The flood of Inspiration

The flood of inspiration comes as an artist sometimes when you dont expect it. Other times it seems to creep up, I can feel it coming, like a tidal wave rising and my long-range detectors seem to tune in. At times I can even plan for it, which is wonderful (if it comes true that it!) at this time it seems to actually be happening this way. In fact, I am still having inspiration flow through me so much right now it is very hard to keep up... here are some snaps of where I am at...

King Sun - Meeting John Olsen

Last week I had one of the most amazing and memorable experiences of my life. I met John Olsen.

It was the opening of his new show 'Myself and Other Animals' at Metro Gallery in Melbourne and I dropped in to see the last of his speech, buy his signed book 'John Olsen - Drawings the Human Touch' with the hope that I finally might fulfill one of my dreams and meet the man, the legend himself. Not only did I meet him, I told him he was one of the greatest inspirations of my life and thank him. He wished me 'Good luck' and even gave me a kiss! I was so overcome I was nearly in tears and had to leave the building immediately.

He is one of my 'heros' though I do not use that word often. John Olsen's artwork has inspired me most of my life long. He is one of the circle of artists that created the quintessential modern Australian art movement of the 20th century. Out of all those artists that I admire so much Arthur Boyd, Fred Williams, Sydney Nolan, Albert Tucker, Joy Hester, John Percival, Lyodd Rees, only Mirka Mora and John Olsen are still living and thriving. They make more vibrant and intense art then ever. Seriously, John Olsen's artistic outpourings over the last year or so are astounding and beautiful.

John Olsen - The Sydney Sun

You might be able to see from this where some of my inspiration comes from.

The mapping begins...

Over the last two or three weeks I have started in earnest on the real heart of the project: to map the length of the Darebin Creek, its history and environment.This piece is of Darebin Creek from where it meets the Yarra River to LaTrobe University, with the Yarra Ranges in the distance to the East.

It is very large and a work like this take a loooong time to complete. Here it so far....

My student's artwork

Oh the collage workshop was lovely! There is nothing like being snuggled up in the lovely warm space of the studio on a cold Winters days when its raining outside and you have lovely art materials, and people to play with! Especially when they bring lovely cake too! (Thank you Robyn) :)

Twelve weeks in and planning

It's week twelve of my artist residency at Darebin Parklands and over the last few weeks I have begun the first of the large scale, map-like pieces documenting the length of the Darebin Creek.

I did have a week by week plan at one stage, maybe I will check it out and see where I am at! :)

Here was the plan, (by putting it down here, I might even follow it, a bit) lets see how I go...

Research and Development
April - Setting in and Beginning. Exploring and Playing. Contacts and Planning.
May - Getting to know everyone. Understanding organisation structure. Research and resources.
June  - Working practice. Testing ideas. Classes and promotion. Begin really making body of work.

Production and Immersion
July - Establishing deep connection to place. Start serious work. Immersion in the art practice.
August - Working rhythm and pacing. Research Deepening, Ideas rising. Presentation to groups.
Sept - Peek Productivity. Promotion and open days, presenting to the public. Organise exhibition. 

Presentation and Connections
Oct - Access resources, connections with Councils, communities and other organisations.
Nov - Presentation. Open studios. Promotion. Public talks and art workshops. Completion begins.
Dec - Completion. Documentation. Begin review process, organise next phase, research funding.

Completion and Documentation
Jan - Exhibition planning, research funding, completion, documentation.
Feb - Presentation of complete body of work to organisations and committees.
March - Possible report and review of residency, funding applications/options, proposal for ongoing residency. 

Exhibition Venues - Bundoora Homestead, Hatch Contemporary Art Space, Fairfield Library?

Collage Workshop this Sunday.

This Sunday the 29th June (2014) I hold my first proper workshop at Darebin Parklands. This time the theme is collage and mixed media and I would love it if you came along! :)

Drawing the 'Fairy Bridge' at Darebin

Midwinter is almost here and it's hard to get out into the cold and make art, but we have had quite a lot of lovely sunny days in the last month or so. When I go down to Darebin I try to either take my dog Sundi or my bike Ruby. It is hard to take both! (Though I still am trying to figure out a way)

A week or so ago, I took Sundi down on a lovely afternoon and he very patiently let me draw the 'Fairy Bridge', which I have wanted to do for a very long time. So here it is for you, and some pictures of my very pretty puppy too.

The 'Fairy Bridge' Darebin Parklands by Katie Roberts

The completed 'Fairy Bridge' Darebin Parklands by Katie Roberts

Sundi the Golden Retriever "Can we please go for a walk now!"

Various Artworks by me, Katie Roberts

Free Art Workshop and Introdction to the Artist in Residence at Darebin Parklands

I have been officially doing the residency for nearly a month now, so it is about time for an introduction. You can find out a little bit more about me here on this blog by clicking The Artist above. But better yet, come down to the parklands themselves, introduce yourself and join me for an Artist Picnic from 1pm, or come to my Drawing om the Darebin art workshop. The first of many I hope, this first one is FREE :) It will be lots of fun, come and make some art with me, bring your kids. Everybody is welcome, no experience needed, just come along and play!

Next Sunday 1st June from 1-5pm at the studio.

The leaf map

The first large work of my residency has begun, its a bit like things I have done before and its a bit experimental too. At the moment I am calling it the 'Leaf Map' but I expect that's a working title only.

It's a work in progress and will be for a while I guess, so here are some photos of its development so
far.

Environmental Inspiration

If I ever doubted the value of an artist residency, I do not now.

As an artist, just as many others may, I have questioned the value of making work on site. Yet the first few days of making work at Darebin Parklands have reinforced for me that this is of central importance in my artwork.

It's happened twice so far there. I have been making work and suddenly been drawn to the materials around me in the environment. First time it happened was down by the rocks when I started my watercolour painting of the creek, stepping stones and the rock face on the other side.

The moment of inspiration came when I decided to fill my water jar from the creek rather then from my water bottle as anticipated. Then I looked at the rocks across the way and was really temped to use the water and the rocks themselves as materials. I have done this before and will explore it here. 

After all pigment comes from stones and rocks, dyes come from plant matter, in fact everything derives from materials which can be traced back to their natural state.

But for now, I just dipped my jar in the creek and so the first watercolours I made, paintings of the creek, were painted with creek water and paint.

***

Last weekend I went for an artistic adventure with a friend into the hills of Melbourne to see the open studios of the Dandenong Ranges. It was a lovely wet, raining, misty, muddy day perfect for going up mountains. There were two artists studios in particular I wanted to visit. Jude Craig was the first.

Jude Craig's artwork can be viewed here.

I had seen this video featuring Jude Craig's beautiful work leading up to our visit, but nothing prepared me for walking in a seeing the shinning face and hearing her warm voice, which made me feel like I had always know her.

We walked down the steep stairs and into her fabulous studio (which was once a sewing factory), and we were greeted by the warm smells of mulled wine and eucalyptus leaves and sticks brewing on the stove. Seeing her artwork and talking about her process literally made my mouth water as it connected so well with what I was discovering in my own art practice. Jude uses native plants, rusty metal and other materials found in her environment to create the most magical dyed silks and other recycled materials. The subtle earthy colours and patina these leaves and dyes impart to the fabric, echos so closely the colours and feeling of my own work that I just wanted to spend as much time as possible sharing stories, ideas, methods, listening to her lovely voice, feeling her beautiful silks and looking out at her stunning view.

Jude Craig's work specially resonated for me as just the week before while I had been working on the large map like piece in the studio at Darebin Parklands I found myself gathering piles of leaves from just outside the door and in using them to shape my artwork. I found myself thinking about whether they would leave a stain on the paper or not, an idea that really appeals to me. I am yet to fully explore this idea, but it is definitely something I would like to experiment with and to that end I hope to invite Jude to join me down in the studio one day to play with that environment and see what art it wants to make.

Katie Roberts 'Leaf Map' (early stages) Ink, watercolour, leaves.

Official Start of Artist Residency

It was an exciting week, on Thursday I officially started the Darebin Parklands Artist Residency properly. Yay!

Here's the story:

I went in today to catch up with Peter Wiltshire the Ranger there (he has been for thirty years and transformed the park completely!) I was hoping to get a little artwork done as I had that urgent urge to make work. I was greeted warmly by Peter and he told me the news, that the committee agreed to my residency. Apparently they really liked my work and approved the proposal rather enthusiastically!

It is so wonderful that these people, councils and committees have cared for the creek and its surrounds so well for the last thirty years, virtually restoring a lost landscape and habitat. A fantastic testament to human powers of creativity and healing.

Anyway, I got chatting to the Rangers and looking at all the amazing resources in what I think of as their mini-museum, including stuffed birds, rock samples, maps and even olive oil from the harvest festival of 2001. But what really interested me was the huge areal photograph of the parklands that was printed at a banner on a stand.

So I borrowed the map and took it into what I am thinking of as the studio (variously called the Gleeson Centre or the Environment Centre) and began to properly start to work. It felt great to finally got started on the large map like work that I had brewing in me, and really lovely to properly begin my residency! :)

It was so fabulous to actually be in studio within the parklands which are my subjects, surrounded by the photographs, resources and research materials as well as 'real life' examples of the park.

I have been back the last three days and being in the parklands itself has led me to experiment in ways I would not have at home and with materials that are in the environment.

I am very excited about this and will post photos and a further update about this work soon...

***

Meanwhile, here is some more backstory.

Even though I had not 'officially' started, over the last couple of weeks I had began to make work at the parklands. Although I became quite unwell after my first couple of hours down at the creek, struggling with the watercolours and didn't get back for a week. The week after I got back on my bike and rode along my favorite trail up a fantastic boardwalk where you get a great view of the trees and creek. It was a gorgeous day and I popped my watercolours in my bike basket and started this piece. It too is a work in progress, but here is a photo of me working in situ. I am still not convinced watercolour is my medium, but this is a good chance to experiment and hopefully get a handle on them.