Painting in Tasmania
Returning to The Picker’s Hut, (Huon River, Tasmania) 2025
Looking back on a wonderfully productive and creative two weeks at The Picker’s Hut in Tasmania, I’m really pleased with the number of plein-air sketches and studio paintings I was able to create. It felt so special to return for a second time and continue the work I began during my 2023 residency.
Returning to The Picker’s Hut felt like stepping into a landscape that truly stays with you. Some places, with their strange vegetation and rugged rock formations, felt like another country. Or like I had travelled back in time by at least a hundred years. As an artist, I was drawn to the variety of terrain, from mountains to rivers, landscapes I don’t get to see much of in Victoria. Being immersed in this environment allowed me to focus in a way that’s difficult at home. Each day I built on the observations and sketches from the day before, letting what I’d learned guide my next decisions and ideas. Painting every day became a kind of conversation with the landscape itself.
This time, I shared the residency with another artist, Kate Carillo and I loved the experience. Our evening discussions sparked new ideas, and having a companion encouraged me to be more adventurous during the day. Exploring further afield and seeing the landscape through someone else’s perspective added a fresh layer to my work and made the residency feel even more inspiring.
Some of the most memorable moments came from simply observing the changing weather and atmosphere. Every day the sky offered a new and beautiful colour harmony, and the early morning fog was nothing short of magical. As a tonal painter, I was especially drawn to the way the thick, atmospheric air rendered the landscape moody and mysterious, adding depth and emotion.
Most days I would explore and paint outside, then return to the studio to develop the work and experiment using the sketches, notes, and photographs I had gathered. February and March brought big temperature swings, hot days and cold nights, which I love observing. This balance between outside observation and studio reflection helped me capture the essence of the landscape in a rich and personal way.
The second residency felt different from the first because I knew what to expect and had a clearer idea of what I wanted to achieve. My first stay was more about exploration and developing my plein-air painting skills, but this time I was able to focus on creating finished studies and making detailed notes on colour, composition, and visual ideas. I’ve returned with a collection of work that truly reflects my experience and lays the foundation for a new body of paintings.
Since coming back, I’ve been slowly developing a series of paintings that will be featured in a dedicated exhibition. The Tasmanian landscape remains vivid in my memory, and the material I collected during the residency, sketches, notes, photographs helps me bring that experience into my work. Tasmania holds a special place in my heart with its wild, rugged landscapes and otherworldly beauty, and I hope my paintings capture even a fraction of that magic.
