Art Residency – Eudlo 2023

In December 2023 I was fortunate to be offered an arts residency in Diamond Valley/Eudlo.

Kirsty, who is an artist herself, had planted the seeds of me staying earlier in the year and I was thrilled when everything aligned and came together. I had a performance pop up in between saying yes to the residency and undertaking it which meant I was able to use the residency to play with costume design and collect natural materials 🙂

Outside of the costume, I did loads of walking, ate very little (not from lack of food!) showered amongst the trees, read, zero internet, visited the Buddhist temple Chenrezig, started a new art series + jotted down a bunch of ideas, experienced a lot of peace.

I like the idea of letting thoughts and experiences brew and I’m sure the stay will rehash themselves in later work.

In the past few months, I’ve been experiencing a strong pull towards nature with people and experiences (like this residency) helping me commit more time to being immersed in nature – utterly grateful!

Off-grid art residency cabin

Wednesday 06/12/23

Arrived at 1:30 pm (despite amazing detailed instructions from Kirsty I still got lost!)

First feelings when arrived:
/Instantly in love with nature & cabin & all the little touches
/Mindful of someone else’s space but okay to imprint myself/belongings for a few days
/Seashell ginger outside the window waving at me

Finished the book, Thus Spoke the Plant (great book – set the tone of the stay!)
Collected some bush materials (costume potentials)
4:30 pm walk with Kirsty to Chenrezig (grateful she led the way otherwise I may not have visited!)
+ first time to partake in Nicole Voevodin-Cash’s Walking Billycan Project

Ate dinner
Meditation
Tried costume variations
Read
Showered
8:30 Bed

Cabin bedroom

Cabin details

Walk to Chenrezig

Nicole Voevodin-Cash walking billycan project – day 1

Chenrezig Institute

Chenrezig details

Cabin details

Thursday 07/12/23

Woke up at 7:15 am
Collected dead ferns
Worked on costume
Started a new art series using ply flowers I’d bought from home – photographed in local surroundings
Read
Afternoon walk to Chenrezig (magical trees, gold, alters, conch shell, super hot, Buddhism – make sure others are okay!)
/surprised a grey heron (both ways!) it flew off into a tree and we watched each other before it squawked, and flew away, dropping a feather on its journey. I ran after, to try and catch the feather but I couldn’t find where it landed and eventually gave up.

Back at the cabin took a cold shower, looking out into the trees (bliss!)
Read
Drove to Ant’s poetry reading and then back to the cabin
Dinner
Bed by 9 pm

collecting natural materials

costume making

cabin details

Working on new art series

Chenrezig details

Ficus racemosa at Chenrezig

Nicole Voevodin-Cash walking billycan project – day 2

Cabin details

Kirsty’s books

Friday 08/12/23

Got up around 5:15 am
Went for a walk to Chenrezig
Walked around the pond (where I had disturbed the grey heron yesterday) a feather was waiting on the hedge – delight!

Went on a morning explore with Kirsty around the property (rainforest, mud nests, ant struggles, lava rocks, flame tree orange dress impromptu photoshoot)

Jotted down future art ideas

Finished costume

Reflections
/ normal routine (eat too fast, too much screen/internet)
/ in love with local nature
/ miss home
/ dehydrated bananas are better than lollies 😛

Read

Packed up and said goodbye!