sharing the adventure of visual arts
EAST GIPPSLAND ART GALLERY
ARTISTS IN ISOLATION | 2020
Patricia Pittman
Bairnsdale, East Gippsland, May 2020
I'm from the Yuin Nation on the south coast of NSW, but I live in Bairnsdale, Gunaikurnai Country and I have grandchildren and family here.
Strange times, but I have been busy making art, I never stop. During the bushfires I was on the south coast of NSW, visiting family and ended up staying there for a couple months because I couldn’t get back. Not long after I got back Bairnsdale, we went into lockdown.
With no visitors, I’ve been getting lots done. Sometimes I wake at 4am and I get up and I draw. Mostly I use a fine-liner pen and coloured ink.I usually refer all my artworks to my family’s totems. My mother is my inspiration for drawing goannas as she was of the Kamilaroi Nation from Quirindi NSW. I also like the drawing the land and sea animals and creatures from the south coast of NSW, where I’m originally from. I’ve started using archival paper and I love it, it has a great texture.
Goannas
Fish
Emus
Seal life
Working in the Briagolong Print Studio
New linocuts ready to print
At the end of last year, I started working on a print project with East Gippsland Art Gallery and during this isolation period, I’ve been carving lots of lino prints. Gillian Kline at the Freestone Press Printmaking Studio in Briagolong has started printing some of them.
It’s all cut in reverse, and I like creating dark backgrounds, I reckon the artwork stands out better. I’ve cut out a lot more designs that haven’t been printed yet, but I really want to do some large prints next. Anyway, I need a car and that’s a lot of artwork to sell!
