New gouache, Gum Tree
I’m writing to you from a train bound for Shepparton, which I nearly missed, a combination of factors but mainly fooffing around at home deciding on what knitting to take on my little journey, but I’m settled in now for the next two and a half hours, knitting, coffee and my notebook to write you a letter. I love train travel, paddocks whizzing by, noticing details of this landscape I’ve driven through literally thousands of times but with eyes on the road. This feels so special to just sit and look. I’m heading into the SAM to see the Archibald then D will pick me up and we’ll head to the farm where he has been working on his own for the past few days, he spends so much time up here by himself, just him and his wild cat, who isn’t so wild but we could never take her home, to the city, she’d be miserable.
Joan
It’s taken me a while to get back into my studio after my last show. I spent some time away with my Mum and am annoyed with myself for spending way too much time refreshing the exhibition catalogue, nothing I can do, other than hold tight to the belief that I was happy with the work and now I have to move on, walk over that bridge as we say. I’ve been gesso-ing pages of a new sketchbook and painting with acrylics and charcoal, my favourite way to “draw”. It feels good to get back into those pages and think about new work. I spent yesterday on an underpainting, fiddling around for the entire day, knowing in my heart I really wasn’t happy with it. I went to the movies with my girls, you will love Sense and Sensibility, it is just so beautiful. Anyway, got home, marched out to my studio and wiped the whole thing off. When you know you know. I picked up my drawing oil and did a very quick outline and knew immediately, that was going to be a better painting. I love it when that happens.
It’s so tough out there, for everyone, I hear you. Your last letter absolutely resonated but you are amazing at looking at other ways to supplement your income, diversify, you pull your socks up Lizzie, I really admire that about you. I wallow for a bit longer. But it’s time to nurture our skills isn’t it, pour over art books, draw, watch aspirational videos of other painters, put my phone down, talk to our art friends, lift each other. I know easier said than done but it still must be said. Do you ever watch the Louisiana Channel on YouTube? Interviews with artists in their studios, it’s so good and so addictive. I heard an artist say, “accept your skills”. That’s the best advice I’ve heard for so long, always comparing myself to other painters, thinking, oh I could never do that, no, I probably couldn’t but I can do this and that’s enough. Be happy to see the world in our own way, be kinder to our own visual language. Write that on our studio wall.
Noticed how much we text the other day, so nice to have each other in our studios too, flicking things back and forth, So grateful to you Lizzie. I’m going to do a little drawing now, looking out the window, a quick little sketch, thinking of Bonnard’s beautiful little drawing notes, love them so much.
X Stacey
Self Portrait
View from the Train the Shepparton
Spring through the Studio Door
On the Train
Drawing oils
New Sketchbook
Farm Table
