Monday 1 June 2015

An Exhibition on the Horizon

I didn’t anticipate that I would have the time or the body of work for an exhibition in the first year of living in the Clare Valley. There was so much to be done, not the least of which was actually setting up my studio. However, that notion would soon change after a chance meeting with Chrissy Van Der Jeugd from Claymore Wines. During a casual conversation while enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon of wine tasting, it was suggested that it might be possible to hold an exhibition at the winery during SALA (South Australian Living Artists) month, is an event that encourages over a thousand local artists throughout the state to exhibit their works in August each year. While feeling somewhat ill prepared at the time, the opportunity was simply too good to resist. Knowing that there were a few months of production time ahead and with Chrissy’s encouragement, the challenge was now on! Using the mid-north region of South Australia as my inspiration, I would aim to produce around 25 paintings that would reflect upon the relationship between the mid-north environment and those who watch over it. This would also allow me to personally connect with our new home through both its landscape and man-made artifacts from both the past and present that can often be seen throughout the region.