Looking to the future

The closing day of CODA, at Stephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne on Saturday, February 8 couldn’t have ended on a happier note. 

Pictured above, L-R: Spring Growth and Acanthus, both 2024, acrylic on canvas panel, 30.5 x 30.5 cm.

CODA also featured works by Helen McInnis, Peter Brook, Robert Colvin, Nicholas Elliott and Warren Nichols. 

A big thank you to Stephen for having us. 

CODA and WAYS OF BEING, my solo exhibition that immediately preceded it, marked the first stage of a new beginning. 

Now to move on to the next phase with an open mind, a stout heart, a free spirit, and as little baggage as possible, remembering always the importance of play and experimentation, of trusting in the process and myself. It will require stepping back for awhile and working in my own good time, free from the constraints of external deadlines. I’m excited (and not a little nervous) to see where it will take me.

Photo credit for top image: Shane Jones.

Whereabouts - Closing Event

Here are few shots from yesterday afternoon’s delightful closing event for Whereabouts - Printmakers Respond at the Art Gallery of Ballarat. (See previous post).

Pictured top, L-R: myself with fellow Goldfields Printmakers and Whereabouts artists, Dianne Longley and Jimmy Pasakos. There was a terrific opening address by Cathy Leahy, Senior Curator of Prints and Drawings at the National Gallery of Victoria, acknowledging the long history and significance of exhibition curator Rona Green’s print portfolios. (Pictured below). 

It was great to catch up with the Whereabouts artists en masse - so many of them are old friends. There was a message from Rona Green, who wasn’t able to join us, in which she declared ‘Printmakers are the best!’ She has it the wrong way round - I reckon that’s what printmakers feel about Rona. 

As an added treat, Shane Jones and I spent some quality time afterwards with Whereabouts artists, Warrnambool-based Glenn Morgan and Matthew Clarke. I hope we can do it again soon.

A fine send off for BACKSTORIES

Following are some treasured memories of the last day of Backstories at Stephen McLaughlan Gallery on Sunday, October 31.

Upon arrival, I paused to photograph the welcoming vase of flowers outside Stephen’s gallery, a touch I’ve always loved. Just as I pressed the shutter, the man himself appeared in the doorway. 

Catching up with friends (views 2 - 5) was the highlight of the afternoon. In the group shot below, L-R, are Shane Jones, John Waller, Vanessa Taylor, Stephen McLaughlan, Damon Kowarsky, Priscilla Ambrosini and James Harrison. It was also terrific to chat to some of the folk (not pictured) who dropped by to collect the works they had acquired. 

Before heading home, Shane and I had an impromptu meal upstairs at Chloe’s Bar in the historic pub Young and Jackson (final view below). We practically had the place to ourselves - there were more staff than patrons - but we did get to hang out with the infamous Chloé, painted by Jules Joseph Lefebvre in 1875. Many thanks to the waiter who took the following shot.

Other photo credits for this post: myself, Shane Jones and James Harrison. 

All in all, it was a memorable day.