- Apr 10, 2023
- 3 min read

Studio News - April 2023

Some may say I'm a dreamer.....and maybe I am, but re-imagining is the artist's way.

I've been busy with my wall of 'signposts', not only creating new sketches to add to it, but beyond the instinctive making-in-the-moment, also making notes about how each little new creation might show me a way forward.

Many of these sketches are only 10 cm x 10 cm; tiny nudges that provoke thought and enable me to enter an entire a world of new possibilities in my mind, but without yet committing any of these ideas to a major journey on a pristine canvas.

It feels as though I've paused to undertake a little fossicking; sluicing ideas through a sieve, hoping to turn up some gems.

Colour, shape and contrast are guiding me along and it seems so surprising to me that these three simple things alone can be the catalyst for this exploratory work.

When one sketch is done, I let myself imagine the opposite of it by transposing colours, inverting shapes, using the negative principle or simplifying an element even further.

I wonder about taking one of these compositions and recreating it just with collage instead of paint; or doing a simple monoprint instead of mixing my media; or building a textured surface for collagraph or dramatically changing the scale of the work, from very small to very big!

This time and space to think, make, explore and re-imagine is, I find, an essential component of the artists journey. It's a quite an inwardly focused time. These moments require some physical isolation and emotional space to enter this crafted cocoon of reflection and response, with external distractions reduced to a minimum.

I'm waiting for the synapses in my brain to make positive connections between what I'm making, what I'm feeling strongly about and where the opportunities to go further become evident.

It's my time to dream about all the possible pathways whilst being 'still', long enough for ideas to percolate through before I head off on my way again towards the horizon with strong ideas in mind.

Taking time for these re-imaginings, before getting on my way again is the only way I can be sure that I've chosen the right path to explore, and that I'm heading for fields of gold rather than turnips!

One thing I'm sure of though, is that these things can't be rushed. Hitching a ride in the wrong direction happens to us all some times, but always we learn something from those forays.

And whilst we wait for the new journey to reveal itself, 're-imagining' is quite the best way to continue my work with purpose.

I'm continuing my colour explorations through various mixed media sketches, as a way to switch up the colours I'm working with and keep my mind fresh and open to new possibilities when it comes to colour.

I find myself often reaching for a limited palette of colours as this enables me to see shapes and compositional elements more clearly. But it's always good to stretch the boundaries of colour combinations and test my response to colours that I don't often use. I'm always on the look out for the emotional response that emerges when I'm working with colour in attempt to better understand my own, and other people's reactions to it.

I'm building up quite a collection of A3 sketches on paper which will be a useful studio resource in the future, along with my notes which you can find in my Blog via the links below:

What's On

I'm thrilled that two paintings from my 'Portal Series' have been selected for an upcoming 'Neu Neu' emerging artists group show at the Red Hill Gallery in Brisbane, which opens on Friday 21st April, 6-8 pm, all welcome!

Other works from this series are now available in my online store or feel free to make a time for a studio visit if you'd like to see work in person.

The opening night of the Local Artists Local Content exhibition at Caloundra Regional Gallery was full house! Thanks to the Friends of the Gallery for such a wonderful evening with a beautiful Welcome to Country. The winning painting 'Creek Reflection I (Coolum)' by Ben Hedstrom is absolutely stunning and the diverse exhibition is well worth a visit if you're a local.

The gallery is open Tuesday to Friday 10am–4pm

Saturday and Sunday 10am–2pm

22 Omrah Avenue, Caloundra