Maybe it’s because it’s Springtime, and so it’s time to stick my head out into the world again, or maybe it was just an idea that seemed like a good one at the time, but I’ve decided to put a day aside each week to head out in my car, somewhere. Somewhere that’s within a couple of hours of home, be it north, south, east or west. Somewhere I perhaps haven’t been before, or have been but am happy to return to. Somewhere I know I can take photos that will inspire!
That’s the plan, anyway! I’m calling it ‘The Wednesday Project’, but really any day will do. (I’ve been out twice so far and neither day has been Wednesday.) Last week I went north to a little place called Yarramalong – somewhere I’d only heard about and had been meaning to visit for a very long time. And this week I went west, to Glossodia (where I visited the Guide Dogs Centre) as well as Windsor. Windsor is one of those places I would normally pass through on my way further west, so I really enjoyed getting out of the car and wandering around a little. In between those two, I stopped to take in the view along the Hawkesbury (picture above) - the one that inspired Arthur Streeton’s Purple Noon.
And while it’s still many weeks away, I have lined up a couple of wonderful artists to join me later in the year for my Open Studio weekend. Both are ladies I’ve met through the Ku-ring-gai Art Society. Kanak Kiran and I joined up at the same time, and have become firm friends in the few years since. Kanak paints really joyful contemporary works – most recently kookaburras and flowers – and has a particularly lovely sense of colour. Dee Jackson is the Society’s president, and recently appeared on an episode of Catalyst on the ABC, where the subject was Artificial Intelligence and Creativity. Dee is a wonderfully skilled portrait artist, working expressively with watercolours.
Before then, I’ll be sharing a table with another of my lovely painting friends, Grace, at the Turramurra North Public School’s Art Show, which is coming up on Saturday 16 September. If you’re around that way, I hope you’ll come and visit us there. Details below.
Coming up …
Lane Cove Art Awards, at Gallery Lane Cove until Sunday 10 September
‘Near and Far’ at Marie-France, Philip Mall, Kendall Street, West Pymble, NSW, until Saturday 30 September
Art Show at Turramurra North Public School, Bobbin Head Road, Turramurra, on Saturday 16 September from 2-5pm
Drummoyne Art Society’s Members’ Exhibition at Drummoyne Civic Centre, Friday 29 September to Sunday 8 October
Open Studio, Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 November (further details to come)
Until next month.