May Mailbag 2021 No 1
Jo Travis is a Melbourne based stencil artist, painting under the pseudonym of N2O since 2016. Her distinctive, hand-cut, multi-layer stencils are often site-specific and playfully interact with the built environment, creating a moment of surprise, delight and wonder in the urban setting.
Exploring ideas of childhood and memory, N2O creates works that evoke nostalgia and encourage reflection. Her work aims to remind us of a time when we did things for the pure joy of it and to inspire our adult selves to again embrace this ideal. Viewing childhood in the context of the past, present and future, N2O explores how childhood shapes us and how play connects us. 2
Thanks to our Jane who discovered this artist. If you would like to see more examples of work by N20 please Click Here.
When I opened our mailbag today the first item I found was a new subscriber - a very big welcome to "Wayne in the USA". We do hope you enjoy the "creative journey" we are all on.
And now let's dig down and see what other correspondence has arrived from our subscribers and followers.
While we are talking streets (see N20's work above) why don't you watch this video to test your attention and ability to notice details. Caroline our Keeper of Rabbit Holes managed to find this test down one of her tunnels she explores.
Recently in recognition of ANZAC DAY we featured some works of NZ War Artist Nugent Welch in our posts Commemorating Anzac Day and in Nugent H. Welch.
Naive Artist John Wylie in South Australia was very moved and inspired by these works and wrote saying:
Hi Anne…… An amazing “Post” today…..featuring NZ Artist - Nugent Welch’s incredible landscapes & seascapes of his NZ home land. What a fantastic follow on from yesterday’s ANZAC Day Post (“Commemorating ANZAC Day”) exhibiting Nugent Welch’s WW1 war paintings of Europe from the war front.
Nugent Welch certainly gained much fame in his remarkable life abroad & at home. A very inspiring story!! Thankyou Anne... your Blog is very enjoyable learning about the many artists of the world!! John
Over in the UK it is starting to warm up a little and E in London snapped this glorious image when out on her morning walk in Regent's Park.
Inspired by the image in Regent's Park I have turned my mind to painting a few willow trees which offer so much to explore in a creative sense. Below is my partly completed painting of some willows.
Staying back in Australia - in northern New South Wales - artist John Pickup has sent in images of the remakarble bat flower that grows in his daughters' garden.
During last year Andrew from the Hunter Valley Region took a trip out to Broken Hill (far west New South Wales) following his passionate interest in Hugh Schulz the artist.
Below he shares some of his images of the outback with you. The first image is of the beautiful wildflower - the Sturt Desert Pea. And then in Andrew's own words:
The two photos in the second row actually have emus in them. When I stopped the car they scampered away and as you can see blended into the surroundings. I think there was the male and three or four chicks. This was on the road out of Broken Hill on the way to Menindee.
The lizards are Shinglebacks...They are in fact the most beautiful of creatures that you would ever wish to see, a kind of prehistoric Blue Tongue Lizard.
Andrew also photographed the mural on the front of the ABC building in Broken Hill and on the far right is artist and broadcaster John Pickup - one of our favourite artists and definitely one of our favourite subscribers!!
John headed the ABC in Broken Hill and in 1962 he was appointed ABC Regional Manager, Broken Hill, New South Wales. A mural painted by Broken Hill artist Geoff de Main is a permanent record of the contribution four of its well known personalities made, not only to the area but across the nation and far beyond. This historical mural detailing the history of Broken Hill and the ABC's involvement in the far west was installed on the Studio's exterior wall 20 April 2012. On the mural from left to right are: Mary Maquire (local radio presenter from the 50s), Pro Hart (one of the Brushmen of the Bush), June Bronhill (June Mary Gough) and John Pickup (one of the Brushmen of the Bush).
And now to finish the mailbag today a little laugh about the Sturt Desert Pea which is one of our most spectacular wild flowers. Because of its name most people think Charles Sturt, who explored central Australia in 1844, discovered the plant. Not so - it was in fact discovered by William Dampier much earlier in 1699. Somehow the common name got associated with Sturt who did record seeing many of the plants in his travels in the outback.
With a twinkle in his eye Andrew sent in this hilarious painting of Sturt's First Desert Pea by Howard William Steer.
There is a second Mailbag for May coming up in a few days. Thanks to everyone who contributes to our monthly mailbag. If you have something associated with Art in Life please send it in by replying to your daily email post from us.
Credit
1. splatrs.com
2. theblenderstudios.com/n2o
3. from the collection of Andrew in the Hunter Valley