Working On My Next Solo Show

I am currently working towards my next solo exhibition - Winter Wild - which is coming up in June 2023. I love visualising how an exhibition will look and then bringing it to life. I have an idea of the type of paintings I want to create, then I work hard to try and make them a reality! Some of them work, and some don’t, it’s all part of the process and hopefully, a consistent body of work comes together in time.

I usually spend around six months working towards a show, and that includes planning, painting and marketing. I choose a title, which sets the tone and energy of the exhibition depending on what I want to create. I’ll often spend time in the gallery, and work out how many canvases I want to hang. It is important to give paintings space, and not try to fit too much in. Less is definitely more. I also like to include canvases of all different sizes, as this creates different price points which work well.

Winter Wild will have about 25 paintings in it, however, this can change slightly on the final hanging day, as it’s more important to put on the best exhibition you can with what you have, which may mean losing a couple in the process.

My studio days are spent painting my large canvases, and I take smaller canvases home to complete. Each painting must work with the painting next to it, so I’ve already planned colours and tones, often grouping paintings into pairs or collections.

Winter Wild is all about energy and movement, with dark, rich winter colours and washes of sun-drenched white waves. It is my first show using plaster mixed with acrylic paint, so the waves really jump from the canvas and come to life. I am excited to see what the response will be and enjoy spending time in the gallery when exhibiting. Each time gets a little easier and I listen to people’s feedback which often guides me.

For my collectors who live further away and are not able to attend the event, I share as much as I can on my website and social media, creating a PDF catalogue so they can enjoy the work from wherever they are in the world. I hope, if you are in Hobart, you will come and visit!

Winter Wild will be showing in the Sidespace Gallery in June 2023.