Australian inspiration

Hello from Australia!

I am currently based in Melbourne, Victoria, where I have taken a studio at Coburg Studios for a few months. During my time here, I have been immersing myself in the Australian landscape, capturing my thoughts and feelings about its unique beauty and character.

While in Melbourne, I have taken many trips to explore this vast and stunning country. Some of the places I have been, are Wilsons Promontory, Kangaroo Valley, and Byron Bay. We drove from Melbourne to Kangaroo Valley and Jervis Bay through breathtaking rolling countryside. One of my all-time, favourite road trips, is the drive along the Great Ocean Road.

At World Heritage area, Budj Bim near Port Fairy, I was stunned by one of the oldest known aquaculture sites. It was fascinating to learn how the Indigenous people used the land and lava flow pools to trap and cultivate eels.it was near here that I also got to see Koala in the wild which is a truly wonderful sight.

Next week I head to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Uluru is an important and sacred site for the Anangu people (traditional landowners) and has existed for around 300 million years.

I am greatly looking forward to going into the centre of Australia - though possibly not the best time of year as it is the middle of Summer and so will be very hot! I have always wanted to go and am very much an early morning person so will have no problem getting up before dawn to take advantage of the cooler hours. In preparation I have been reading Songman by Bob Randall, the Story of an Aboringinal elder, which is giving me a small insight into the different way Aboriginal people have of looking at the world and the stuggles of the aboriginal nation.

Here is part of a song called “Where we came from”

Chorus

You know the sun and the moon

and the stars up in the sky.

You see the mountains

and the flowers and the trees.

You see the river and the sea.

Feel the wind that blows the breeze

that is where and from them all.

You come from.

I am continually amazed by how immense this country is. It feels both familiar and wonderfully strange. Everything here is on a grand scale, from the vast deserts and endless skies to the spectacular beaches and oceans. It is a land that has seen huge pain inflicted on its people but it has a huge heart and fills one with hope.

The work I have been creating is a culmination of my travels and experiences. The landscapes I create are not direct representations of specific places but rather my interpretation of the feelings these locations evoke in me. I’ve also continued my pond series, but these pieces have now taken on a distinctly Australian feel, which I hope you will enjoy.

My aim is to hold an exhibition upon my return to the UK later this year. I will keep you updated on the dates and location. Thank you for following along on this journey!

If you are interested in seeing some of the work I completed before leaving the UK, you can find a selection at the following galleries:

• Hancock Gallery - Newcastle upon Tyne

• The Art Agency - Chobham, Surrey

• Robertson Fine Art - Edinburgh

• Ad Lib Gallery - Wimbledon, London

Additionally, if you’re planning to attend the Fresh Art Fair at Alexandra Palace in London, my work will be displayed with the Ad Lib Gallery.