Many artists seem to match the delicacy of flowers with slim youthful women- barely more than a bud. I know- the internet already has millions of kitsch images of women painted with flowers laced in their hair, tucked behind ears and pinned to their clothes. But rarely are these depicting the femininity of the older women who pay such a vital role in keeping small communities, like Beverley, ticking along. The love, fascination and identification with wildflowers is life long- this series of artwork celebrates that
In September I was artist in residence at Beverley Station Gallery where in 12 days I completed nine portraits of local women surrounded by the Australian native flora they feel they have a connection to. Be it a childhood memory, town of origin or a favourite from farm or garden I found every woman had a reason for choosing her particular flower. It was an absolute pleasure getting to know the ladies and learning about their thoughts and experiences in this small wheatbelt town.
As soon as I hit town I set about recruiting ladies for my wildflower portraits. First there was Suzy who runs a local second hand store. She loved her portrait so much she hung it in the shop wall and put it on the back of her business card, I stumbled across the local choir leader Isobel while she hummed her way through the supermarket aisles. Isobel introduced to some ladies at the 'Country Women's Society Fashion Parade' and I found most of the other models from there. When I asked women to pose, those who agreed seemed initially flattered- but often that expression was followed self consciousness and sometimes even a negative comment about their age or appearance. One women said "Your probably looking for younger women" but I assured her I haven't such a narrow view- beauty and strength is in women of all ages.
Considering some models were self consciousness- I tried to make them as comfortable as possible, When one model saw the large mirror opposite them in the room they winced and joked. I explained it was there so they could watch the painting progress. I also invited them to comment on how they thought the painting was going even offering to change things they do not like. I began the sitting by serving tea and letting them know it was ok to talk, even move a bit, while I painted. I found since the 'Ahn Doh' painting portraits show on ABC; it seemed that some models even came with the expectation of sharing their life story- which was a real honour, The casual manner in which I set up the sittings meant that I ended up dual tasking- active listening as well as painting. Coversation meandered from flowers to personal history and view on life.
I have to admit- I'm guilty of idealising and my models. I don't think it is very fair how some artists use others faces to work out their own existential issues. Even though I did not start any of the 'Wildflower portraits' with the intention of receiving payment, I tried to be sensitive to the way in which the models want to be represented. I am grateful they found the time to sit for me and I wanted them to enjoy that process of being painted and looking at their image. One model said "the portrait looked more like her than a photo". Funnily enough- the other locals found hers the least recognisable. That socially trained feminine "need to please others" is deeply ingrained in me.
I hung the branch or bunch of flowers my sitters brought in for me next to their portrait, the installation adding a contemporary aspect to the exhibition. Over the course of the week the branches and bunches of flowers my models brought with them had wilted. In contrast, the 'Wildflower portraits' will always remain eternally glowing and in full bloom.