I have recently been working with Arts North West on a project called ‘A Letter to My Returning…’ It is a creative recovery response project aimed at working with flood-effected individuals, community groups and organisations who have been affected by the flood events of 2021/2022.
ARTIST STATEMENT
The painting draws on my personal experiences during the flooding events of 2021-22 and depicts a flooded wheat crop near Emerald Hill (just west of Gunnedah). Like many farming families, we endured several years of extreme drought, and the season finally looked good. Hopes were high for a good yield. Then the rains came, and the crops we had pinned so much hope on were ruined. Water surged through paddocks, drowning crops, taking precious topsoil, carving out deep gullies and sweeping away fences.
Despite the floods’ impacts, mother nature’s beauty in all its force was something to behold. The painting explores the juxtaposition of this natural beauty against the devastating damage caused by the floods.
