Never Let A Chance Go By

Well, I had a lovely surprise back in October with my entry into the IFMaitland (Artfest & Maitland Writers Festival) with my Mischief of Magpies display winning best overall display. The judges loved the quality of my work and the story my display conveyed. It was great to be part of an event in my new community and lovely to meet other creatives in the area. I also sold one of my works “Hello Handsome” to a fellow Magpie lover.

It was a great lesson in taking part in every opportunity that comes your way……..

“Opportunity is a bird that never perches!”

C.M. MacDonald

My Friends The Magpies

I’m someone who can get overwhelmed and when it happens, I curl up in the dark corners in my head! Over the years I learnt to hide it and hide from it neither which has been healthy.

Living in the first world there is also a lot of guilt associated with feeling like this when it happens.

These days I’m learning to not listen to the negative self-talk and identify the darkness a lot earlier these days which is a good thing; a daily gratitude practice is really helpful with this too.

What I have noticed that in these times when I’m feeling at my lowest, a magpie generally appears….. I’m not sure if its me putting myself in their path perhaps reaching out or they just know I need them at that point…. I like to think it’s the later.

My Mum was a fierce Magpie lover and who knows maybe it’s her way of watching over me now her body is no longer with me.

I know I’m not alone and I’m glad I’m living in a time when people are asking “R U OK”.

“Wherever there are birds, there is hope.”

Mehmet Murat Ildan

My Arc Of Happiness

Finding Her Voice

Black Cockatoos

 
 

“Hope is a thing with feathers

That perches in the soul

And sings the tune without the words

And never stops at all”

Emily Dickinson

When I’m at home and I hear the distant cry of the Black Cockatoos that pass over I can’t help myself I have to run outside and look up.

Their cry sounds so forlorn, it’s as if they know that their time is running out unless the humans stop chopping down the trees that are their food and homes.

We can build anywhere……why do developers choose to build in areas that are a rich food source for the Black Cockatoo……. Because it’s convenient and profitable!

The Black Cockatoo has quite a specific diet and those trees that provide are being removed to make way for housing estates that have ill-considered design in our changing climate. Every tree is removed because it’s cheaper to develop a site with a blank canvas. New estates need to be developed leaving trees to help cool the surrounds – Government and Developers need to work together to make this work for all concerned including all mother nature’s creatures.

“Climate Change was knocking on our front door decades ago it’s now sitting on the back deck turning the heat up on the barbeque telling us dirty jokes.”

Unknown

An Opportunity

How lucky am I…….I have an opportunity to be part of a Big Life Event!

When we moved to the Hunter Valley one of the hurdles I had to jump as an artist was….. Where will I get my framing done?

It’s a huge thing for an artist to entrust the work that they’ve spent hours on to a framer…. What are their qualifications? Do they have attention to detail? Do they take pride in their work? Good framing helps to make your work shine!

I’ve been so fortunate to meet and engage the services of Debra from Picture This Custom Framing in Maitland. She and her offsider Ellen tick all the boxes, are highly qualified framers and I’m so happy with the quality of my framing. Debra has also introduced me to other creatives in the area and I am very grateful for that too!

Recently Debra took a leap of faith in her business and opened another shopfront for her business in a little town on the southern end of the Mid North Coast of NSW called Nabiac. It’s a thriving little town just off the Pacific Motorway and is growing into a busy hub for all the surrounding areas.

Now Debra likes to support the artists that support her business, so she built an exhibition wall in her new premises to give emerging artist another space to hang their work and get some exposure to the public.

I am thrilled to say that my Mischief of Magpies has found a perch for the month of November and for the launch of her new premises……… What a thrill to be part of a Big Life Event!

So, if you want to check out my Magpies and or get some quality framing done call into Picture This Custom Framing at 25 Nabiac Road Nabiac. Call: 0402 717 900

Picture This Framing

Monday: Closed Tuesday: 9am to 4pm

Wednesday: 9am to 4pm Thursday: 9am to 4pm

Friday: 9am to 4pm Saturday: 9am to 12 noon

Sunday: Closed

The Maitland outlet is still operating too – you can call : 0402 714 944

A Month Of Magpies

 

A Month of Magpies

When we moved into our new home, I was thrilled to find numerous Magpies lived around our neighbourhood; in particular the couple who have marked our yard out as their own. The female I have christened Frida Kahlo for her significant brows and the male is yet to be named as Frida is the more social of the pair……. but he’ll reveal his character and therefore his name in due course!

Since I was a small child my Mum taught me about the magic of Magpies! To listen to their beautiful song, to observe them dust bathing in our driveway and to watch them marching along the lawn in their shiny black coats listening for worms and insects as they turned their heads. They also love the sprinklers!

Some Magpies will swoop passers-by who they perceive to be a threat to their young in the nest – this is natural instinct …... and sounds a little like humans with their new babies if a stranger gets too close or someone has a cold?

The Magpie is always blamed and either relocated or sadly euthanised….lucky all new protective parents aren’t treated the same! In my experience it much easier to make yourself known by introducing yourself with a gift of water or a few worms.

So, for the month of October I’m drawing a Magpie a day and posting it on my

Instagram feed @fionajohnson_art.

The Big Move

 

The Big Move

I grew up in a very small village and then moved to Sydney and lived there for 34 years. A little over a year ago we moved to another small village in the Hunter Valley called Morpeth; although we don’t live in the village itself, we are only about 2 minutes away by car. Luckily, we can both work in our business from our home office and my husband is a great “boss” who’s happy for me to work part time, so I can devote time to my art practice which brings me great joy and happiness.

Living in Sydney had lots of advantages and we had a great unit which had a wonderful balcony which the birds visited and from which we could enjoy the sunset. Restaurants and galleries and more importantly friends were only a few minutes away. But…. You get to a stage when you crave some space and a change of pace; for me I wanted to get my hands in the dirt and grow things and like my current season of lettuce I had out grown my home studio, which was our third bedroom.

I have a policy that “If you don’t ask the Universe for what you want then you’ll never get it” so I had a few things on my wish list; a studio space that was separate to the house that I could be messy in and not worry about the carpet, a garden, a nice kitchen and some rooms for family and friends to visit.

So, we started our search and found our new home which we have christened The Nest! Since then, we have been making a few changes to feather it to our way of life. We have a long way to go but the rest of our lives to do it and Al and I are both excited.

Annus Horribilis. Noun: a disastrous or unfortunate year

Well this has been a horrible year.

COVID 19 brought us, as a global population - death, destruction and isolation.

For me personally it brought isolation from family and friends and the death of my wonderful Mum.

But as Mum would say to me,"You’ve just got to get on with it”, and she’s right.

So, I have booked a weeks Art Retreat at Hat Head on the Mid North Coast of NSW.

As a young kid and teenager, I spent hours on this beach in the Surf Lifesaving Club. When my Mum was diagnosed with dementia and moved into an Aged Care Home, my sister Leonie and I would take Mum to Hat Head for a weekend away in a cabin every 2-3 months, it was her “big escape”.

For me, it will be a new creative beginning.

“Mothers are the first home you ever live in. When your mother dies it’s as if your home has burnt to the ground, with all you ever knew inside!”Fiona Johnson

“Mothers are the first home you ever live in. When your mother dies it’s as if your home has burnt to the ground, with all you ever knew inside!”

Fiona Johnson



Happy New Year... I think!

I say I think…

because I don’t think it will be truly a HAPPY NEW YEAR until we have the fires under control here in

Australia.

People and an insane amount of wildlife have lost their lives; homes and memories have been incinerated.

We will not know the true cost (and I’m not talking money) of these fires for years to come!

I had planned to be run wild creatively over the Christmas holiday season and be really productive, but instead I found myself paralysed with worry for family and friends in fire zones and grief stricken over the enormous loss of wildlife.

Knowing that there would be animals that would need care and attention I started knitting and sewing wildlife pouches like my life depended on it. I had a large stash of pure wool and pure cotton fabrics that was getting in the way in my small studio, so it has been put to good use.

If there has been a positive to come of all this loss,

it is hopefully a “Wake up call” for our government to do more.

A change in the way we, each one of us think about our environment

and what we can do in our own lives to make a difference.

“Disasters are called natural, as if nature were the executioner and not the victim.”
— Eduardo Galeano
Knitted Joey Pouches For The Wildlife

Knitted Joey Pouches For The Wildlife

From Little Things Big Things Grow

Well, it’s time I start to get serious about living my dream.

That means getting out into nature in a more interactive way;

like I did when I was a kid.

I’ve always been someone who loves communing with nature, whether by a interacting with an animal or a swim or a bit of a bush walk.

Since moving to the city I have slowly drifted away from that.

Growing up on the coast near beautiful beaches was such a gift, one that I’m only now coming to truly appreciate.

I think since renewing my regular creative practice it has made me more aware of my need to be in nature once more.

Working from collected images is one thing, and it’s certainly important but the brain collects and builds its own “visual Language” by experience as well.

My intellectual and emotional self is happier now I’m creating again.

I just need to get my body in line with my brain and that (if I’m going to be really honest) is going to be a huge challenge.

I’m just going to start the way I did with my art a little bit at a time.

As one of my favourite songs says…

”FROM LITTLE THINGS BIG THINGS GROW”.

Love Fi x

That’s me in the middle, happily sketching the scenic hills on my Kimberley artist’s getaway.

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My Kimberley Adventure

A few things have happened since 2017.

The most exciting thing was a painting trip to the Kimberley.

I traveled with a group called On The Verandah.

www.ontheverandah.com.au

It was beyond amazing, my home for 9 days was a cattle station called Diggers Rest Station.

www.diggersreststation.com.au

At night I went to sleep under the blanket of midnight. Dotted with the stars of many stories lived and told. Then was awoken to the sounds of the sunrise.

I painted and drew all day in various locations around the area.

Then celebrated at night after a hearty meal and a glass of wine or two around the fire with music and poetry, total bliss.

That red dust got into my veins (and everywhere else) and I long to go back.

Love Fi x

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The Adventure Of Creating

“Creativity takes courage.”
— Henri Matisse

Well I kept my promise about not waffling.

I haven’t blogged since my first one in September 2017!

The problem with getting all technical and going online is that I had this fear of it distracting me from doing the thing I love, creating.

However the time has come to take the plunge and just do it.

I’m the queen of the procrastinators and kid myself that I love a deadline. I’ve realised that I’m just scared of the unknown and you know what I also love - an adventure and I’ve now convinced myself that this is going to be an, adventure.

So let the adventure begin.

Love Fi x

Here I am creating a Kingfisher mono print in my home studio.

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In The Beginning →

Well, this is my first BLOG post ever!

What to write? Do I add a picture? Do I know how to add a picture? Not yet, but I'll learn.

Firstly, before anything else happens, I need to thank a very special person....Amanda Starr.  My dear friend Amanda shot some amazing pictures of me (which is nothing short of miraculous as I'm not that photogenic) she then created this website for me, she also created invitations and posters for my fist solo exhibition Aliferous

Amanda did this all in the middle of launching her own fabulous creative enterprise www.amandastarr.com.  I can't thank her enough for all her support, help and friendship. 

I am making myself a promise about Blogging...

I'm not going to waffle...so......

Have a great day and stay tuned!

Love Fi x