My first exhibition opened to a stellar crowd of people enjoying art and soup. Who knew I would have this life. I was interviewed by Danny Kennedy from ABC Western Queensland about the art exhibition and why Tambo was the home of choice. It was such a great opportunity to spill the beans about this town and the arts here.
Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start. In 2021, I entered in the John Villiers art prize, never thinking I would make it in to the finals. I did, and that meant a trip to Winton to attend the awards night. Although I didn't win, I met some incredible artists and one said, "Stop in Tambo on your way home and go to the art gallery there. It's fabulous." I was finishing my time as an artist in residence at the Moreton Bay Arts Hub and was looking forward to going home to turn the garage into a studio space. We decided to stay overnight in Tambo to buy a teddy from Tambo Teddies for our newest grand child who was being born as we drove home and that night at the tavern, I said I would love to have a studio in Tambo. Wishful thinking on my part, I know but life is about wishful thinking.
We were told that the little cottage behind Fanny Mae's coffee shop was for sale. There was a hair dresser in there so I felt a bit guilty looking when she had only just moved in but look we did, and by the time we drove back to Brisbane, we not only had a brand new grandson, but we had put in an offer on the little studio cottage. I also had decided to apply to do an exhibition at the Grassland Art Gallery.
I moved up on my own to start off with, to paint and be an artist full time. I got the go ahead from the gallery to have an exhibition and I started painting like a crazy person. I was, and still am, so inspired by the people and the landscape of this western downs town. Downs country. Beautiful country. When we first arrived, it was summer and dry. There was no water in the dam and then it started to rain. Beautiful drought ending rain. The dam filled. The grasses grew. The landscape changed and I painted it. By this point, Chris was also here and we were living and both working in my one bedroom studio cottage. Not ideal when he has a zoom meeting and I play music when I paint. Property two was bought and he worked there and I had my studio back. That worked brilliantly until I saw the house next door for sale and our son who was living in our house in Brisbane got a job and moved out. Time to sell up and buy the house next door in Tambo. The second house is now a quirky artist retreat that has been styled to allow people to feel creative while they stay.
As an artist, it's really about who inspires you too. I have been blessed with some pretty amazing artist friends to mentor me as well as some very creative and talented people in Tambo who created bespoke frames for some of my pieces, allowed me to gather ochre from their properties and paint to my hearts content. I have been commissioned to paint on properties for families and for business owners in Tambo and I have a community that understands my love of found objects and the rustic.
That is how it started. Now it's up to me to get this art life thing running. There are some exciting things in the pipeline: a pop up art shop & exhibition in Brisbane made up of the talented artists out here in the West, my art photography pieces being sold as limited edition prints in Brisbane and more art than I can throw a stick at. Life is good. Art is life.
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