FIVE ACRES, FULL HEARTS

Plein Air Painters setting up

It’s been a week since the Open Studio and I’m still feeling so delighted about how the weekend unfolded — albeit with a few unexpected twists along the way.

The biggest sadness was that my daughter, who many of you know as Shae from Shae’s Clay, was due to join me for this beautiful weekend with her unique and ever-popular pottery creations. Late on Friday night we received the news that, while battling the southbound freeway from Perth to Ferguson, her car — loaded with pottery — had been rear-ended.

Thankfully, she escaped with bruising, shock and some whiplash, but she is OK. Sadly, the car had to be towed away and weeks of preparation instantly unravelled. As visitors arrived over the weekend, they saw an empty space where beautiful Shae should have been.

I absolutely adore sharing these creative weekends with my daughter, so it felt very strange not having her here. But not to be daunted — plans are already being discussed for next year.

The lead-up

The week before Open Studio is always incredibly busy, not only preparing the studio but also curating the major exhibition at the Dardanup Hall. This year we received over 260 artworks that needed to be hung and displayed in time for the gala opening and the following weekend of the Dardanup Art Spectacular and Trail.

As curator, I was genuinely excited by the quality of work that came through the doors on drop-off day. The paintings were wonderful and the sculptures were absolutely breath taking.

I’m lucky to work with an incredible team of four who somehow transform a dingy old town hall into a first-class exhibition space. It’s hard work, but there’s a special kind of magic in watching it all come together.

Opening night is always one of my favourite moments. There’s a palpable buzz in the air. The bar is stocked with beautiful local wines, the kitchen pulses with activity as the hors d’oeuvres are prepared, and the committee arrives dressed for the occasion with their partners — happy, excited and proud of what has been achieved.

I always like standing near the front of the hall so I can watch the prize winners go up to accept their awards. What I absolutely wasn’t expecting this year was hearing my own name called out as the winner of the Portrait Prize!

It truly came as a bolt out of the blue. In fact, I was almost reluctant to enter that category at all because I didn’t think the work was quite there yet. I even said to Rob — my in-house framer — “Don’t glue this one in, I’ll probably paint over it.”

Well… perhaps that won’t be happening now.

‘Tide Wise’

The title is a reference to my many years of sailing and the wisdom of having many sea miles under the hull.

Open Studio weekend

There was no time to dwell on the win because the very next morning was blast-off time for Open Studio.

First to arrive was my wonderful plein air painting group, setting up their easels across our five acres, which were looking especially beautiful — lush, green and glowing after a perfectly timed autumn rain. Having artists painting on the property as visitors arrived added such a special atmosphere to the weekend.

Catalogue accuracy?!!

Meanwhile, my long-suffering Rob was handling payments while navigating the chaos of my somewhat questionable cataloguing system. Sorry, Rob!

My wonderful brother-in-law Andrew took over the coffee machine with great flair on Saturday, while my friend Julie somehow managed both painting and coffee duties on Sunday. What a team.

Lots of talking

Sales were wonderful, with eleven paintings finding new homes over the weekend and another two afterwards. But more than the sales, what stayed with me was the feeling of lightness and enjoyment as people wandered through the property, admired the view over the dam, and connected with one another.

By Sunday evening we were all completely exhausted — but our hearts were full.

Despite the occasional chaos and disappointment, weekends like this remind me of the beautiful humanity that exists in these shared moments: people accepting, connecting, laughing and simply enjoying what is right in front of them.

The week after

This past week has been spent packing and delivering paintings and enjoying the lovely process of meeting new collectors.

I also delivered new paintings — along with beautiful plinths made by Rob — to Shae’s new shop. She’s still a bit sore, but thankfully recovering well, and I was glad to be able to help a little.

The shop/gallery, called the Perth Artists' Collective, is right in the heart of the Perth CBD. It’s a beautiful space filled with bespoke handmade pottery, paintings and clothing by local creatives. If you’re in the city, it’s definitely worth popping in.

For now, though, I’m looking forward to some quieter days at home and back in the studio.

I have catching up to do in almost every area of life — my art course, Momentum with Louise Fletcher, which has been sitting patiently on hold for weeks, my garden and veggie patch that have been reclaimed by nature, and simply allowing myself time to be still in this beautiful place we are lucky enough to call home.

A heartfelt thank you for those who took home a painting or card or simply spent time chatting and enjoying. It means more than you can imagine.

Thank you, as always, for reading. I truly love hearing from you.

Diana

How many people can fit on the jetty? A bus load!!