Often I have no idea, other
thanperhaps a chance meeting and
quick look at an artist’s website, as to
what I can expect when I visit an artist’s
studio. Studios are such a personal thing,
an extension of an artist’s personality, a
treasure trove of precious memories and
a comfortable, relaxed space, and many
rarely have outside visitors, except perhaps
for close friends and family members. ‘’My
Space’’ features studios where an artist is
not on show, and a studio can often work
on many levels, including being a work
space, gallery, music room, oice,cofee
shop, and, in the case of today’s artist, a
library.Today I’m in one of Perth’s old, leafy
western suburbs to visit well-travelled and
highly respected Western Australian artist
Beni Wright. We will be having a look around
her backyard studio a little later, but i rst I’d
like to show you a small part of an amazing
personal collection of illustrated journals
that are the result of Beni’s travels around
Australia and the world with brush and pen.
The ones shown, about 14 books,
cover the last two and a half decades.
Each book has about 50 pages, and each
page is completely full of Beni’s thoughts
and watercolour sketches that she has
completed while travelling, now stored in a
small library in her studio.With artist Beni Wright
Sketching the world with Beni WrightMY SPACE
BY DEREK L NEWTON
Just for the Record