Do Tell -The residency winds up

Milen at the Piano - Music Night

Artists in residence - (Back) Milen, Hrafnhildur, Elisa, Lilo, Rui (off in a dream, as always),

(front) Nancy, Me and Desiree

The beautiful Desiree, the draw-er from Montpellier

Last night at BebeMe at Mojacar Playa - and dancers in the background!

Showering together - Milen and Hrafnhildur take a break

The Icelander that melts hearts Hrafnhildur

Elisa and Gabrielle. Women with French names- we must be sisters!

Nancy, deep in Conversation - as always

Rui - trying valiantly to explain himslef in English, as always.

Lilo caught smiling - as always

So...what was it REALLY like to be on the artists' residency? Answer: Great! but it's a very intense experience. We were living together for 25 days, give or take a day and that's breakfast lunch and dinner. And artists worth their salt - as these all were - are individuals and reasonably strong personalities. So, I guess we were blessed that we all got along so well, although adjustments were required. Mostly by me, as the only native speaker who wasn't able to be understood (Queen's English got me no-where!). It was an interesting and unusual experience not to be understood (being anglo born and in the middle classes of my country). I was the outsider, language speaking. I had to curb my humour (unless alone with New York and Iceland, whose sense of humour mirrored mine and didn't require an explanation every which way , something I have found, kills a joke stone dead). Worse, I had to gag my opinions - no-one could understand them anyway! And I had to get used to being ignored - actually, no I didn't, as I refused to. So some words were spoken....

Work wise, I hope that I have a itch that needs scratching - I'll have to see when I get home and into the studio. At least it will contribute something to the whole, along with all the art I have seen. I also learned that I really need to move around in the landscape, not just live in it, something that wasn't as easy as it should have been, either because I got lazy and stayed working in the studio; because the mountainous country side meant that nature walks were naturally curbed and hiking up to the Pueblo doesn't count; or because the social nature of the residency took over from the art part and I was always tempted to walk with others or go where they were going. I also re-discovered sculpture and the joy in putting found objects together and giving them a new life.

I learned that poetry is very important in Portugal, France and the United States, with Bulgaria and Germany closely behind. And Australia, due to accent problems both listening and reading, although personally loving to read poetry, was left in the TV room with Iceland and a VHS! (The Crying Room - haven't seen it in years). At least the reading from David Malouf, a wonderful Australian author, poet and librettist, got a Thumbs up from New York (and an embarrassed shuffle from the rest).

And I learned what a wonderful gift to be able to spend time with other artists who all seem to talk the same movies, books, music and passion for art and who share more similarities than differences.

As the time to part grew nearer, we all began to understand what a unique experience this was to have shared part of our lives so intensely with other relative strangers, and to have become better, more tolerant, human beings, if not artists (and this remains to be seen) as a result. Muchas Gracias!

Presentation Day - Lilo Helga Gericke – Zaki

Lilo is a German Painter who works in Mixed Media. Whilst in the residency, she was working at a response to the experience, after abandoning the work that she intended to pursue whilst here. It is a very common thing in residencies, it appears, that what you thought you would work on, changes as a result of the experience. And so it has, for at least three of us.

Lilo worked with a number of images and even printed using a dried out cactus, resulting in interesting blue and brown work. And here's the results.

Only two more sleeps to go

Clint Eastwood, Film Still, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" shot around Mojacar.

As many of my long time followers know, I was fortunate enough to be awarded a residency at the end of 2010 to go to Mojacar, Spain. Much work and saving later, I am finally leaving for that trip - with other added travel - this Friday evening (Sydney time) 25th March.

First stop is London for nine whole days. I've never been there, and have already mapped out a punishing schedule of gallery hopping. Everything from the National Gallery, The Courtauld Institute, Tate Modern (of course), Haunch of Venison etc etc. And I hope to do a few touristy things too.

After London, I fly to Spain for the month long residency, which I will share with seven other international artists. All I have to do is turn up for dinner (pre dinner drinks and wine included) but otherwise I'm free. Free to work in the studio supplied, walk the Olive groves, take a trip to Clint Eastwood Spaghetti Western Country, sketch the desert or hop on the local bus and take in the beach and the colours of Andalucia.Only problem is, th epostage of Materials was prohibitive, and the baggage allowance small (I fly Easyjet between countries) so I am restricted in what I can attempt whilst there.

I hope to muse - a lot! - and get my head together about my work, life and loves and come back renewed for some wonderful creative work.

And because Morocco is so close, I'm taking a tour there (single female travelling) for about 16 days, doing the loop from Casablanca to Marrakech, riding camels in the Sahara, viewing the land from the heights of the Atlas Mountains and, no doubt, getting lost in the markets. I'll be taking just a photo or two along the way, with my newly purchased and newly arrived Canon Powershot G12.

I then fly to Madrid, to see what I haven't seen during the residency, spend days in the Prado and other great museums, and then drive in a long, slow route via Seville, Cordoba and Granada to Barcelona, via as many small medieval towns as I can get to and enjoy. Once in Barcelona, I'll be visiting another Museum or two over the next few days, trying also to get the measure of the local commercial gallery scene and be inspired by what's available there. I then fly to Paris for three nights, to see what I missed thew first time (including the Pompidou Centre) and straight to Heathrow and home.

I might also be a bit naive, but I am taking my sketch book with me, with visions of sitting in front of Goya's "May 13th" Painting and going for it - with tears in my eyes, no doubt. Well - if not Goya, then Picasso's "Guernica" or anywhere and everywhere I can get a decent view to see with new eyes the great paintings of old.

So...my friends, here's the place to check out every so often as I hope to post my travels and findings on Art to this blog, as regularly as internet access will allow. Be prepared for a few postings at once - I have been told that at the residency, I need to upload my emails on to a CD for Batch mailing on the computer at night time! Don't like the chances of WiiFii here.... but there must be some in town.

I've never taken a trip this long before, let alone been away from painting for more than a few weeks - I figure it's my long service leave.

I promise plenty of stories, photos and maybe even a sketch or two....

Any last minute suggestions of "must see" places in any of the above would be gladly appreciated (I've included all the major ones, but any little treasures would be great)

Take care and keep safe.