“I felt ‘Dust’ needed another showing and be enjoyed so entering the Birregurra Art Show seemed natural as I live down the road and I am a red head!
So, with a minor rework and a new frame it found its way to Birregurra and again I am grateful to the organisers, The Birregurra Art Group, and Dr Jenny Grenfell for seeing something in this work. I am also so happy this favourite of mine has found a home.“
“I live in Barwon Downs, a small town in the Otways with my partner. We live in a little house we lovingly rebuilt and renovated as a weekender many years ago and after leaving a crazy working life in Melbourne we now call home. On leaving work and meeting and learning from some wonderful artists and creatives while living in the Otways I have been fortunate to be able to immerse myself into art and quietly find my own creativity.
My work is usually deliberately small and is mainly hand-printed with the occasional use of a printing press. Wiping, hand colouring, tearing, scratching, gluing, use of hand cut stencils, collage, mark making, oil pastel, pencil, stitch are all techniques and materials I choose and are important in my art practice. Simplicity and telling a story are what I like to do. The story does not unfold until shapes start to form and I then intuitively build the work. I ponder and joyfully immerse myself into the piece and then ponder again and again until I think it is telling me something. My intention is always to invite the viewer to imagine and discover what might be within.
The three works in the 2021 Birregurra Art Show are part of an ongoing Story Book series. A love of and search for old illustrated books and appreciation of the work of artists George Baldessin, Edgar Degas and Paolo Ventura (just to name a few) along with people I have met while living in country Victoria inspires me to continue every so often to create work with a story book theme.
‘Dust’ has had quite a story! It was originally created in October 2020 in response to the book Sunken Road by Garry Disher for the fabulous Biblio Art Prize at Blarney Books and Art in Port Fairy. It is a monoprint using a hand cut stencil, it is hand-printed with sections hand coloured and reflects one of the main characters in the book – a willful redhead living in outback South Australia. It was then shown at Geelong Art Space along with 8 other story book themed works. I am very grateful to these two wonderful art spaces and for the encouragement received.”
Sandra Batten, 2021
e: sjbat10@gmail.com
IG: sjbat1
