Earlier today a letter arrived, one I have been waiting for anxiously for seven. long. days.
Last week I submitted two of my paintings into the Mid West Art Prize, and guess what? One of them was accepted! Woohoo, very big happy dances over here! Although I must say it was a bitter sweet experience as one of my dear friends did not get accepted. This is hot on the heels of some discussions I’ve been having with friends lately about the subjectiveness of art and wether it is deemed to be ‘good’ or ‘liked’ in the art world. It’s tough isn’t it? One person may love a piece that another one dislikes. It can be a rocky road at times… Something I’m learning more about in the Hello Soul, Hello Business course is that authenticity is key. Being accutely aware of why we do what we do, and making sure that our internal compass is set to our true north to direct us on our soul path is the most important part of being in a creative biz. If we are swayed by what other people think, and paint what we think may be liked, or accepted then in the end it will all come undone. I know that my friend has painted her true authentic beautiful self, and her pieces although not accepted, were amazing. So i take my hat off to her for being such a great example of being steadfast and focused on the big picture.
Defining my creative language, my accent, my true style. These have been key for me in the past year. And the reason why I’m particularly happy about this piece, is because I believe it’s my best work so far.
“See ‘Im Dog Tree Miss?” Acrylic on canvas 1.2 m x 1.2m
It was inspired by a few different ideas and experiences. For starters, you may recall that I’m doing an on-line course in surface pattern and design. This is something I’m new to, and absolutely love and want to develop further. So I knew that with this piece, I wanted to incorporate a repeat pattern of some description, and have a play with pattern in paint.
Secondly, I have a very distinct memory from a time when I was teaching in a remote Aboriginal community in the Kimberley. Each friday, we (linguist, female elders, children and myself) would pile into the troopies and head off to a pre-determined place where we’d hear dreaming stories, make billy tea or cook damper or gather bush tucker. It was a time rich in culture and it was my absolute favourite part of the week. I remember travelling those dusty gravel roads and loving the banter of the children, the dry wind in my face and the beautiful desert scenery. There was one point along the road which followed a plateau with trees silhouetted on top. Each time we passed there, the kids would get excited and exclaim “see ‘im dog tree miss? See im, see im???!!!” and get really excited when I could make out the distinct shape of a dog’s head for a brief moment when the angle was just right! Can you see the dog tree?
I also wanted to paint the background with intention rather than let it just unfurl on its own. I wanted it to resemble the colours of the sunset as that too is a resonating image from my time spent ‘up north’.
This memory reminded me of the times I would lye on my back as a young girl and make pictures from the clouds. I loved that. And so there you have it, that is the story behind this piece.
And d’you know what? If I dont win any prizes, then I’m completely ok with that. I’m just so honoured to know that one of my paintings will be hanging on the wall in the regional art gallery – completely and utterly chuffed!
XDH
I’m really excited about the possibilities that are whirring around in my brain to explore more of this new style I see emerging in my work, and also the direct intention to start to incorporate pattern and design as well. 
