Happy Friday lovely Maddabling blog readers! This week, in the Maddabling Friday Friends series, I am so excited to share with you a new gallery space that has opened in my town, the Hotchin Gallery. This tiny space is packed with so much local artist goodness you won't believe it 'til you see it! I took a few happy snaps to share with you all so you can get an idea of how much can be shown in a one room space.
This week, I am thrilled to hand over the blogging reigns to the lovely Serena as a guest writer, to tell you more about Hotchin Gallery and the works of David Edgar and Serena McLauchlan. I hope you do enjoy reading the The Story of Serena, David and the Hotchin Gallery. Have a fantastic weekend everyone x
The Story of Serena, David and the Hotchin Gallery
Who is Hotchin Gallery?
Hotchin Gallery is a partnership between David Edgar and
Serena McLauchlan. We started Hotchin
Gallery in 2009 as an online gallery and ‘open by appointment’ studio gallery
in the under-croft space of our home on
Hotchin Avenue, showing our work.
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| David Egdar - Blue Sea |
The
name Hotchin Gallery comes from Hotchin Avenue named after Sir Claude Hotchin,
the art benefactor who lived in Albany across the road from us.
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| Former house of the late Sir Claude Hotchin |
For the past three years we have opened our
home gallery for The Bendigo Bank Southern Art + Craft Trail – we really
loved the experience of sharing and connecting.
The move to Lower Stirling Terrace is a desire to continue the sharing
of our art and other contemporary artist on a regular basis.
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| Hotchin Gallery - Lower Stirling Terrace |
How and When did your handmade/artistic journey begin ?
Serena: I have always loved art as a child, painting especially and
retreated to my visual world - I naturally desired to study visual arts at
University, although doubts were always cast about the future of surviving and
‘making’ it as an artist - I persisted!
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| Serena in the Studio |
I completed a visual arts degree with honours, majoring in
painting, minor printmaking at Edith Cowan.
As part of my honours year I studied in Amsterdam at the Amsterdam
School of Arts. This really was an
inspiring seven months of taking in art and culture from Europe. Towards the end of my degree in 2000 - I met
David Edgar. I moved into Spiral Studio
Murray Street, next to David and the rest is history! Whilst studying year 12
at NASHS I saw one of David’s luscious paintings and really fell in love with the
work, I married him 5 years later! We
work together on projects and exhibitions a great deal.
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| David Edgar - Lavender |
What inspires you ?
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| Headland - Serena McLauchlan |
On a conceptual level the light in Albany being very
atmospheric, the environment and the colours loaded with history. For instance looking at the trains passing our
new space and the worn patinas inspired me to make some encaustic ‘cargo’
paintings. I am very much interested in
colour, the history of and subjective memories we associate with colour a
childhood spent surrounded by rich textures and Albany light continues to
influence my palette. My work is also about the process of painting and the
decisions which are made throughout the process.
What mediums do you work with - do you have a favourite ?
We both use oil paint, sometimes water-soluble oil paint. I
like to use wax encaustic which I started using at uni to ‘extend’ the paint
but soon loved the buttery qualities and visual fuzz it can create on the
surface. I still continue to experiment
with wax encaustic to push the possibilities and work with new surfaces. I also studied printmaking and enjoy
monoprints and ‘quick’ techniques to produce free painterly prints. Recently I
have started to work with mirror as a surface and that’s proving to be exciting.
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| Encaustic Table - Serena McLauchlan |
What kind of things do you make/create ?
We both create paintings and drawings, visual diaries,
photographs which result in exhibitions.
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| Pared - Serena McLauchlan |
Do you have a favourite piece that you have made/created ?
I can never rest on a work - you are only as good as your
next painting, that’s the drive to keep making and creating. When I look back at some of the large
paintings I completed during my degree I really see more in them now and
appreciate the energy and drive that it takes to make those types of
works. I am very proud of the
exhibitions held in Perth at Turner Galleries in 2003 and 2008 and the art
trail shows we have created over the last three years.
What are your future plans/dreams/aspirations ?
My dream is to see more Galleries and pop-up galleries
spring up all over Albany, which is starting to happen with pop-up spaces and
the Museum – Albany opening up three rooms as galleries and also Bay Merchants
pop-up spaces. To see a dedicated contemporary art gallery of world class
standard on the Albany landscape. Continued links with PIAF and visual arts components in
Albany.
Personally creatively, I am working towards a Perth solo
show in May 2014 which will be a fantastic challenge and opportunity to show in
Perth once again. I am also coordinating the Bendigo Bank Southern Art +
Craft Trail this year and plan to see this event continue in the future as an
awesome forum for promoting our region.
At some stage I also plan to complete my Masters in Painting/ Visual
Arts – but that’s a long way off..........
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| David Edgar - New Zealand Christmas Tree |
Dear readers, do you want to find out more? Here is how you can connect.
Become a follower on Facebook here:
Or visit in person at:
Hotchin Studio Gallery
4/229
Lower Stirling Terrace/ corner Residency Road
Albany WA 6330
WA, 6330
Australia
Open Wednesday - Friday 12-3pm
Open Saturday 9.30am - 12pm
Or by appointment
