COUNTRY SOLACE: New England artist Isabelle Devos is planning to go bush on a plein-air residency (photo: David Elkin)
AN ARTIST will live and work in the New England National Park, embarking on a ‘plein-air residency’ made possible with a micro grant from Arts North West.
New England-based painter Isabelle Devos will spend several days living in the park, walking, exploring, drawing and painting.
“The pandemic has affected my creative practice by having exhibitions changed into virtual online exhibitions and openings or cancelled altogether,” she told Arts North West this week.
“My creative process has expanded to spending more time outdoors drawing and painting with inks, still doing rural landscape based paintings” Isabelle Devos
“I have found real solace in being in the bush more regularly, near green and nature and away from too many people.”
Forest Bathing
A contemporary landscape painter whose work is represented in Sydney and New England galleries, Devos said she cannot say for certain what the art work executed in this bush residency will look like.
“But I expect that it may include large-scale drawings of trees, plants and nature.
“I will also be doing some research into ‘forest bathing’ and science around the impacts of being in nature on a person's creative and mental wellbeing.
“The micro grant will help fund some additional art supplies that work well outdoors, such as a folding metal easel, larger brushes, thick papers and will also be funding the accommodation within the national park.”
To follow the progress of the project head to Isabelle Devos Art on Facebook and @isabelledevosart on Instagram