Eurobodalla Prize winner Raewyn Lawrence says she is feeling “optimistic, even excited” about her solo exhibition Recovery, opening at the Bas on Saturday.
Obvious in the 35 works on exhibition is the artist’s engagement with climate issues; with inspiration drawn from the beauty of nature and in bushland regeneration following the Black Summer bushfires.
“Landscapes are still very current subjects in my work,” she said.
“I do carry a sketch pad with me pretty much all of the time, but I enjoy painting mainly in the solitude of the studio; a place where productivity can blend with cups of tea.”
Ms Lawrence said the shire’s history and folklore, both indigenous and colonial, was another rich resource that informed some of the works in Recovery. She said it was a case of third time lucky to get the solo exhibition opened – twice cancelled due to COVID – after winning the Eurobodalla Prize with her oil on canvas Smoke in 2020.
“The thick smell of smoke, the continuous sounds of sirens and low flying aircraft … the need for a moment of peace and calm was overwhelming. Smoke came from a small, quick pencil sketch of a bush track,” Ms Lawrence said.
“There is a strange beauty in the colours. The orange glow of the sun through its smoky filter, contrasted with the blue form the smouldering ground, and in using those colours I tried to find that moment of peace.”
