Work in progress

I'm at the full on stage of finishing works for my next solo exhibition, Diamonds in my eyes, that will be on show in April at SALT Contemporary Art Gallery, Queenscliff. It's all brush mileage at the moment, but I still take the odd day out to work on site.

I've had several trips to Redlands conservation areas, reserves and coastal mangroves in the last few months, soaking up the atmosphere and fresh air. I find working spontaneously on site can make a good start with fresh marks trying to capture the essence of a place. Visually bombarding and complex, for me working plein air is often an exercise in reduction, looking for the lines, shapes, patterns, textures, etc that capture the feel and characteristic of a particular environment. This approach is enforced by some practical limits, like how much art material I can carry in my backpack along with the essentials of lunch, drinks and camera. It's a lot of fun and a good break from the studio. (Too small to see, but there are several golden-shelled sea snails clinging to the mangrove branches I am photographing above.)

Kidd Street Conservation area

It was great to head back to Kidd Street Conservation area this week for a day of working outdoors. I was joined by Helena again as we set up portable tables and spent time 'feeling' the landscape. The drawings and paintings that resulted are quite loose. For me it's an opportunity to soak up the place, take in the characteristics of the vegetation, the smells and sounds. The grass trees looked as healthy as when I last visited, a couple of young wallabies were moving through the area when we first arrived, and we had a large goanna come to check us out in the afternoon. Landscapes are alive.

2011 City of Albany Art Prize

Nicola Moss, 'No Return Address'. Synthetic polymer on canvas. 152x96cm. ©2010. Photography by Carl Warner.

My painting No Return Address has been selected as one of the finalists for the 2011 City of Albany Art Prize. The Finalist's exhibition will feature thirty works by artists from throughout Australia, and be on show at the Vancouver Arts Centre in Albany, Western Australia from 8th April to 1st May 2011.

If you would like to know more about the ideas that inspired this painting you can read about it here.