A last cuppa in the sun on the side steps with Bird and Harrie is signalling the end, before the last spurts of fitness and photos take over the rest of the day.
With the dried mandarin peel left for the next fire maker, a little painting is entrusted to the walls to continuing hanging with all the others artist’s works here. And with this token I want to say sincerely - thank you - to so many who have enabled me being in this Residency and made my time here so rich. Thank you to The Squatters Residency, The Annexe, The Foundations, Harrie Fasher Studio, Harrie Fasher, Bird, T C Overson, Rich and Kellie Evans, Annabel Mason, Andrew Neville and the Ant Fitness community and Portland lovely locals too including Cheryl, Monique, Su and Bess and her family too. Thanks to my workplaces for my absenteeism. And big thanks to my beautiful family. Thank you. I head back into the thick of life again. There is a cold snap in the air as I head out in the morning sun, I’m feeling a little sad for the end of the residency is nigh.
I started a last painting and returned to others dotted around the walls. I missed Art in the Park today, a monthly regular on the family calendar, but I get a visit by my eldest and her love. Maybe they’ll live near here, near us one day. We take a drive looking at this gorgeous town and then out near Mount Piper coal powered station too – it’s just 4 km away and I wonder what the future will hold for their lives. My acrylic paints came out to today with the 25-postcard pack bought at the local art supply store. In the studio, at the kitchen table, in the sunroom, the bathroom and the big bed/studio room I have been encouraged by the imaginary creatures in the peeling paint and paper. Some quick responsive studies resulted. And then I stuck them up in-situ. Totally refreshing after labouring over many of my other works here.
There was also a pop into The Glen Museum here at The Foundations. Some gorgeous collection material piqued my interest as Fay leads me round. https://thefoundations.com.au/experiences/the-glen-museum/ Beside the Museum my heart was held still looking at the memorial of the forty-five workers who died just going to work at the cement works, associated quarries and mine. Awful. I know the plan was to batten down the hatches, but I had to head away again with a quick visit home to see family that came with the trip to the local government election polling station back in the Bathurst Regional Council area. I woke totally happy today. I just love this residency. I talked lots with loved artist friends Jen and Wart and sorted some upcoming Cementa Festival get-together plans. Annabel gorgeously popped back in too. I set myself the task to finish the self-portrait and the self-portrait then painted back into the next painting. I did stay up till after midnight but just didn’t quite get there. My self-portrait just took a b’zillion times longer than I had planned it to take. So, I’ve put the painting in a painting aside for ’Ron.
The mirror ended up in the sunroom and there was self-portrait action all day, except during the boxing class or the studio visit by another gorgeous local and then there was lots of talking on the phone with family too.
A lot of creature stuff has happened today.
Starting with the early-bird fitness session Bird (the dog) got in a good lick at an opportune moment when I was down with weights in my hand. Thanks Bird. Then, I realised the hall stand I was focusing on in my small charcoal drawing had become some kind of long-legged creature like being impersonating the faces and creatures all around in the peeling paint. I do love a bit of pareidolia – perceiving something more on some nebulous stimuli. In preparation for painting my self-portrait, I moved the furniture around a lot today too. It is a thing I do. I was thinking of painting a painting of myself in a painting and was trying to figure out where my self-portrait painting would go into the next scene. I was also moving the bathroom mirror around in each room to figure out where to paint myself as well. Some more studio visits by some locals happened and I popped over to the local art supply store. I couldn’t help myself when I saw the little artist postcard pack – so fab to have stores like these in small towns – Portland does punch above its weight. Not too sure what will come of these cards, but they are totally cute.
Coupled with the morning boxing fitness class at 9 was a view to some cow action out in the paddock. Not every residency has such bustle as this. After drawing by the lake with its morphing reflections alongside fellow artist Annabel Mason (who as an aside makes a very yummy quiche – thank you Annabel!), and before a drive through the back lanes of Portland (totally recommended if you are coming here) there was another walk with a local in The Common. The walk felt familiar today, like I was walking around the woodland at home checking out the hollows and burls as I like to do. I recognised some faves - flurries of flowering Hardenbergia amongst the white brittle gums as a family of white winged choughs call each other. The most unusual tree caught my imagination too. Think elephant foot base extending to a hand with elongated fingers reaching to the sky. I think of possibilities of how it grew over time and of others who have met and carried stories of this tree-being in their minds too. In the Squat today too, my little painting included a scene with two of my large drawings in it and a very welcoming rug. Usually, it is fabulous waking up here with the light coming through the window – a slow snuggled contented wakeup, but last night’s wines were not the ones that help you sleep - it was a challenge to get up for the early bird fitness class this morning.
Following planking to finish off the routine this morning, I was then stretching to hang my Annexe drawings next to the window in the second bedroom/studio. These drawings became one on the wall after some consideration of hanging them with a gap, together or apart. They don’t join perfectly but have a repetition in the middle which I like coupled with the blue artist tape that seems to have become part of the drawing too. I work some more into the charcoal of this drawing. My other big drawing of this large studio/bedroom in the Squat is now finished too with the inclusion of my Annexe drawing depicted within it, and with a second sheet extending the drawing into its floor and beyond. My Instagram feed is inundated with fellow artists posts visiting Orange Regional Gallery’s current exhibition of Peter Godwin’s ‘Space light and time’. His attention to the edges reminds me of Fran O’Neill’s guidance there too in her Drawing Marathon show-and-tell of some works that enliven her. I see also that gorgeous local Tim Winter’s has an exhibition there. I can’t wait for a visit to see a little of both their worlds. Regional Galleries are soooo good. https://www.orange.nsw.gov.au/gallery/exhibitions/ An unplanned trip took me out of the Squat today again. It did enable the loveliness of seeing family again, but in the same breath, it is good to come back here to drawing and painting by myself. There is some talk of extending the residency a little (alongside some repair work here) and a possible return too. I have my hand up so high.
Dinner at the bowlo with some locals meant Nok’s yummy crispy fried eggplant was on my menu and then Harrie and Bird were in for a studio visit. She generously suggests extending my current drawing - like I had my other large ones when drawing as part of Fran O’Neill’s drawing marathon recently. Thanks Harrie. As I head off to sleep, I say goodnight to my bed friend favourites in the peeling paint of this space that I love. I had to leave the Squat for much of today.
Hill End called – for I was opening the exhibitions of Heather Dunn’s ‘Response’ and Hui Selwood’s ‘From the Studio’ at Hill End Gallery. In the weeks leading up I had visited Heather’s studio, and it was good to see Hui’s studio too today and catch up with some Hill End happenings. Congratulations you two on this terrific exhibition. Their exhibition runs until 1 December 2024. If you have a chance to get up there, it is a treat to see their works chatting to each through mirrored lines and forms. https://www.instagram.com/hillendartscouncil/ After a detour home, I was back at the Squat getting my body moving with the start of a much bigger drawing and consideration of how to hang and possibly combine my large Annexe drawings too. Left image credit: of Hill End Art Gallery opening by Lenore Dunn Finished today are a couple more little drawings. One of these had me imagining the rug on the cupboard, a friendly beast, through the lit door frame view. The other of these had me move into the emptiness of the spare studio/room where the light falls softly through the draped curtain. The characters on the ceiling of this room are a great match for the walls. Looking up is kind of like cloud watching with character forms gaining life in the imagination. I have stories that go with them -like that of the shy bilby-eared naked-turtle.
Along with my now regular health retreat number, I walked with a lovely local in The Portland Common – a 650-acre woodland where birdlife abounds. Thinking of it, I thought too of the walk with fellow artist residents, from my camac residency in France, where the forest up the hill held an old oak, hundreds of years old. There, the quiet was peppered with pops for it was hunting season. Here the birds make constant conversation. http://www.nicmasonartist.com/blog/archives/11-2017 Ducking next door to the Annexe for two sessions with Ant Fitness today - who knew the Squatters was a health retreat?
https://www.antfitness.com.au I feel 95% plus complete with a couple of little paintings today. Almost there. It is a challenge to capture light and resolve works. One of my paintings has ended up buttery and the other has some saturated yellow light in a room beyond. This made me think of the work of Caroline Walker who depicts women working - often through window scenes. Such fab work - so, I google a look of some of her beauties again. Nails and hooks on the walls around have beaconed my little works to spots where they just belong. Returning to yesterday’s little morning painting, now that the light is streaming in again at that time, meant that I could finish where I started. This little work then found it’s place on the wall where the floral wallpaper recedes showing three layers of peeling paint. Next, it becomes part of the view in my latest drawing with the morning light billowing through the window. I imagine I could stay here for a very long time and not be sated for a view watching the changing light move around the room.
Today I found out a different interior work of mine has been selected for the inaugural Interior Art Prize at Weswal Gallery. Looking at the finalist list my name is next to Alison Mackay’s. We have had a couple of two-person interior exhibition’s together and she has an exhibition coming up at Olsen Annexe. I’d head there to see it and cheer her on, but I am here, so I am not. Go Alison! https://www.instagram.com/p/DAC90rMtmE3/ But I do head next door to the Annexe here where my day was split by joining the walking group with Ant Fitness. It was good to view back to the Foundations buildings from the other side of the limestone quarry turned colour-saturated dam. The layers throughout this place are fodder for the imagination. I’ve been finding faces and creatures in the torn wallpaper and peeling paint and in the accumulation and reduction of stuff. So many things have been pulled off the walls here leaving their ghost prints behind. Flicking the books here, I’ve left open a page on the photographic work of Sophie Ristelhueber to think more on it. Traces of the past mix with her present where in one series she adds images of children on vacations in the 1950’s into the scenes of empty and abandoned homes.
My second little painting – another interior started today has been left till tomorrow morning’s light check-in again. Talking with my artist cousin Kiata on the phone - we talk about working towards a show together – likely an interior themed exhibition. She is fabulous so I am excited. My youngest teen with his friend in tow schooled today from The Annexe next door, which meant a lot of ducking back and forth. Some local friends popped in – curious of the old cottage and the work I am doing here, so a tour was on the cards. My Ugg boots were kindly dropped off by my partner and without his hotness remaining, I’ll be turning the electric blanket on tonight. The Squatters has more than enough in its interior to hold me for a long time. I’m here for two weeks and I’m thinking I’ll batten down the hatches and try to not leave too much. But I must confess I’ve already been back home once. Next door might pull me a little too. In the lead up to this residency I thought I might return to drawing in the Annexe (another of The Foundations buildings). I was there recently with a bunch of gorgeous and brilliant artists during Fran O’Neill’s Drawing Marathon. Check out up coming art workshops through Harrie Fasher's 'Community and Workshops' page.
https://www.harriefasher.com.au/workshops-community But drawing there now is not looking so likely, for a gym – Ant Fitness has just relocated to the Annexe (due to development works happening elsewhere at The Foundations). My plan was also to be open to influence when here, so I’ve asked my youngest teen to bring me my runners. He’s staying tonight, cooking dinner with his friend for us and he'll be distance ed schooling from The Annexe tomorrow. It’s so good to be in a life friendly hearty residency - open to artist’s lives and circumstances. Thank you, Harrie, T C, Rich and Kellie. I’ve drawn more with charcoal today and pulled out the oil paints. I’m working small – intimate little works of interiors. Today’s work had me open the front and back doors to let in the light into the hall – the view through the view from where I have set up my easel. The wind howled but still I felt nestled inside. Open on the coffee table is one of the books I borrowed from the library – ‘Edward Hopper light and dark. It’s left open on ‘Sun in an empty room’. I’ve been watching the light and dark move through each room here at the Squatters. It is energising being here to look, think and respond. The most I’ve ever seen together - thirty plus gang gang cockatoos farewelled me before I left home. And here blue-sky blossom is blowing in the warm winds. It’s Spring and it is the first day of my residency at The Squatters at The Foundations, in Portland on Wiradjuri land, central west NSW. Living only half an hour away, I have driven the road here many times, most recently with my youngest to his things and his friend living here. On this journey, my mind was taken back to my arrival at my camac residency at Marnay-sur-Seine in France. We drove the meandering roads through forests, over hills and down dales edging closer and closer to the imposing nuclear power plant vista. I felt my anxiety swell in the pit of my stomach. The view on my drive here seemed reminiscent, though this time it is Mount Piper coal powered station popping in and out of the vista. Residents I met there in Marnay-sur-Seine told me of their protests pre the nuclear plant and later of halting a chemical plant development near their homes. Here the opposition government has announced their proposal for Mount Piper to be one of seven coal power stations to transition to nuclear power plants. In Marnay-sur-Seine (and many of France’s villages, towns and cities), they live with the first Wednesday of the month midday civil defence siren. It is a practice drill, month in, month out, year in year out. With France’s 56 operable nuclear reactors, (the country with the second most reactors) there are about 4500 sirens placed throughout their country. It’s their norm.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_defense_siren#:~:text=It%20consists%20of%20about%204%2C500,8%20port%20single%20tone%20siren. Here, I hear just the creaking of the floorboards, a critter in the roof and the occasional woof of a town pooch, with today’s roaring winds drowning out all else. I’ve settled in straight away. It’s my first solo residency venture. All others have involved other artists doing their own things beside me. I have loved them (the residencies and the people), but I am also totally up for and eager to be doing this one solo. Inside The Squatters, my charcoal drawings by night have begun. |
AuthorNic Mason Archives
September 2024
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