LIVING WITH ART
The Works That Share Our Walls
The artworks we choose to live with often tell us as much about ourselves as the work we make.
Over the years, our home has slowly filled with paintings, photographs, prints and small objects collected from artists whose work has stayed with me long after I first encountered it. Some were purchased after seeing an exhibition, others were gifts, and a few found their way to us at just the right moment.
I have never really considered myself an art collector. The word feels too deliberate, too considered. Yet looking around our walls and shelves, I can see that each piece marks a moment, a place, a friendship or an idea that has resonated deeply enough to become part of our everyday life.
Eclectic in style and medium, these works sit amongst family photographs, books and the accumulated objects of a busy home. Together they form a quiet collection that reflects not only the artists whose work I admire, but also the kinds of images, stories and ideas that continue to influence my own practice.
Jodi Thompson - ‘Pamela’
While she might be one of the newest addition to our walls, ‘Pamela’ by Jodi Thompson is fast becoming one of my favourites. She may be small, but she packs a punch with storytelling and mystery in my opinion. I just adore the tones in this piece and the vacant chair sends my imagination off in all sorts of directions; who does this chair belong to, whose house is it in, when was it last used…?
Judith Nangala Crispin is a highly acclaimed Australian photo artist and poet who creates these insanely beautiful and ethereal artworks through the process of lumachrome glass printing (I can’t even begin to explain what this is - take a look at the set up involved to craft these). I have never seen anything like these before and lonmged to have one in our home. Thankfully my husband got the memo and gifted this to me one Christmas! It sits snug between two favourite photographic prints; one by uber-talented photographer, Phil Watt (left), and the other a personal photo captured whilst journeying abroad with my children (right).
Judith Nangala Crispin - ‘Roadkill Kingfisher’
Another precious one, this painting was lovingly crafted by a dear family friend, Petra Göder, who referenced a photograph I had taken of my daughter. We like to call it ‘The Adele’, with reference to the way her eyes follow us around the room, much like The Mona-Lisa.
A teeny little piece by the very talented Kirrily Anderson who is known for her highly detailed drawing practice. From her series ‘And Tomorrow the Beauty Returns’, which she created as a response to the Black Summer bushfires of 2019/20, the original was exhibited at MAMA Albury in 2021/2022.
This particular piece is a reproduction printed on stone, which is just stunning. The colour and detail is phenomenal and her eye for beauty in the simplest forms in nature is out of this world.
An editioned print of Stephen Baker’s ‘Boy with Yoyo’ sits above our fruit bowl. Stephen’s work is often regarded for his large scale murals, but he also consistently puts out series of work available for purchase as prints. His hand-drawn geometric designs are playful, the colours are beautifully considered and I just love that he creates with just the right amount of abstraction for my liking.
In my office, I have this subdued, textural piece by Julie Lundgren Coulter hanging on the wall with some other art, posters, and my own prints. I picked it up a couple of years ago as it reminds me of our weekends away to our favourite camping spot in the high country of Victoria, where the rolling hills and tree-covered ridges lure me towards our happy place.
Julie Lundgren Coulter - ‘Rocky Hillside’
Possibly the first ‘art’ pieces that were brought into our home, this triptych of paint on wood panels were created by a mutual friend, stencil artist Patrick Bourchier. Street art had a huge influence on my initial interest in art in general, so its fitting that the ‘collection’ began with these, another gift from the husband.
Patrick Bourchier - ‘Cousins’, ‘Bug’ and ‘Bird’
Another of Paddy’s artworks hangs outside on our back deck. Stencilled onto a metal plate, I have coated it with a sheer proetctive finish so as to minimise any effects from the weather.