I’m just getting going on a one month residency at the Australian National University School of Art – my alma mater. As soon as I arrived and settled in, the entire Furniture program loaded up and headed down to the south coast of New South Wales to the ANU’s coastal campus and field research station at Kioloa. Set in a rich forest of spotted gums and blackbutts and right on the edge of a beautiful string of golden beaches its was a great place to meet the students and check out some of the local woods.
Heading to the beach
Students exploring the local habitat.
Prof. Fortescue’s technical demonstration.
I wasn’t the only galah on the beach.
Off into the forest with a trailer load of testosterone.
The spotted gum forest is so engaging. There were magpies and rosellas soaring through the trees and yabbering away to each other and a discrete lyrebird working on his repertoire down amongst the tea trees.
The spotted gum forest
Spotted gum bark.
I’m interested in using images of the spotted gum bark for a series of prints while I’m here. The markings are remarkably similar to the artifacts of ‘livetrace’ that I have been exploring recently.
I wonder how they will turn out?
Clare Solomon felling a mighty Acacia to take back to the station for whittling.
Night whittling
Whittles in Native cherry, Acacia and Teatree.
Ian Guthridge took me out to see ‘Old Blotchy’ a huge and ancient spotted gum that has been around since before the whitefella landed on these shores.
Ian Guthridge gives scale to Old Blotchy.
What a magnficent vegetable!
… with gnarled and wrinkled skin.
A local enjoying the sunset.
More soon as I get going on some new work here in Canberra.
nice to hear your voice and to know that you are appreciating the flora – that wrinkly bark pic is a corker
Wow! you’re really in your element! I like Old Blotchy. I’ve been reading about the guys who climb them and study the canopy….more later.
Am in London and off to Reykjavik tomorrow with John. Will be meeting up with Steinunn for lunch………
Wow thanks for the trip down memory lane.! I was on the furniture camp to Kioloa last year, I really miss those tall east coast trees. That collection of whittles ought to go in the end of year exhibition ..
Matt. The whittles (and their children) will be in my show at ANU opening sept 30th! Come by!