ARTIST PROFILE: MATTO LUCAS

Matto Lucas is a Naarm-based multi-media artist, photographer and lecturer. Lucas’ work (regardless of whether it is performance, photography or painting) attempts to interrogate systems of power (ie. masculinity, capitalism, world-building etc.)

Having photographed events, parties and queer spaces for over a decade Lucas’ photography work is informed by representing, celebrating and uplifting queer spaces, fringe cultures and subcultures and its peoples.

Brunswick Street Gallery, with the support of Yarra City Council, is excited to exhibit Matto Lucas’ Impossible Dance (ii) in our Ground Floor Gallery Project — a dedicated exhibition space to showcase the work of emerging artists based across Australia.

Who or what are the biggest influences to your work?

(In relation to my photographic works) I am inspired by the people, clubs, parties and ‘moments’ within the events in which I photograph. Finding natural and temporal tableaux and being present to capture specific scenes and interactions. In relation to artists, Rennie Ellis is my biggest inspiration.

What upcoming projects are you working on?

With Impossible Dance (ii) at BSG I’m finishing a multi-space exhibition project - Impossible Dance i - iv, which has been so huge for me and so great, so I’m just going to be enjoying this final installation in the project and the whole thing overall. I have a lot on, from design projects to other creative works, and currently just feeling a bit burnt out from application writing and rejection emails, tbh.

.How do you consider your audience when you are making an artwork?

I consider the subjects in the photographs, but I don’t think I consider the audiences. That is to say, I don’t censor the works or curate for audiences. I think for people that don’t patron these spaces and might find the images “confronting” I also think that the works can be a learning or entry point for them.

Although that being said, when I had the billboards at the Substation I did have to curate those works to be more ‘palatable’ and less controversial due to the public nature of the displays.

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Matto Lucas’ Impossible Dance (ii) is being exhibited in Brunswick Street Gallery’s Ground Floor Gallery Project, an initiative generously supported by the City of Yarra.

Impossible Dance (ii) is current until 29 May 2022.

ARTIST PROFILE: KYLE KM

Kyle KM is a Queer artist based in Richmond, Naarm and has been working with oil colours for over 10 years.

Brunswick Street Gallery, with the support of Yarra City Council, is excited to exhibit Kyle KM’s Gods & Not in our Ground Floor Gallery Project — a dedicated exhibition space to showcase the work of emerging artists based across Australia.

‘My passion and expression has been developed by working from life in portraiture, still life, and figurative expressions while taking reference from historical emotion in art to reinterpret the world at current in an otherworldly-yet historic mythology. Each painting is a purposeful exploration of colour and light.’

What medium(s) do you work with, and why have you chosen them?

I work with oil colour, pure pigment suspended in oil, because I fell in love with the richness in colour, texture, and the history that the art medium holds. After exploring digital art in my teens as the internet and technology was just beginning to boom I found myself constantly struggling with keeping up with technology while needing the most recent tools available, updating software and computers as they became too slow to function. Eventually I found love in the analogue world of colour, where I was limited only to my own two hands and my knowledge.

Can you elaborate a little more on your making process – how does your artwork get from initial concept to exhibition stage?

The lockdowns really had me and my partner in a flow of journaling and creativity. We slowly built and explored what our mythological Queer world would be. These works for God’s & Not are an exploration of my portraiture into this mythological world. These works are developed with the sitter in person. Each image takes hours of adjustments and redesigning the concepts. The flow would find itself as the sitter would find themselves in the image I’d begin the painting.

How do you stay prolific? Do you have any particular methods to push past a creative block?

Since these pieces I’ve been making bad art. Trying to get it out of my system and holding no expectations or much thought on doing anything with these pieces. Sitting in the discipline is always going to be better than waiting for inspiration to come for me.

Can you tell us a little more about your creative working environment/studio?

I love to be on my own. Uninterrupted by anything other than my own whims & creative needs. I find it allows for me to fall into flow state and the rhythm of my practice.

Who would your dream collaboration be with, and why?

I would love to work with Troy Sivan. Together I think we’d come up with such a fun concept together for a new artwork.

Do you have any particular paints/materials/tools that you’re really enjoying using at the moment?

I’ve been falling in love with rough bristled brushes as the texture left by scraping back the paint and brushing down glazes with translucent colours is so fun to explore.

What upcoming projects are you working on?

Taking Up Space as a massive 3 day event coming up late April at Meat Market exploring loves letters to your Queer body in all capacities. It is filled with over 35 Victorian creatives speaking and performing, plus the love letters and artworks for you to experience at your pace. I will be live painting 3 sitters from life over each of the three nights. Definitely something that a lot of people are looking out for with tickets already being sold through Eventbrite.

How does your personal history influence your work?

My experiences visiting museums and galleries all over the world along with mentorships in Los Angeles from a couple of my favourite contemporary masters have definitely influenced my techniques and style. Their inspiration to look towards the old masters to learn everything imaginable.

What is your favourite colour? Any reason why?

Everything thinks it’s red but it is actually orange... That blood orange colour that is bursting with heat and exploding into your retinas... Almost red kinda orange.

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Kyle KM’s Gods & Not is being exhibited in Brunswick Street Gallery’s Ground Floor Gallery Project, an initiative generously supported by the City of Yarra.

Gods & Not is current until 6 March 2022.

ARTIST PROFILE: JOANA PARTYKA

Joana Partyka is a ceramic artist and political staffer based in Perth, WA. Primarily working with a coil-building technique, Joana fires each piece up to six times in order to achieve her desired glaze effect. Joana’s work is deeply informed by the political context and attempts to push the boundaries of the ceramic medium, layering her work with both textural glazes and evocative, politically driven titles.

What medium(s) do you work with, and why have you chosen them?

I work with clay, and at the risk of sounding very cliched I feel that it chose me, or perhaps more accurately that I didn’t really have any say in the matter.

I find working with ceramics almost a form of self-flagellation. At times I really hate it but I feel compelled to do it. It involves a lot of patience, which I am not very good at. You form a picture in your mind of what this thing will look like when it’s finished, but you have to completely relinquish control of it at multiple stages throughout the process. You often end up with shattered expectations because there’s no way of knowing if what you’ve made is good until it’s done. It’s simultaneously magical and heartbreaking, and I think that’s why I'm drawn to it.

Who or what are the biggest influences in your work?

The single biggest influence on my work is my mental and emotional state, which in turn is influenced by whatever heinous shit the Morrison government is getting up to.

I also draw a lot of influence from things like space imagery, Landsat images and details in nature. I’m drawn to the ultra micro – like close-ups of wave patterns in the Swan River near my house – and the ultra macro, like satellite photography of the earth. 

I also notice that when I’m reading speculative science fiction like Le Guin it kinda seeps into my work. It’s a big melange of disparate things that in my mind all fit together, which I think goes some way to explaining my aesthetic.

How do you consider your audience when you are making an artwork?

I used to think about audience a lot maybe a year or two ago, and I felt so deeply disconnected from what I was making. When I decided in a bit of a fit of rage that I was bored with what I was making is when my current style emerged. I didn’t expect anyone to like it but was really pleasantly surprised when people started to connect with it. The funny thing is when I didn’t have much of an audience I exhausted myself thinking about it, and now that I have an actual audience I don’t consider it all during the making process.

How has your practice changed in the last 12 months?

It’s completely transformed. Around the time of the bushfires and then rolling into the start of the pandemic, I had so much despair and rage bubbling inside me that I didn’t know what to do with. I’ve always been very politically aware but late 2019/early 2020 was some next-level bullshit that’s only snowballed as time has gone on. 

It sounds a bit trite but I’ve channelled that into my ceramics practice. I use a method I’ve joking/not jokingly dubbed ‘rage-building’, because when I’m working I carry my rage right at the surface; it comes through in the wonky forms and textured surfaces. It’s almost as though being that angry about what’s going on in the world has just made me go ‘fuck it, who cares’.

When I look at my work over the past year I can see exactly what was going on in my life and the world, and how I felt about it. A curator friend of mine described it recently as a “warped calendar” and I really love that.

What is an essential, touchstone artwork for you––one favourite work from art history that you would love to have on your wall/in your life? Why this one?

I don’t know if I can pick one artwork specifically but I can pick an artist: Joan Miró. I’ve been enamoured by Miró’s work since I was a teenager - the bright use of colour, the bold shapes, the movement and energy, the surreal playfulness, the abandonment of convention. I’d be super happy to have any of his pieces hanging in my house.

ARTIST PROFILE: AYMAN KAAKE

Ayman Kaake is a Melbourne based photographic artist, whose surreal and cinematic scenes draw from his personal histories and act as both a means of emotional reflection for the artist while offering a contemplative scene into which the viewer can lose themselves.

What medium(s) do you work with, and why have you chosen them?

I used to illustrate my thoughts a lot using pencil, drawing things that I would love to execute in the future. My illustration was surrealistic and I found with digital photography I can create the world that I am illustrating through composite and the possibilities were beyond my imagination. In 2015 I bought my first camera and I started with self-portraits as a practice and this is how my love to photography started.

Can you elaborate a little more on your making process—how does your artwork get from initial concept to exhibition stage?

My making process with each art work starts with an illustration of the idea, hunting for or making props, to then creating the whole scene from set design, styling the outfit, executing the idea. The final process is the post production and make it ready for printing.

Who or what are the biggest influences in your work?

Movies and music are my all-time biggest influences in my work. During my cinematography study, my teacher introduced me to Andrei tarkovsky’s movies, I remember how his work teleported me into his world and though it’s magic to create connection between our two worlds. Reflecting this surreal and otherworldly expression, I have similarly combined my journey leaving home and family to speak about my feelings through these images.

Do you share your studio with anyone, or do you work alone? Is community an important element in your creative process?

I’m blessed to be an artist in residence at Collingwood yards through the Room to Create program, which offers a big studio space for six artists, all working with a range of art practices. To have this opportunity, working alongside these artists and with this incredible community around me, has inspired me to experiment more with different mediums and has really pushed me outside my comfort zone.

What is your favourite colour? Any reason why?

Teal used to be my favourite colour. It reminded me of my childhood best friend, she used to live in a house with teal colour door, and every time the school bus stopped to pick her up, I would stare at this door waiting for her. Now every time I see this colour, it brings me happiness and I feel secure. But now my favourite colour is Pink because I have been verbally attacked on the street by middle age man while I was wearing pink, and according to him, men shouldn’t be wearing this colour. So now it’s my favourite rebellion colour and I am embracing it.

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Ayman’s debut collection of digital photographs are available for purchase in our Stockroom

ARTIST PROFILE: JOHN GATIP

John Gatip’s practice is a transection between Art and Architecture examining the layers where the two disciplines collide together. His Filipino heritage has strongly influenced his appreciation for the arts and craft. He has a Masters of Architecture degree from Melbourne School of Design. John has exhibited locally in Australia as well as Internationally. His work predominantly explores forms taken from architecture and amalgamates them to create unique compositions.

What medium(s) do you work with, and why have you chosen them?

I work in a variety of mediums. My latest exhibition at Brunswick Street Gallery Sonnets of Colour explored two rectangular prisms through painting using oils. This body of work emerged from the 2020 Covid Lockdown pandemic where I gave myself a challenge to paint three quick painting exercises per week. I chose this medium as it was a way to learn about architectural forms in a different medium. Prior to this I was exploring resin casting, plaster casting and 3D printing. These mediums I learnt and used in my architectural profession and help the symbiotic relationship between art and architecture.

 Can you elaborate a little more on your making process — how does your artwork get from initial concept to exhibition stage?

It really starts with narrative. A lot of my work revolve around a story. Whether it is a fable that I’ve conceived or a real experience, my artworks are representations of these stories. Sometimes these stories are just for me but some are stories I like to share. The idea of storytelling through artworks is the crux of my process. I then use the tools I have around me to explore and create.

Who or what are the biggest influences on your work?

I’m a big fan of David Umemoto, who I regard as a master mould maker and his use of concrete and architectural forms is out worldly. Another is Jonny Niesche and his bold use of colour. Another is Mark Rothko and his abstraction of space through colour and texture of paint. I also look to history such as the renaissance masters and how they were multi-disciplined. This multi-disciplinarity and how it can shift or even enhance my perspective is important in influencing the work I do whether in art or architecture.

How do you keep your creative juices flowing? How do you push past creative block?

I consume narratives and that’s what really gets me going. If I’m stuck or looking for inspiration, books are always a great resource for me to get my brain ticking again. I also value seeing what other artists or designers do. Learning from exhibitions at galleries and museums contribute a lot to my thought process.

Can you tell us a little more about your creative working environment/studio?

I’m very fortunate to have a space that I can take over when I’m creating a new body of work. It is a north facing sun room with glazing to three sides that allows a lot of natural sunlight as views out to the garden. This is where I do a lot of sculptural works and sometimes carry through to the garage. I do my painting in a room adjacent to my bedroom where it is clad in timber. This warm cosy environment allows me to distil and be vulnerable with my emotions. The lounge room becomes my display room for my family to critique the work. The whole house gets a good use when I’m creating.

If you could go on an Artist’s Residency anywhere in the world, where would that be and why?

When I had my first show in Puglia back in 2019, I fell in love with the laid-back environment of South East Italy. The history, buildings and the Adriatic sea are imprinted in my brain. Apart from the art, design and architecture of Italy, the food is something that really draws me that place. That part of the world has a special place in my heart.

What’s next for you after your time at Brunswick Street Gallery? What upcoming projects are you working on now?

I’ve got my next show in the pipework and will be taking the year or so to develop the body of work. I’m looking to explore what I’ve learned from my process in painting and translate this back to sculptures. I’m always learning, exploring and seeing what opportunities that I can create for my next pieces. I’m also trying to expand my art practice and that in itself is a project.

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John Gatip’s Sonnets of Colour is currently showing at Brunswick Street Gallery.

ARTIST PROFILE: CARO LIDDELL

Caro Liddell is a printmaker of 35 years, based in New South Wales. Her works display the multiplicity of paper as a medium, where mark making is informed both by her own hand as well as by the unpredictable elements – yielding surprising and beautiful results.

Her current exhibition Road of Endurance is inspired by her own life’s winding journey, and by relinquishing control over her processes within her practice to the elements, the resulting body of work is wholly unique, and unrepeatable.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your practice.

This is a very hard question to answer. As an artist I wonder sometimes if it is more of a curse than a blessing. My brain never stops turning I am constantly looking searching and working. I find it impossible to relax and it drives my dogs and spouse crackers at times, but I would never have it any other way. The journeys art has taken me on and the revelations it has presented to me are extraordinary. In many ways I do wonder if my health difficulties are the universe slowing me down.

What medium(s) do you work with, and why have you chosen them?

The mediums I use are related to the subject matter, oil, bronze, paper or pigment. However paper is my passion! I have walked the streets of Barcelona (with broken ankle), Paris, London and China in search of the essence of the paper I require to work with. The endurance and versatility of papers is always an amazement to me. I don’t go without a day working the paper of my sketch book diaries.  

 Can you elaborate a little more on your making process — how does your artwork get from initial concept to exhibition stage?

My process is ever changing, but Road of Endurance uses 740gsm Arches paper, using its extreme characteristics to endure pressure and the different environmental elements. My method is working with tools, pastel and graphite on the paper then wet it over night and them place it on my surface of choice for how ever long it takes for rain and vehicles to mould the paper surface and the serendipity of nature.

How do you keep your creative juices flowing? How do you push past creative block?

Creative flow! I haven’t a clue! But I do constantly look to materials, tools, plants, animals, and words, then let an idea morph and develop. Photography is very important to me. The intensity of a looking down a macro lens, in awkward places takes me on never ending journeys of pure joy and amazement. Words! Those too! I look them up constantly in the small hours.

Can you tell us a little more about your creative working environment/studio?

My working environment is where I am at the time. Road of Endurance was the Rainforest environment, weather, seasons and obsession with plants and animals. Just a table to bang on with tools and being outside is sufficient. No studio.

If you could go on an Artist’s Residency anywhere in the world, where would that be and why?

I have been on some fantastic residencies and being out of ones own environment can be an enlivening process. I am my own Residency. I have so much to explore where I am, decades of exploration.

What’s next for you after your time at Brunswick Street Gallery? What upcoming projects are you working on now?

Next project hasn’t, altogether, arrived yet but I am working on a concertina booklet with print and intaglio words. Also my interest in paper is leading to exploring the making of alpaca scat/poo paper as I have a quantity of it. The pandemic has taken such a detrimental toll on the world my venture is to work where I am, I am blessed to be and to work on taking the Road of Endurance to another level. 

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Caro Liddell’s Road of Endurance is currently showing at Brunswick Street Gallery until 20 June.

ARTIST PROFILE: GIORGIA BEL

Giorgia Bel paints real and imagined landscapes in acrylic, oil, charcoal and pastel. Using a subdued palette and gestural mark making, the evocative landscapes showcase the beauty of the Australian outback.

Giorgia Bel is a self taught artist based in Newcastle, New South Wales. After being unwell in her twenties, Giorgia turned to painting for peace of mind and for her own enjoyment. What initially started out as a personal journey has resulted in a rewarding career as a painter.

Through painting Giorgia learnt to embrace stillness and discovered a newfound patience which is evident in her considered approach to the natural environment from where she draws her inspiration. 

“My practice is heavily inspired by the Australian landscape and the dreamt or imagined views of this. Exaggerated colour, abstract line and a ‘messy’ brush stroke may or may not be signature to my work. They are free but not rushed, like a child’s mind and play. This is important to me.” – Giorgia Bel 

Tell us a bit about what a day may look like for you as an artist. Where are you based and what are some of the things that you do in your daily routine? Tell us about your morning rituals, your cup of tea/coffee, plants, etc!

I work 3 days a week painting. I work full time elsewhere also (it’s a busy time in my life!)

I start my days with half a litre of water and lemon and a mug of strong black coffee. I usually sit on my balcony off my bedroom or in my courtyard turning pages of art magazines, interiors look books or with a book. I somehow often end of sifting through emails and making lists.

I’ll water some plants, partially a special bonsai my partners parents gave to me, eat some fruit, sourdough and go to my studio.

My studio is a 5 minute drive from my home, down light filled/ plant filled alley way at the back of a dance studio in Newcastle West.

The Bluetooth is straight away connected and a curated playlist is put on. I listen to a lot of alternative, jazz and instrumental music while I paint. I’ll be here for the next 4-8 hours before I’ve realised the time and desperately need to eat something!

How did you start your creative practice and why? Are you self-taught, an art student, a full-time artist, etc?

I am a mostly self taught artist. I read into using different mediums and played a lot with different things to get to what I felt was myself onto the canvas.

I studied design years earlier and always loved art, but I started painting through force of being unwell for most of my 20’s and a doctor telling me I should just try it for for peace of mind or enjoyment while I couldn’t do much else.

I use to sit for a matter of minutes and stop. I was really restless. Through painting I did gain stillness and learnt patience in sickness, all the while I fell in love with this new thing.

Have you got a studio/creative workplace? Tell us a bit about where you create and some of the significant things that support and inspire your practice.

I share a studio space with my partner. He gathers antiques and works to restore them in his spare time.

We share a painted white brick space with a large roller door that opens onto an alley way drive shared with the dance studio at the front of our building.

It’s been really fortunate to do the separate things we love alongside each other, and fortunate that the space allows it.

My practice is heavily inspired by the Australian landscape and the dreamt or imagined views of this. Exaggerated colour, abstract line and a ‘messy’ brush stroke may or may not be signature to my work. They are free but not rushed, like a child’s mind and play. This is important to me.

My practice is also quite inspired by the music I curate into playlists to paint to every series I work on.

I name the playlists after the series and store them for keepsake. Listening to that playlist once the works are complete and sold or sent off to a gallery is like looking through a photo album for me.

What are some of the ideas that you explore in your work and the mediums that you have chosen to work with?

I like to collect rocks and sponge and utensils from antique stores and use them while I paint. The odd scratches and shapes they can make in even the smallest parts of my work can be very fulfilling and complete the piece.

I use mostly acrylic paints, some oils, pastels and charcoal.

I really do love how the pastels and charcoal can make a bit of a mess and in turn elevates what I’m working on. I like that lack of control.

In an increasingly digitized world, how important is your online presence? And what are some of the things that you consider when marketing your work?

It’s a strange thing. It’s an extremely humbling thing when someone in the London or Berlin has seen your work and enquires or buys it. It is absolutely thanks to the digital age for this to be a real thing.

The online presence is important, although I don’t know a lot of what I’m doing in that regard, nor do I probably do enough. I’m really lucky to have incredible companies that represent me and have their own experience and following where my work can be seen.

Let us know about any current/future projects – Have you got anything planned in the near future?

There are small releases of works across all the galleries I show with over the year and a few things in the works for early next year. It’s an exciting and fun year ahead.

Giorgia Bel’s latest Stockroom collection can be view online here.

artist profile: edie atkins

Edie Atkins is best known for her Melbourne suburban backyard paintings. Especially poignant after the events of the past year, a principle theme in her work is simple beauty in the ordinary – particularly, the observance of our immediate surroundings that can offer us surprising delights.

Edie Atkins’ minimal brush strokes, colour, and style are an effort to capture an intimate and heightened sense of an image. A Melbourne-based artist, she has worked in numerous projects as an illustrator and across mediums and is currently working with oil and acrylic paint.

‘My latest paintings are of Merri Creek in Melbourne. I wanted to capture the feeling of visiting Merri Creek, of being under the shade and listening to the water.

I have always liked looking at how light and shadow fall on objects, and I try to capture that within my work.’

– Edie Atkins

Tell us a bit about what a day may look like for you as an artist. Where are you based and what are some of the things that you do in your daily routine? Tell us about your morning rituals, your cup of tea/coffee, plants, etc!

I don’t have a strict morning ritual, apart from coffee. If I’ve had a good day painting the day before I wake excited to see my work again. If I’ve had an unsuccessful day before I am excited to see what I will create next. There’s a lot of looking when painting, just looking and thinking.

How did you start your creative practice and why? Are you self-taught, an art student, a full-time artist, etc?

I never thought I would be a painter. I always thought was better at drawing. Jess McCaughey asked me to be in a group show at Tinning St Gallery about magpies called “Ode to the Magpie”. I wanted to show magpies in a suburban backyard. I painted two backyards with magpies using acrylic paint and a thick brush and I really liked the process. I ended up painting 30 backyards and having a backyard show. My latest paintings are of The Merri Merri Creek in Melbourne. I wanted to capture the feeling of visiting Merri Creek, under the shade and listening to the water. I am self taught however my year 12 art teacher, Peter O’Gorman, set me up for a life of visual art making. I have always liked looking at how light and shadow fall on objects, and I try to capture that.

Have you got a studio/creative workplace? Tell us a bit about where you create and some of the significant things that support and inspire your practice.

I live and paint in the same space. I sometimes lose track of time when painting, work into the night, and that’s the best. I have a lot of native flowers that have dried out around my studio. Their faded earthy colours, smells and shape are inspiring. I get inspired by looking at and reading about artists’ work. I recently discovered photographer Henry Wessel and I am currently reading Karl Ove Knausgaard’s The Art of Edvard Munch.

What are some of the ideas that you explore in your work and the mediums that you have chosen to work with?

During lockdown I did more research on oil painting. I love how thin you can make oil paint by combining different mediums. Oil paint is easily wiped away so it lends itself to more experimenting. It’s more like sculpting with paint on a flat surface. I never draw on a canvas before I start.

Let us know about any current/future projects – Have you got anything planned in the near future?

I’m into still life painting at the moment. I’m an infrequent potter and I’ve made some Morandi-esque vases. During lockdown I painted those with the dried flowers. I met a painter named Audrey Kearns at The Workers’ Club a few years ago. We kept in contact and share similar painting ideas. We plan to show our work together in a show this year.

Edie Atkins latest Stockroom collection can be view online here.

ARTIST PROFILE: SIMONE LINSSEN

Simone Linssen has been an artist for as long as she can remember. First becoming serious about a career in art while living on the Sunshine Coast, Simone completed a Diploma of Visual Art in Noosa. After graduating, she had a few years away from the brushes and became an area manager for a retail company. It was only after visiting some of the most beautiful galleries and artworks during a trip to Europe in 2011 that prompted Simone to take control of her artistic career. She packed up her life and moved to Brisbane to complete a Bachelor of Fine Art, and though it was difficult leaving everything behind and starting again, it became one of the best decisions she’s ever made. Simone now works as a Curator and Gallery Director, managing exhibitions, art awards, auctions and international art fairs.

“While completing my Bachelor of Fine Art I became interested in anxiety and loneliness and have continued to work with these subjects through my paintings. Through research I came to understand anxiety and loneliness affects a significant part of the population and its effects are widespread. I find art is important for understanding these emotions in contemporary culture, being able to provide a positive response through self-reflection, empathy and understanding.” – Simone Linssen.

What medium(s) do you work with, and why have you chosen them?

I work with oil on canvas mostly. I started out mostly with drawing but moved to painting in 2006. I found painting to be more difficult but much more rewarding.

Can you elaborate a little more on your making process — how does your artwork get from initial concept to exhibition stage?

I usually start with a message I would like to portray, then think about the ways I can portray it with mark making, colours and compositions. I make a series of sketches in a visual diary. The next step is to recreate the ideas with photography which I use as reference images. From there I create final compositions which then translates to a canvas. I choose the canvas size depending on the message I’m trying to portray. Smaller canvases for more intimate and personal works, large canvases are chosen for a more overwhelming message. The colour scheme is usually chosen as the last step when I’m firm on the final message I wish to convey.

Who or what are the biggest influences on your work?

I have a few. Francis Bacon’s ‘Figure with a Wash Basin’ was a big influence. I love the way he captured a moment of hysteria, featuring a figure trying to escape through a wash basin. My works often explore elements of anxiety and needing to hide in obscure places. Anne Wallace is another big inspiration with her use of suspense and creeping dread throughout her paintings. Madonna Staunton’s use of interiors and colours is also a big inspiration.

How do you keep your creative juices flowing? How do you push past creative block?

Going to an art gallery or listening to astrophysics podcasts usually works for me, something about delving in to some new and exciting ways of thinking. If that doesn’t work… Just keep working! Something will eventually come about even if there’s a few failures before the gems.

Can you tell us a little more about your creative working environment/studio?

While studying I had a little studio space on the Brisbane river with a lot of other students. It was a great space for feeding off other people’s ideas. I now have my own studio space at home. It’s different not being able to bounce ideas off other people, but on the plus side I’m able to really delve in to ideas without being interrupted. It’s a cosy space with views of the garden. I have a cabinet full of my favourite artworks, trinkets and books, which is great for inspiration.

If you could go on an Artist’s Residency anywhere in the world, where would that be and why?

Adrien Ghenie… He is my absolute favourite artist.

What’s next for you after your time at Brunswick Street Gallery? What upcoming projects are you working on now?

I’ve started working towards a new body of work which is a carry on from ‘Duality’. Featuring figures in interiors and some landscapes, tackling issues of anxiety and loneliness. I’m currently working on a few similar to ‘Wallflower IV’, featuring figures attempting to hide in ridiculous places in a moment of panic.

Simone Linssen’s solo exhibition, Duality is currently on exhibition until 28 March. View the catalogue here.

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SMALL WORKS ART PRIZE: ROZALIE SHERWOOD

Rozalie Sherwood is the recipient of the Clifroy Prize – First Prize at Brunswick Street Gallery’s Small Works Art Prize.

Living and working in the ACT, Rozalie Sherwood is an artist who has textiles at the heart of her work. Her practice is to develop conceptual work that embodies the emotion generated by a story or an experience. She aims for her work to be a container for those stories and experiences.

What medium(s) do you work with, and why have you chosen them?

My favoured materials are textiles and inks and I am drawn to using recycled fabrics and objects. Using intuitive lines in preference to precision, I embrace and highlight the accidental in my work. And I love to create surprise by combining textiles and thread with harder edged surfaces, sometimes acrylic sheeting or plastic tubing.

Textiles have always been a big part of my life. And my background and training in the fashion industry gave me a love for and familiarity with the medium.

Can you elaborate a little more on your making process — how does your artwork get from initial concept to exhibition stage?           

As an example, recent work has come from a month long stay in Goma, on the eastern border of Congo (DRC) in 2019. It’s a country that’s been disrupted by war, poverty, corruption and tribalism. In that environment, women’s lives are incredibly difficult and dangerous.

As I started making each work, I realised that there was a particular story on my mind that I wanted to tell, and that it came from my observations, experiences and conversations with people, mostly women. And making the work was helpful to me in processing the experience and in allowing me to keep telling that story without boring people.

 Sometimes I put quite a lot of planning into a piece, and at other times only a little. An idea can come from an experience, a news headline, beautifully written words…. Initially I make notes in a particular notebook and ideas can sit with me for quite a long time. When I’m working towards an exhibition I start a Word document that I progressively make more notes in, adding to it every few days as I’m developing the idea into a piece of work and the story that I want to tell that relates to the theme of the exhibition.

When I get down to making, I have learned to do a little and then stand back for a while. I have also learned that it works best for me to have several pieces on the go all the time: painting on one, stitching on another, looking from one piece to another, working out where to go next.

Who or what are the biggest influences on your work? 

I am inspired by telling a story, by using my work as my voice because I can make it stronger and longer-lasting than my physical voice in many ways.

Seeing other artists’ work and visits to galleries are also important to me. Often after visiting galleries I seem to have fresh ideas that have nothing to do with what I’ve just seen. It seems as if ideas are waiting to be found in the atmosphere.  

There are artists on Instagram that I follow, people whose work I admire. But I try not to spend too much time there. It’s too easy to start comparing your own work with others.

How do you keep your creative juices flowing? How do you push past creative block?

My nature is fairly self-disciplined and I aim to do something in my workroom every day, even if it is a less creative task. Setting deadlines by arranging meetings with artist friends at which we show each other what we’re working on, drives me to have work ready to show. It is very helpful to have a group of people who ask good questions and are able to highlight what is working well and why.

Can you tell us a little more about your creative working environment/studio?

I work at home in a north facing room that was intended to be the main bedroom in my house. So the walk-in wardrobe is a storage space for all the materials and objects I collect. My workroom has to double as a guest room from time to time, which forces me to clean up. But it’s warm in winter and has good natural light so I’m happy in there with my sewing machines and the paraphernalia of creating.

If you could go on an Artist’s Residency anywhere in the world, where would that be and why?

Either the city of Melbourne or Paris… actually anywhere in Europe.

What’s next for you after your time at Brunswick Street Gallery? What upcoming projects are you working on now?

In October this year I’m exhibiting with two colleagues at the M16 Artspace in Canberra. Also, I’m a member of the Networks Australia artists group in Canberra and we have shows coming up - in March at Altenburg Gallery in Braidwood, in April at the Basil Sellers Exhibition Space in Moruya, and two in 2022 in Grenfell and in Queanbeyan (all in NSW).

What does your selection as one of the winners of this SMALL WORKS ART PRIZE mean to you, and to the future of your practice? 

It’s very exciting for me personally to have had my work selected, but it also provides an opportunity for me to highlight the plight of Congo and generate interest. I was so ignorant about the reality of life for people there and I barely know anything now, having only spent a month there, but I want people to know something about Congo. To have some information so as to be able to connect with Congolese people who might come here to live.

I am also very pleased for my fellow textile artists as art has not always been a level playing field for those who choose to work with textiles.

The judge, Elizabeth McCallum’s, statement about my work has given me confidence that it is telling an effective story. And I’m encouraged to continue to find ways to use my work as my voice.

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Awarded the Clifroy Prize – First Prize, Rozalie Sherwood receives a $3000 cash prize (non-acquisitive) from Clifton Hill/North Fitzroy Community Bank.

SMALL WORKS ART PRIZE: BRITTANY JONES

Brittany Jones is the recipient of the Honourable Mention – Chapman & Bailey Prize at Brunswick Street Gallery’s Small Works Art Prize.

Born and raised in Florida, USA, Brittany Jones spent the last 15 years overseas, nearly 10 of them in Australia. Painting pretty much her entire life—focusing mostly on portraiture— Jones studied fine arts in Florida before heading overseas. Jones now works as a graphic designer and painter and explores other creative pursuits in her spare time.

What medium(s) do you work with, and why have you chosen them?

I generally work with oil paints, but have been known to experiment in permanent inks, gouache, photography, printmaking, and even pyrography. I’m currently trying to learn traditional egg tempera painting. I like to try and am interested in many different mediums, but I keep coming back oil paints for their slow drying times and capacity for smooth blending.

Can you elaborate a little more on your making process — how does your artwork get from initial concept to exhibition stage?           

Once I’ve got an idea in my head, I pretty instantly need to make it. With my painting practice, it usually begins with me setting up a photoshoot, whether of myself, a friend or native plants found on walks. I grid up the photo as well as my canvas or panel and draw it all out. I’m sure there are quicker ways of achieving photorealism, like using a projector, but it’s how I learned way back when and I’m reluctant to change it. I’m usually pretty impatient at this point as I just want to get painting, but once it's done, it’s on to the colour. I used to paint one small section at a time, but 5 or 6 years ago started painting in layers to slowly build up the detail as I go which definitely gives more of a sense of satisfaction as the whole canvas is covered in paint a lot sooner!

Who or what are the biggest influences on your work? 

I’m mostly a portrait painter and am at the front end of what feels like a long-lasting relationship with self-portraiture based on a lot of self-reflection, so that’s certainly an influence. Travel and my expat identity also play a big role.

How do you keep your creative juices flowing? How do you push past creative block?

I have a number of different creative avenues that I’m interested in, both visual and performing, so I tend to float between them. When I’m full of creative energy but lacking in inspiration, I just make—create and paint a still life from random objects around the house, build a table, make jewellery—not necessarily for the end goal, but to be in the process of creating something. Inspiration usually follows. Of course, it also helps that I work full-time as a graphic designer, so I can allow myself to take extended periods away from painting if I’m not feeling inspired.

Can you tell us a little more about your creative working environment/studio?

For many, many years my ‘studio' was whatever space I could eke out in my bedroom or whatever sharehouse I was living in. I now have a very large desk in another room in the house—feels luxurious! A sort of office, painting / pyrography / clay building / printmaking space / dance studio… whatever I need it to be in the moment. Organised chaos, but with a door I can close.

How does where you grew up, or where you live now affect your art?

Where I grew up and the multiple cities I’ve lived in have created a sense of self that definitely makes its way into my self-portraiture. Also living in Australia and being so close to nature, discoveries and native plant life found on my daily COVID walks have made their way into my still life works.

 If you could go on an Artist’s Residency anywhere in the world, where would that be and why?

It’s not really something I’ve looked into, but somewhere in Europe maybe.

What’s next for you after your time at Brunswick Street Gallery? What upcoming projects are you working on now?

I’m currently painting another self-portrait in oil as well as trying egg tempera for the first time.

What does your selection as one of the winners of this SMALL WORKS ART PRIZE mean to you, and to the future of your practice? 

It’s a great boost and encourages me to put my work out there more, do more exhibitions and try for more art prizes!

Awarded the Honourable Mention – Chapman & Bailey Prize, Brittany Jones will receive a $400 voucher for services from Chapman & Bailey.

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SMALL WORKS ART PRIZE: ALEXANDRA SLOANE

Alexandra Sloane is a contemporary artist from New South Wales, Australia.

She is the recipient of the Honourable Mention – Hound and Bone Prize at Brunswick Street Gallery’s Small Works Art Prize.

What medium(s) do you work with, and why have you chosen them?

I predominantly focus on painting and drawing within my art practice. When I engage with painting, It gives me the potential to revitalise the image and reconsider the narrative. Through painting, I attempt to regain autonomy over images, especially when those images pertain to my own self and experience as a feminine subject.

Can you elaborate a little more on your making process — how does your artwork get from initial concept to exhibition stage?           

In the painting Cramp, I worked from a photograph I had taken whilst I was exploring awkwardness and discomfort as it arises within the performance of femininity. The photograph was taken as I was challenging and manipulating my physical body into positions of discomfort, balancing on a stool so as to create tension between my body's intentions and the movements and positions actualised. I set-up the self-timer to continuously take photos as I challenged the materiality of my body, forcing myself to endure this long and uncomfortable process of self-objectification. With these photographs, I narrowed my focus onto specific sections of the image which encapsulated the awkwardness and bodily contortion, and painted the image. Through painting, I was able to reconsider the discomfort of the performance and the awkwardness of self-imaging and self-construction. The image is no longer a representation of the experience, but instead becomes imbued with my presence and signature, becoming not only an image of discomfort and awkwardness, but infused with it in its very construction. It becomes “cramped” and constrained within the small dimensions of the painting, forever limited by the narrow space offered by the artworks size. The cropping is ambiguous and the application of paint creates a tension in its struggle for depth and volume. The image extends beyond representation and instead becomes an object of awkwardness itself.

Who or what are the biggest influences on your work? 

My main influencers are Kiki Smith, Tracey Emin, Nicole Eisenman, Lucian Freud. However, I also find much inspiration from photographic artists including Juno Calypso, Rineke Dijkstra and Wolfgang Tilmans.

How do you keep your creative juices flowing? How do you push past creative block?

 Whenever I struggle with creative block I seem to begin procrastinating in fear of the failures I undoubtedly expect. So, I instead put this energy into “smart” procrastination, which involves me watching movies, reading books and looking at artworks that inspire me. If that doesn’t work then I just start drawing in my diary, and trust that ideas will come when they need to surface.

Can you tell us a little more about your creative working environment/studio?

 I currently work in my mum and dad’s garage with my dad's car on one's side of the space and myself on the other. I have a table and paints and a very cluttered space that I need to clean one day soon.

 If you could go on an Artist’s Residency anywhere in the world, where would that be and why?

London! I love all the contemporary artists currently residing in London and it would be amazing to learn from the environment they are all surrounded by. If not there, then perhaps Berlin or Paris.

What’s next for you after your time at Brunswick Street Gallery? What upcoming projects are you working on now?

I am currently working on a new series of works that further my explorations of femininity and the gendered performance, and its relationship to discomfort. I am intending to have a solo exhibition by the end of the year.

What does your selection as one of the winners of this SMALL WORKS ART PRIZE mean to you, and to the future of your practice? 

I am so thrilled to have been awarded with an Honourable Mention: Hound & Bone Prize. It has given me more confidence in my work and practice, and a newfound excitement to continue exploring and challenging myself in every aspect of my art practice. To be shown at The Brunswick Street Gallery is also a massive privilege and I am beyond proud to be shown in such a contemporary and exciting gallery, one I have adored and followed for some time prior to this show.

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Awarded the Honourable Mention – Hound & Bone Prize, as selected by the team at Hound & Bone, Alexandra Sloane will receive a $300 voucher for services from Hound & Bone Studio.

STOCKROOM SPOTLIGHT: JADE LISTER-BUTTLE

Jade is an Australian contemporary artist & proud descendant of the Mirning people from Kepa Kurl Country of South East Western Australia.

She is living and painting full-time in Boorloo/Perth on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar land + in 2020 she has showcased works at her first solo exhibition ‘Dreamland’ opening at Perth gallery Pig Melon this past November. She has also been a part of group exhibitions in 2 states in Australia and one recent International Charity Art Auction.

In her life, Jade has had a deep love for art and a curiousness for the ethereal. A sense of a world beyond what the eye can see. Dreamland, her debut solo exhibition is a collection of paintings that would explore this idea - Early days of one's existence - made of colour, sound and light. A time before language, a world which is a blur of senses. Innocence in newness, unscathed. Open-hearted and awoken to this earthly plane.

Tell us a bit about what a day may look like for you as an artist. Where are you based and what are some of the things that you do in your daily routine? Tell us about your morning rituals, your cup of tea/coffee, plants, etc!

This year I have worked from shared artist studios & from home. I find I am at my deepest calm and connected with my painting when I am in an environment that inspires, from the sounds of soft music, the feel of light coming through a window, to the smell of the morning studio coffee & of the paints as they set on to the canvas, this all in alignment is what gets me in to the space to create. Other than this, my day is a mixture of intuitive processes including knowing when to take naps & walking my dog.

How did you start your creative practice and why? Are you self-taught, an art student, a full-time artist, etc? 

I have always dabbled in artistic processes, though last year in 2019 I decided to study full time and was accepted into the RMIT Diploma course. Though I have not continued on with these studies, I found it was here that I was really able to delve further into my ability, what type of art I enjoyed making and what type of art others enjoyed me making. I have definitely chosen the road of solitary creating, though receiving all high grades in my studies, I felt like the autonomy and independence of non-education based arts suited me well.

Have you got a studio/creative workplace? Tell us a bit about where you create and some of the significant things that support and inspire your practice.

I am currently in the process of buying my first home & on my list of requirements for this is a decent sized workspace! I love to paint large, and right now - I am working on some larger scale pieces from my West Leederville 1bdrm Apartment! I am lucky to have a decent sized balcony but there are many moments that I dream of on an on ground concrete floor. I was in shared spaces earlier in the year, but to save money I decided to scale some things back. Environment really is important to my practice - I am inspired by light, sound, smell. All of the senses alight. 

What are some of the ideas that you explore in your work and the mediums that you have chosen to work with?
The main concept which always comes to me, and perhaps I will always go back to it, is about expressing early childhood senses and memory through abstraction and colour and light. The earliest days of existence where all is a swirl of sense, languageless & infinite. When I paint, I am able to reach a deep state of peace that I cannot find with much else. Perhaps the feeling of the sun on my face, pure and energising. This idea, and the exploration of existence has always been deeply rooted in my natural curiosities. Thus, it is an idea I could explore for my entire career as an artist and in life in general. 

In an increasingly digitized world, how important is your online presence? And what are some of the things that you consider when marketing your work?

I have found how amazing it has been for my practice, to be able to connect and to share my work and to hear the kind words from people I don’t even know inspires me a lot. I have never felt more connected on social media spaces than I have now, I feel like what I am sharing I really believe in and care about and the opportunities that have presented themselves in such a short amount of time really blow me away. I love to connect with other artists, I have paid for a promotion a couple of times, when I first released prints, and I think because of the content people would actually engage. I haven’t done that for some time though and would prefer to come across people without having to spend the money. It sometimes can seem painstaking to build an audience but if even one person reaches out to you and your art has affected them positively then how nice is that. I definitely try to see social media as a positive tool and I completely tailor what I see so that I am keeping the values and beliefs that are true to me, true to what I engage with.

Let us know about any current/future projects – Have you got anything planned in the near future? 

I have just had my debut solo exhibition here in Perth, WA at an amazing little independent gallery called Pig Melon. This was a huge part of my last few months, but looking into the future I have works going to a gallery in Sydney (Curatorial & Co) and works going to you guys in Melbourne to show, which I am beyond excited about. I have also been approached by a pretty reputable online store about collaborating on an exclusive collection. I am taking a little break from selling until then. I want to just breathe and enjoy the summer, be inspired and re-energised for 2021. I will always be painting something but I definitely wrapping this year up, sitting back and feeling into what next year will bring.

ARTIST PROFILE: IAN KINGSFORD-SMITH

Ian Kingsford-Smith is an artist based in Sydney, Australia. Ian has studied painting with a number of leading New Zealand painters including Colin McCahon, Michael Smither and Toss Woollaston while living and exhibiting in New Zealand. Moving to Sydney in 2000 Ian continued his art practice with exhibitions  in painting and printmaking in Florence Italy, New York USA, Melbourne, Cairns and Auckland NZ, and as a finalist in the Australian Contemporary Art Award 2016. Ian’s work is represented in private and corporate collections in South Korea, Italy, USA, Sweden, France, Germany, Wales, England, New Zealand and Australia.

What medium(s) do you work with, and why have you chosen them?

I work in a variety of media, from copper etchings, wood engravings to acrylics and oils on wood, to linocuts, Employing such a range of materials gives me the opportunity to realise my vision and bring it vividly to life for the viewer. The choice of medium relates to what is demanded by the artwork itself.

Can you elaborate a little more on your making process — how does your artwork get from initial concept to exhibition stage?

I see myself as a visual storyteller. “In my art practice, history, personal history, memory, family records, ambitions, fantasy, dreams, mythology and spirituality” all combine to create enigmatic narratives. They are detailed but do not tell one explicit story, rather they tap into the viewer’s imagination and evoke a multitude of possible storylines. Each of the artworks evokes a larger story and meaning through an ability of colour, line and scale.

Who or what are the biggest influences to your work?

My professional experience as television presenter, director, producer and interactive TV consultant has had a significant influence on my art practice. In television storytelling sequences of events are selected and constructed with a beginning, middle and end so that the viewer is taken on a journey that will immerse them in the world of the subject. In my art practice, history, personal history, memory, family records, ambitions, fantasy, dreams, mythology and spirituality construct the visual narrative. They are image fragments in a non-linear representation of the subject that is both symbolic and spiritual. As with remembered memory, fact and fiction, these narratives are prone to be distorted, amplified, fragmented, morphed, disjointed, fractured, compressed in time and in juxtaposed locations or countries. 

Each standalone work whether an etching or painting uses this methodology to construct the visual narrative.

How do you keep your creative juices flowing? How do you push past creative block?

My current interest in art spans early cultures including Egyptian, Roman, Medieval period through to German expressionism. My in-depth research and the visiting of museums in particular archaeological museums assist in the initial creative processes. 

What’s next for you after your time at Brunswick Street Gallery? What upcoming projects are you working on now?

Currently I am working on a series of paintings and prints that have been influenced by Egyptian cartonnage and that early Roman statues were initially highly painted and decorated. I have created life-size papier mache heads, moulded male and female hands, etc. These are painted in accordance with the style demanded by my research and drawings and the artworks themselves.  I am now working on a series of drawings that will translate into wood engravings and linocuts. These artworks will be completed for a 2021 exhibition.

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Ian Kingsford-Smith’s Wood Engravings is currently exhibited at Brunswick Street Gallery from 4–20 December 2020.

STOCKROOM SPOTLIGHT: DARCY MCCRAE

Darcy McCrae is an Australian artist, based between the Northern Rivers and the Gulf Of Carpentaria, making paintings with motivations from folk, primitive and naive art. A self taught painter, Darcy creates works using mainly acrylics on canvas and linen to create bold artworks in a lo-fi naive style. His work has been exhibited in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and his hometown of Mullumbimby.

Tell us a bit about what a day may look like for you as an artist. Where are you based and what are some of the things that you do in your daily routine? Tell us about your morning rituals, your cup of tea/coffee, plants, etc!

The paintings in this series were created while living in Doomadgee, an Aboriginal shire in the Gulf of Carpentaria in Queensland. My paintings schedule is based around my time not working, I usually work all day and paint all night, spending my weekends paintings on the floor of my kitchen which has the best light.

How did you start your creative practice and why? Are you self-taught, an art student, a full-time artist, etc? 

I am a self taught artist, starting out drawing in high school and experimented along the way with different mediums and surfaces. Reading the books has taught me some techniques, also a lot of trial and error is involved.

Have you got a studio/creative workplace? Tell us a bit about where you create and some of the significant things that support and inspire your practice.

I don’t have a studio at the moment, when I live up north I paint on the floor on canvas rolls I get freighted up from Melbourne, and once the works are completed I post them to Gareth at Blue Boy framing in Mullumbimby to be stretches and framed. When I’m back on the East Coast, I paint where I can, usually under friends’ houses or anywhere with a table. It can be challenging not having a space but I think you need to be able to work anywhere, it’s not something that can wait for inspiration it should be done all the time. I usually get an idea of what I will paint and work it out with charcoal on paper, then work quickly on canvas to keep it raw and natural. I’m inspired by the colour and feeling of things I see in the places I live.

What are some of the ideas that you explore in your work and the mediums that you have chosen to work with?

My paintings contain a lot of still life, female figures and animals. I paint my wife a lot in my work and the still life paintings are from photos I take. These subjects have been represented in painting for an age and I try to create a version of this in a way that is representative of my emotional state at the time – subconsciously or otherwise. Painting in acrylic allows me to work fast to capture the imagined image and as it is fast drying, it makes it easy to transport while I move around.

In an increasingly digitized world, how important is your online presence? And what are some of the things that you consider when marketing your work?

Having an online presence is definitely a big part of the process for me. It allows me to have a direct relationship to people who like my work. Instagram has really become a platform for emerging artists and has helped me to meet other artists and galleries which I never would have otherwise. Living in an isolated part of the country, it is pretty amazing to send current works out to be seen online to people around the world. I don’t really have a game plan when it comes to marketing online, I just post new paintings and at the moment people have a positive response which I am thankful for.

Let us know about any current/future projects – Have you got anything planned in the near future?

This year, I have been lucky enough to have the time to make a lot of paintings and to work on a larger scale. I have new works currently being framed to send to galleries in Sydney and Melbourne which is very exciting. I’m working on a new paint series and also some wooden relief carvings which will be for an exhibition in the new year.

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Visit our Stockroom to view our collection of works by Darcy McCrae.

STOCKROOM SPOTLIGHT: JEDDA CLAY

Jedda Clay began her journey with clay with a need to create. After running a business in a small office and confined to the four walls every day, Jedda felt the need to expand beyond this, which inevitably lead her back to the core of our natural environment, earth. Each day, Jedda builds with the earth from her home studio on the Sunshine Coast, creating with a hand coiling process and experimenting with the age-old practice of wheel throwing. Each and every work from Jedda Clay is unique and hand-made with love, to bring the earth back into our homes.

Tell us a bit about what a day may look like for you as an artist. Where are you based and what are some of the things that you do in your daily routine? Tell us about your morning rituals, your cup of tea/coffee, plants, etc!

A day in a life for me is usually waking up around 6am, washing my face and then making a cup of tea. I usually go to a HITT Pilates class in the morning, then after that, I'll jump into the ocean. On my way home I'll pop into ‘Clay Noosa’ and either pick up a load from the kiln or put a load on. After all of this, I finally get into my work. I usually start off with replying to emails and packing any orders I have for that day. When I hand build, I work from my balcony, so I'm usually on the balcony for most of the day, being able to enjoy the day while working. I always listen to music and when I'm feeling a bit lazy, I'll watch Netflix hehe. Halfway through the day I'll pop onto the wheel which is underneath my balcony. I like doing this to break up my day. I'll usually finish work around 4-5pm, when I'll start cooking dinner, have a shower and recline on the couch for the rest of the night.

How did you start your creative practice and why? Are you self-taught, an art student, a full-time artist, etc?

I started doing clay a couple of years ago with some friends at their homes. I ended up absolutely loving it and pursued it on my own. I am self-taught with all my creative outlets, including pottery. I always find YouTube gives you so many great tools and knowledge for any interest you might have at that moment in your life.

Have you got a studio/creative workplace? Tell us a bit about where you create and some of the significant things that support and inspire your practice.

At the moment I've set up my studio on my balcony. I love the feeling of being outside while creating, it makes work feel so easy. Although, I am in desperate need of a studio space, as I'm starting to take over the whole house with my ceramics!

What are some of the ideas that you explore in your work and the mediums that you have chosen to work with?

I enjoy movements of curves and flow within nature, which is explored through my ceramics. I like to create with my favourite white raku clay and a dark stoneware, although every now and then I'll buy a new clay body and if I like it, then I'll work with that a bit more. At the moment I buy ready-made glazes but as soon as I have more time, I'm going to start experimenting with the making of glazes, as this is more unique, affordable and a time saver.

In an increasingly digitized world, how important is your online presence? And what are some of the things that you consider when marketing your work?

I think we are so lucky that we have social media to share our creative outlet to the world and to bring the creative community closer. I like to keep into consideration authenticity and personality, being aligned to my identity, as at the end of the day my work is an expression of my own creativity.

Let us know about any current/future projects – Have you got anything planned in the near future?

Once this crazy year has finished and I have more time on my hands, I'd like to start using more colours, create new shapes and focus on getting more stock for my website. I’d also possibly like to even do glass ware… but who knows where I'll be and what I'll be doing in the near future!

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Visit our Stockroom to view our collection of works by Jedda Clay.

ARTIST PROFILE: CARA COOMBE

Cara Coombe is a Fine Art Photographer based in Brisbane, Australia. Coombe’s practice sits within a biographical framework, exploring the concepts of gender, sexuality, mental health, and personal, family and socio-cultural identities. Coombe currently holds a Bachelors and Honours degree in Photography from the Queensland College of Art.

Who or what are the biggest influences to your work?

Artistically, I’ve always sought out female artists to influence my practice. Ever since I was a small child I’ve been infatuated with Frida Kahlo and her practice. I believe Kahlo’s biographic nature in her work inspired my early practice and allowed myself to be more vulnerable with my own work. As I first began to explore photography at the age of 17, I was especially drawn to Francesca Woodman’s practice. This time in my life was very difficult for me as I battled with the decline of my mental health and Woodman was unabashed by her own mental health when constructing her imagery. 

On a personal note, my family influences my practice in a major sense. I don’t think we can escape our families, whether we want to or not! In essence we are an amalgamation of them, all of their successes and downfalls, it all comes back to us, and I’m incredibly close with my family so it would be impossible to steer away from that.

How does where you grew up, or where you live now affect your art?

I was originally born in Bristol, England, and moved to Brisbane when I was 8 years old. Even though my father was Australian, we never had any family in Australia, other than my grandparents at the time who we would not see often due to location. My grandparents are gone now so it is ultimately just myself, my brother and parents, and I’ve always found that hard. I often feel like an outcast, like I don’t really belong here and I’m very honest about that. I think that lends itself to my practice as I aspire to produce universal imagery, images that regardless of personal differences people can connect with. 

How do you keep your creative juices flowing? How do you push past creative block?

This is something I’ve always struggled with, especially this year. Like many other people, 2020 couldn’t have been more different from what I had planned. I always have this crude saying in the back of my mind - feel free to remove it from the article if you like! But, if you have to force a fart, it’s probably shit. You can’t force yourself to be creative or to produce masterpieces when the world is falling apart or if you just don’t feel like it. Make for the sake of making, sometimes I won’t pick up my camera for a month, but I’ll draw or paint because it is something I feel no pressure to be ‘good’ at and I’ll just enjoy the process of making. Then, one day life will throw something my way, good or bad, and it’s almost like a little timer that goes off in my head and I’m back! My ideas are racing a million a moment and no one or nothing can interrupt that flow. 

If you could go on an Artist’s Residency anywhere in the world, where would that be and why?

In July this year, I was accepted into a residency in Paris, France, with L’AiR Arts. That is where I would love to be right now, however, the world needs to heal and I know Paris will be waiting for me once it does. 

What’s next for you after your time at Brunswick Street Gallery? What upcoming projects are you working on now?

As I mentioned previously, 2020 has definitely stunted my practice creatively. However, I’m currently in the process of acknowledging and seeking treatment for chronic pain I’ve had for several years now. This has inspired me creatively as it has occupied a significant amount of my time and energy lately. The concept of autonomy over our own bodies is fascinating to me and now that I am directly affected by it, even on such a minor scale, I feel as though I have a story to share and a voice to be heard, and I want to explore that. 

Human(e) by Cara Coombe is current until 1 December 2020.

STOCKROOM SPOTLIGHT: HILARY GREEN

Hilary Green is a Melbourne based, multidisciplinary artist working with clay, paint and film. Her work explores organic forms, and the concept of human manipulations of nature and colour. Her sculptural forms manifest mystical ancient shapes mixed with modern colours, playful positions and textures reminiscent of natural elements whilst remaining functional to represent timeless domesticity. Her paintings explore internal landscapes and mystic dreams inspired by feminist ideologies and the emotionality of social media. Her work often tells a story of transformation, imperfection and collective memory over time. 

Tell us a bit about what a day may look like for you as an artist. Where are you based and what are some of the things that you do in your daily routine? Tell us about your morning rituals, your cup of tea/coffee, plants, etc!

A perfect day for me being creative would always start with a cup of black coffee and my sketchbook. I am an avid sketchbook user. I draw ideas mixed in with to-do lists and thoughts that pop into my head. I would say that if  you look inside my sketchbook it is like looking inside my brain - a sometimes eclectic and messy place! It has taken me a while to realise how important this is for my practice but when I go over old sketchbooks I can see how my ideas slowly came to fruition.

Before lockdown I would try and walk to a local cafe to do this because there is something important about exercise and thinking as well as being around a buzz of activity for a short time. Most of my time creating is alone so it is good to break it up.

I often plan my day around the light and the weather. I need light to paint so I do that before 12 or photograph my ceramic work outside in the courtyard. I usually have ceramic work to pick up from the kiln and it is always a delight to see how it turned out. I sit and reflect on each piece and some mistakes give me ideas for the next collection. I love working with clay in the afternoon and night - sometimes late at night while watching a movie or listening to a podcast. I love working as much as possible but I am learning to also take breaks, play with my two cats, wind down and cook or go for a walk and find new flowers in the neighbourhood. At the moment I am dreaming of visiting a waterfall and taking some reference photos for a series of paintings, but that will have to wait for now. 

How did you start your creative practice and why? Are you self-taught, an art student, a full-time artist, etc? 

I have always been obsessed with art since I was a child. I think my strongest memories are when I was doing something tactile and messy like pastry, clay or sand sculptures at the beach. I did study a Bachelor of Fine Art Photography at university with drawing but had a long break from creating after that. I became a teacher and rediscovered a love of stop motion animation and film. Being around kids and watching them create gave me life again and I started painting and drawing. It wasn’t until I discovered some local artists on instagram and found a creative community that I became more aware of what is possible in Melbourne and the new mediums I could explore such as textiles and ceramics. I was able to do a few courses in ceramics and built up my knowledge. In my part time teaching role I work with a lot of digital art so doing ceramics and painting in my personal art practice is very important to me. Different creative ideas come from different mediums. Sometimes I decide a drawing would be better as a ceramic piece or a ceramic piece should be in a painting. It is a journey for me and I am so happy and grateful to be able to create work and access materials I need.

Have you got a studio/creative workplace? Tell us a bit about where you create and some of the significant things that support and inspire your practice.

I have two small creative spaces at home. One for painting and one for ceramics. I used to work in a shared studio space but now I find I work so much and into the night I am more productive at home. In my space I have learned to be somewhat  tidy and organised. Shelving is my new favourite thing. Making sure everything has its safe place. I try to keep things clean or else I become distracted when I sit down to work.It is also a safety issue in a ceramics studio to have too much mess. I make sure I have music or movies in the space so I can zone in on what I am doing. I sometimes like to set the mood by lighting a few homemade candles.  Anything that relaxes me is the aim. Some shelves have books from the op shop that inspired me, books no one else would be interested in like 70s flower arranging, cake decorating or dessert photography. But I mostly use pinterest to collect colour palette ideas, glaze formulas and ideas. I also have recently got a stand for my phone to help video my process and use  it with reference photos. I think it is important to photograph the process of a painting and also flip the image sometimes to check the composition balance is in harmony. I also take notes on my ceramic work but I sometimes forget!

What are some of the ideas that you explore in your work and the mediums that you have chosen to work with?

I am very  interested in history. Ancient memories, stories, mythologies and magic. It fascinates me that we can be touching rock that has been there for centuries and yet our day to day lives are on screens in a digital space. There is this old and new duality that exists. Our instincts, our domesticity, our relationships are all connected to the past. Working with clay is almost like telling a story from memory, trying to describe what once was.. I think that’s why I don’t  like perfect lines or forms. Nothing is exact because memory is not exact. The way culture is past down is a result of memory so I also feel that social media culture has a part in my work. Seeing how feminism takes new form in day to day life and how ideas around nature and beauty are represented. Oil paint and clay are both made up of minerals from the earth and I bend them to my creative will. I feel like human interference or manipulation of nature is something I think about when I create and I try to let nature win.

In an increasingly digitized world, how important is your online presence? And what are some of the things that you consider when marketing your work?

I think being online is everything to my work and practice. It has meant community for me and opening opportunities. It has taken me awhile to  understand how I want to represent my art online  but I think having a photographic background has helped me. I feel very happy with how my ceramic work is received online but It is frustrating that you can’t capture the experience of paintings  on social media. I think I always try new things to express myself online. I am interested in storytelling through film as a way of being playful and giving context to the rest of my work. I do think the best things I have done are to reach out to  people I admire, support their work and really know the local art community.Taking the online connections into real life, face to face relationships (when lockdown is over).  

Let us know about any current/future projects – Have you got anything planned in the near future? 

I am looking forward to a group show that I am curating with Frances Cannon at Tinning St Gallery in Brunswick. It will feature 15 local female artists and is titled “ A Drop of Dew on Her Glistening Web’.  It is a collective reflection about the home and as it has been postponed due to covid, when it does open we think it will be a heightened exploration of our time in lockdown as well. Hopefully in early 2021!

Other than that I am planning a new range of ceramic vases to be available and paired with XXflos floral bouquets. It is so amazing to work with a creative florist and see my vases matched perfectly with colourful everlastings. I will also have work at Sister Studios in Fitzroy next month.

I hope  to have a solo show next year but everything is on hold for now. I guess I will just keep making at home and cook up ideas. My favourite thing to do to get me through this time.

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Visit our Stockroom to view our collection of works by Hilary Green.

STOCKROOM SPOTLIGHT: AMELIA JANE

Amelia Jane is a multidisciplinary artist focusing primarily on graphic still life botanicals that utilise shape and style to explore mood in the domestic space. Each piece Amelia creates is a careful treasure, intentionally clashing her graphic impasto style against the soft organic forms of botanicals to create unique pieces that invite solace into the home.

Tell us a bit about what a day may look like for you as an artist. Where are you based and what are some of the things that you do in your daily routine? Tell us about your morning rituals, your cup of tea/coffee, plants, etc!

I recently made the move from Melbourne to West Gippsland and I am currently painting and studying from my studio at home. It’s so peaceful in our new place in Warragul, I am currently counting rosella’s that visit my backyard and I’m going to tempt more when I plant some Australian native plants and pop in a bird bath. 

How did you start your creative practice and why? Are you self-taught, an art student, a full-time artist, etc? 

I have completed a Diploma of Visual Arts and a Bachelor of Illustration between 2017-2019 and I am currently undertaking a Graduate Certificate in Business and wrapping up a Bachelor of Arts online through Deakin so I spend most of the morning studying and the afternoon planning and painting for my art practice. I love dividing my time between study and painting and I find the cross pollination between my humanities and visual arts studies enrich my practice. 

Have you got a studio/creative workplace? Tell us a bit about where you create and some of the significant things that support and inspire your practice. 

My studio is a work in progress, we built this home new, so I was able to designate a space just for creating and it’s just wonderful having space to plan and paint. It significantly helps creativity compared to painting late into the night in your bedroom (like I did during my undergraduate studies). 

What are some of the ideas that you explore in your work and the mediums that you have chosen to work with? 

I paint predominantly still life works featuring stylised botanicals in a graphic style. I enjoy intentionally clashing the organic shapes of my planty-friend subjects with my graphic impasto style which is inspired by a mixture of post-impressionist artist and comic art.

I paint mostly in acrylics; I love the flexibility and vibrancy of the medium. My paintings are concerned about the role décor and design has in our home, and the way in which we curate the spaces around us. As we are all spending a considerable amount of time at home due to the pandemic, the importance of how we curate our living spaces and what that says about us feels more pertinent than ever. The works from my Treasure Friends series specifically, created in late February, was pre-pandemic and celebrates our efforts to invite calm into our home through plants. 

In an increasingly digitized world, how important is your online presence? And what are some of the things that you consider when marketing your work?

I like to think of my online presence as another facet of my artistic practice, but not totally encompassing of it. For example, my Instagram feed offers a more personalised experience of my art as I post sketches, a variety of styles and silly bits from my life on my story. This differs greatly from my presence in an exhibition, and differently again to my presence on my own website (which is more of a portfolio with little commentary). Social media allows those who are interested to see a more personal side of my work and who I am, and I utilise different platforms to tell different stories about my work. 

Let us know about any current/future projects – Have you got anything planned in the near future?

I have. I have a series of paintings planned for released in late 2020/early 2021 featuring a brighter and bolder colour palette (think summery yellows and deep citrus oranges) that are inspired by the upcoming arrival of my first baby due in November. The future feels bright and in this time in space I am feeling inspired to explore a sense of celebration in the home through vibrant sunflowers, daffodils and daisies. This will be a celebration of colour, and these pieces will be another series of small works with high texture. 

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Visit our Stockroom to view our collection of works by Amelia Jane.

STOCKROOM SPOTLIGHT: INGRID K BROOKER

Ingrid K Brooker is a multidisciplinary artist from Preston, Melbourne. Ingrid’s practice ranges from animation and multimedia design, to traditional fine arts such as printmaking, sculpture, collage and painting.

Recently she’s been concentrating on creating sculptural works in wood, metal, wires and salvaged materials. Themes of identity, nature and connection underpin her constantly evolving practice.

Tell us a bit about what a day may look like for you as an artist. Where are you based and what are some of the things that you do in your daily routine? Tell us about your morning rituals, your cup of tea/coffee, plants, etc!

Mornings? What are they? I’m an extreme night owl. I also have Multiple Sclerosis which means I need to sleep about ten hours a night. The combination means I usually roll out of bed only just shy of noon. I’ve never been a morning person. But MS and the pandemic have shifted my waking times to the extreme. I have my coffee and breakfast while I look out at the garden and read the paper. By about 1pm I’m ready to get working.

My daily routine depends a lot on how my body is functioning. Having MS means that every day I wake up with a grab bag of different symptoms that can affect my energy, balance, coordination, cognition, dexterity and mood. I’m lucky that I’m a multidisciplinary artist as it allows me to adapt the type of work to whatever I can manage on any given day. On physically good days I like to work in my studio. At my best, I can do heavy work like sculpture using wood and concrete, or work that requires precision, like stop-motion animation or etching. On days when I have poor balance or shaky hands, I make sure to avoid using power tools, hammers or chisels! On days when my brain is clear and cognition is good, I attend to things that require concentration, like digital multimedia work, updating my website, cataloguing work, entering competitions and responding to interview questions like this.

On bad days, if I’m able, I like to curl up with my iPad to do digital drawings or animation so that I still feel like I’ve done something creative with my day. Every now and then I have a relapse where I’m totally out of action for around 3-6 weeks. During these times, even when I’m not well enough to sit up, I still try to connect with my creative practice. My iPad has been a godsend at these times, and I’ve managed sometimes to make small wire sculptures with the little energy I have. Staying creative helps me remain in the world and connected to my sense of identity and expression.

How did you start your creative practice and why? Are you self-taught, an art student, a full- time artist, etc? 

I’ve always had a passion for creating. I’m a mixture of self-taught and academically trained. I studied art and music in VCE, however my school had no facilities for teaching any animation, digital media or filmmaking. It was the olden days. So, at age 16 I started taking myself off to night classes at the CAE and holiday courses to learn these crafts. I’ve been tinkering away at them ever since.

My tertiary education is a bit of a rambling patchwork with time out for travel, work, grief and other endeavours. The main beats are completing a Diploma of Multimedia at Swinburne TAFE and a Bachelor of Animation and Interactive Media at RMIT. I also spent some time in a Bachelor of Fine Arts at RMIT doing a split major in New Media and Sculpture but somehow sort of slipped out of that before I made it to the finish line. My career is currently an even balance between a professional fine art practice and professional multimedia business, as well as personal and professional animation projects.

Have you got a studio/creative workplace? Tell us a bit about where you create and some of the significant things that support and inspire your practice.

My studio is a single-car garage at the back of my house which I’ve modified a little to suit my needs. I’m lucky to have this space and it serves me well. However, it’s my life’s dream to have a bigger studio space with natural light and a view out to nature. I love having my own space to be as creative and messy and noisy as I like. When you have a space like this – a dedicated hideaway where you can have your equipment and materials set up and where you can separate yourself from other people – it’s much easier to dedicate yourself to your work and produce more art. The main set-up and function of my studio changes depending on what projects I’m working on. Sometimes it’s set up for stop-motion animation, with lights, tripods and cameras, and miniature models, characters and sets. When I’m making bird sculptures, the bench and floors are covered with tin and wire. At other times it’s set up for printmaking or painting. Part of my dream of a bigger studio is to have dedicated spaces that can remain set up for each activity, making it easier to switch between them.

What are some of the ideas that you explore in your work and the mediums that you have chosen to work with?

There are two major themes that seem to continually run through my work: nature and self. I love nature and have a particular interest in birds. I’m an amateur bird spotter and photographer in my spare time. I’m very passionate about the environment and how to protect it. While my bird sculptures are not particularly conceptual, I do try to use this aspect of my art to raise awareness about endangered species, habitat protection and other environmental issues. The other main theme, which I’ve summarised as ‘self’, is an ongoing exploration of concepts related to identity, sense of place, sense of home, containment and the boundaries between our inner and external worlds. I love working with salvaged and repurposed materials. Concrete, tin, red gum, wire and found objects are perennial mediums for me throughout my sculpture and animation.

In an increasingly digitized world, how important is your online presence? And what are some of the things that you consider when marketing your work?

The digital world is incredibly important. Having an online presence allows me to reach audiences all around the world and be part of communities brought together by common interests rather than common geography. Many of the big opportunities and best feedback I’ve had during my career are through people seeing my work online. It’s an invaluable space to be able to showcase your work and connect and communicate with people with whom your work resonates.

Let us know about any current/future projects – Have you got anything planned in the near future?

Who knows what’s on the horizon at the moment? Because of my already compromised health, I’m being extremely cautious about COVID-19, and can’t see that I’ll be back in the world in a normal capacity for a while yet. I’ve used lockdown to finally get around to creating an online shop, so I’m putting works up there as I create them. Having more time at home has given me more time to spend in the studio … so I’ll have a couple of exhibition’s worth of work ready before too long. Watch this space.

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Visit our Stockroom to view our collection of works by Ingrid K Brooker.