Its seems so along ago when we started, but I can remember the excitement for us all having received the Arts NSW grant, which was an acknowledgement from the outside world and also the potential exhibition in place and a long journey to develop work and create.
Having this long lead time is absolutely essential with my disability, everything takes so much longer and I wanted to really dig down and explore it.
As I was (and still am), recovering from my head injury it was challenging to attend meetings and to do emails but was great to be part of a team.
Everyone on the team was a fantastic artist, and a peer understanding human! Having just built my studio and having a budget for resources to develop and make a well made work was a dream that could now be real.
I gave myself a strict timeline to develop work until July 2016, many different aspects were explored and developed, I have the start of what could be another five bodies of work! Paul helped me see the forest for the trees, he would eloquently sum up where I was up to and suggest where I needed to head next.., i.e. chose one body that feels best for you and go for it.
With limited executive function decisions take forever, but finally I went with the aspect of how I was feeling, where I just wanted to crawl up into a silent ball, in an egg, the place I healed, withdrew and grew. I had also been toying with having the literal bandaged head with words expressing how language was hard for me to process.. too many words.. brain is full.
That was hard to film for the Egg video installation work (above), usually I film others, but to film, write and unravel was tricky, I actually ended up in tears with frustration that lended to capturing what I wanted.
Over the the last two years I have taken about 10,000 photos. There are definitely some other good works in there. Many are self portraits, it was a difficult and brave step encouraged by Paul. The video component I also had to perform/be. I was really happy with my body of work.
Attards Metal were fantastic, they let me form the mesh in place in their workshop, they made the stainless steel armature and base connector.
The exhibition at NRCG was GREAT, we were so lucky to have Lee Mathers, her vast experience of contemporary art, and having her like my work (she said it was beautiful and clever), was definitely a highlight and encouraging.
Working in a gallery situation was challenging, exciting and rewarding, I received fantastic feedback, especially from those who didn’t know I was the artist. I also have an idea of how I can improve as well.
Having a new artist website was a huge hurdle and a huge thanks to artist designer Jules Ober who walked me through it so patiently, I got my “chocolate box” and have learnt a few tips and again now I have to tools and basic digital skills needed to be a practising artist.
I would not have been able to do any of this without the framework provided by Epicormia and the funding by Arts NSW. This has enabled me to apply for exhibitions, competitions and grants.
I finally have had the courage to contact some of my colleagues from my past, impressive colleagues and I am hopeful that opportunities for my art will continue to grow for me too.
Epicormia Collective has been my launch pad. Thank you Arts NSW, thanks Accessible Arts. Thank YOU Paul !! Thanks Epicormies, Jeremy, Scott, Julianne, Julie and everyone !!