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| Julie Pennington, Clay works, Gunyah 2016 |
The Gunyah Artist in Residence
program gave me a wonderful opportunity to step aside from normal routines, and
soak up the atmosphere of this very special place. Situated in a bush setting
on the edge of the water, this beautiful house and studio was perfect for
finding inspiration and contemplating new ideas.
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| Julie Pennington, A favourite spot - Gunyah jetty, 2016 |
I really enjoyed having the bush and the water at my doorstep. I was very lucky with the weather, the sun streaming through the trees and twinkling on the water almost every day. I loved starting and finishing my day down at the jetty, observing the change in the tide, finding something to collect, and photographing the trees and the water in changing light. It was this routine of a different sort that I enjoyed, it was a routine that allowed time to see things that at other times one might miss, or dismiss. Patterns in the water, shadows, silhouettes of trees against the sky, and time to just listen to sounds of the water, bird calls, rustling in the bush, and breeze in the trees.
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| Julie Pennington, Gunyah studio - growing collection, Gunyah 2016 |
It was very easy to stay put
at Gunyah, but I spent some time exploring the area. Myall Lakes National Park,
Tea Gardens, and the beautiful beaches of Hawks Nest. I always like to collect
things when I go places, but collecting became quite a thing for me during this
residency! I became very interested in arranging multiples of similar pieces.
If the neighbours were watching me down at the jetty they must have wondered
what I could possibly be finding each day! But this is what was so special
about having days to oneself to explore.
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| Julie Pennington, Oyster shells - playing with clay, Gunyah 2016 |
The studio got filled with my collections, so together with the view through the trees, I felt surrounded by nature. I spent time drawing and making a few things in clay, trying different shapes and surface pattern ideas. Making small installations of pinch pots, and thinking about multiples of objects and how they relate to each other. This is an idea which I think I will definitely develop further now that I am back in my studio.
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| Julie Pennington, In the studio - clay forms, Gunyah 2016 |
I guess that is the nice
thing about a residency such as Gunyah, you think you have an idea about how
the environment will inspire you, but you never can tell what you will find and
where it will take you!
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| Julie Pennington, Gunyah tress, 2016 |
Julie Pennington, May 2016
