Open Studio

Interior of the Pool Studio showing Nicola's work table (left) and Susan's work table (right)

Interior of Pool Studio with partial view of Choose Your Day innovative shelving.

We have opened our studio over the weekend to give friends and family around Melbourne the opportunity to see the works we have made so far during our stay at Montsalvat.
Open studios often cause some angst as artists show both finished and unfinished works and allow visitors into their private space, the studio. However, it has been a good opportunity to watch visitors as they engage with the works and to have the opportunity to talk a little about the work.
The weather project is one which focuses more than most of our previous exhibitions on public engagement both with the works and the topic so it has been rewarding to see that visitors do engage with the works.

On Collaboration and the Benefits of an extra pair of Hands

Since arriving at Montsalvat a major part of our time has been spent on a large site specific work for our exhibition at Tweed River Gallery in 2012.
The work consists of 4 large panels each approximately 3.4 m x 1.4 m, and, while it was often only feasible for one of us to work on the work so as to provide uniformity of surface, the constant interchange of ideas and assessment as the work progressed seemed to be easier and faster than when one works alone. The large panels would have been almost impossible for one person to move or hang.

Susan Buret & Nicola Moss, Work in Progress, 2011, 4 panels each approx 3.4 m x 1.4 m.

The above image shows the four panels attached to the wall by the very agile Nicola while I held the rickerty kitchen table that served as a ladder and passed tools and implements. At this point, early in the process, we had begun to experiment with a variety of paper cut forms as we worked towards the final image. 

For the first few days after arriving at Montsalvat we worked on Choose Your Day, a multi-panelled work on paper on which we had collaborated  via mail and email. It felt a bit like Christmas as we each unpacked the panels we had each been holding and spread them on the floor. I (Susan Buret) had been coating dutch rag paper with cyanotype chemicals and exposing them to various weather conditions in southern New South Wales. I then made gouache additions to some of the works before forwarding them to Nicola Moss in South east Queensland for further additions and to be assembled into a multi-panelled.
With a few more additions and an elaborate assemblage of fishing wire and bulldog clips we constructed the final 15 panel work  which now hangs on the lime washed roughly rendered  stone in the poolside studio.

Choose Your Day, 2011, (Detail 4 of 15 panels), weather exposed cyanotype chemicals and gouache on dutch rag paper,

150 cm x 250 cm approx.

Eltham Tuesday 11 October

Today it was cool and partly overcast with maximum temperatures in the mid teens in Eltham, Victoria.
It is now a week since Queensland artist Nicole Moss and I arrived at Montsalvat Artists Colony east of Melbourne to begin a four week residency to continue working on our collaborative project which examines and records weather observations and changing perceptions of weather and it's impact on our lives.
Earlier work had looked at weather as almost peripheral force in our day to day lives, a phenomenon which was often relegated to polite conversation. However in the last year many Australians have experienced violent extremes of weather conditions which impacted strongly on day to day life. It is the malevolent and uncontolable aspects of weather that we have decided to look at during the residency.
In future posts I will record some of the work and ideas we are developing during the residency.
In the meantime here are a few images of Montsalvat.
Monsalvat is a huge and rambling complex of buildings constructed in the 1930s and it would be very easy to shoot hundreds of images on a quick walk through the picturesque gardens. Here are just three.

Nicola's bedroom is just under the spired tower.

My bedroom and studio are through the open door to the left of the barn. The main part of the barn is occupied by Chris the guitar maker.

The gardens are occupied by geese, ducks and noisy peacocks.

    

Weather Tuesday 11th October - Montsalvat

I haven't experienced the cliched four seasons in one day yet in Melbourne, more like two and a half. This morning was cool enough that I could see the warm vapour of my breath. The day warmed up with some lovely sunshine, interspersed with the occasional overcast period. Light rain fell in the afternoon with the air temperature dropping rapidly as soon as sunlight was gone. I must say it has been very pleasant the last week, with fine days and warm sunshine, not much wind and only occasional showers. I brought all my woollies expecting cold, but so far there hasn't been much need....we'll see how the next week goes.
Melbourne is looking beautifully green with trees unfurling fresh Spring leaves and bursts of colorful flowers filling garden beds. One thing I have noticed is how clear the air is without humidity or heat haze to 'fuzz' the horizon.

Weather Tuesday 20th September 2011

After a bit over a week away, I came back to 32 degrees and brilliant sunshine, thankfully no humidity yet. What a difference a couple of weeks can make, the comfortable cooler air has ended and warmer summer days are on the way. The Spring equinox seems to sneak up on me each year, coming not long after the end of winter, making me think our segregated seasons are not so apt in the subtropics. Bees are buzzing, native trees are full of blossom and the chooks are laying again. While it remains dry, weeding is a priority, before the roots gain strength with fresh rain and growth takes off.
This week several bushfires in have filled skies in South-east Queensland with a thick smoke haze, enough to give a taste in the back of your throat. Spring is almost over, as soon as the humidity begins I feel like it's Summer.

Burrawang Tuesday 20 September.

Farmers in south eastern Australia will tell you that there is a phenomenon called the Equinox Gale. Here it is Equinox eve and its blowing a gale outside.

I think that the temperature on the forecast is a few hours out of date. It's 12 noon and outside in the sun it feels like it is in the low 20s.

The branches on the claret ashes are buffeted by the north westerly winds.

For the last week we have had warm sunny days and temperate nights. I have planted tomatoes and cucumbers with little covers to protect them in the event of frosts. Crabapple blossoms and fresh green shoots are sure signs that spring is here.