My thanks to Paula and Dominique at Marie-France for hanging my exhibition, ‘Postcards from Paris’, in their salon in the lead-up to Christmas, and to all those who bought paintings in that time. I don’t think I’ll ever lose that feeling of wonder when I learn that someone has liked something I’ve created enough to spend their money on it!
And so of course when Paula asked if I’d exhibit there again in 2022, I didn’t hesitate to say ‘Yes’! My thoughts immediately turned to what I might paint for this next series, but it didn’t take me long to decide on ‘local gems’ (like Akuna Bay, above), having won last year’s ‘Member for Bradfield Art Prize’ with my painting, ‘Mist over Bobbin Head’.
Speaking of which, just before Christmas I accepted an invitation to attend an event (Community drinks) at the office of the Member for Bradfield and Minister for the Arts, Paul Fletcher – a direct result of having won that prize. It was a really interesting evening with speakers from StreetWorks as well as the Sikh community – both organisations run by teams of volunteers who provide wonderful and much-needed support to so many during difficult times, never more evident than during lock-down this past year.
Something I didn’t accept was an invitation to teach! While at Marie-France just before Christmas, the head teacher of Creative and Performing Arts at Mackellar Girls on Sydney’s Northern Beaches emailed with the following …
Hi Nina,
I’m currently admiring your watercolours at Marie-France Group in West Pymble and wondering if you might be interested in running a watercolour workshop for some of our Visual Arts students on Friday 18th February at Mackellar Girls Campus, Manly Vale.
We offer a Visual Arts enrichment program for students in years 7-10 and I am looking at an architecture focus for 2022. We are booked for a guided tour of Chippendale/Ultimo on Thursday 17th with the view to collecting photographic material from which to create work back at school on the Friday. Depending on the total number of students (usually around 50) I would divide them up into smaller groups.
Please let me know if this sounds like something you might be interested in.
Not only surprised but enormously flattered, I explained to Katie that while I’d love to be a student for their day out around Ultimo and Chippendale, having not done any teaching before I would feel completely out of my depth were I to accept her offer and teach her girls. They deserve someone who knows what they’re doing!
Since I last wrote, however, I have been able to reschedule my exhibition at Savills, and am pleased to say it will be happening next month. I hope you might stop in for a look if you’re in the area. Savills is right across the road from Lindfield Station on Sydney’s north shore, and just along from the very popular Goodfields Eatery, so if you’re at one of these venues, why not go to both!
It’s been an interesting few weeks for me in one way and another, and I’d have to say a lovely end to a year that was one most of us would rather forget.
Until next month.