Paintings save artist from 2 metre brown snake! It’s week 4 of my 3 month intensive residency in my studio ...

It’s week 4 of my 3 month intensive residency in my studio and this week art has shown itself to be useful.  A not so welcome 2 metre brown snake found itself trapped in the nooks and crannies of my studio, from its panic in my fireplace to the safety of behind the bookshelf. Every now and then the snake would peek its little head out from behind the bookshelf and survey the scene.  With the artist still wielding her painter’s pallet knife it was back to retreat for the snake – scaredy cat!  As I am quite into self-preservation and I’m not much of a shovelist, I went the strategic planning route.  So I called for backup with my friend (thanks Ian) down at the house and let my art be utilitarian for once … I set up my paintings as a barricade to funnel the beasty out the back door.  Us in safety, it in the funnel with one way out, to join the other thousands out there.  The snake made a hasty escape and those holes are now blocked up.  Apart from the snake break, I have been working on some malleefowl masks, which snakes just happen to be natural predators of.  The threats that have pushed this feathered friend to the brink, however, are habitat loss, changed fire and grazing regimes and introduced predators such as foxes.  Not every day do malleefowl come on your radar so do check out: http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/animals/TheMalleefowl.htm.  With my malleefowls, I’ve played with leaving some parts of my gessoed canvasses bare.  I do dig many an unfinished work and my attempt is to fish for a bit of this unfinished quality. I find it a challenge and I think it can help the eye to enter a work.