but just
to realize there is always a different
way. So I’m going to bring in a little
outside help here and introduce you
to two of my fellow artists from our
group and their way of working.Catherine Swan Lia Overman
Lia, always smiling, loves to sit