Friday Friends - Local Artists - Serena, David and the Hotchin Gallery

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.  

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.  

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.

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!

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.

David Edgar - Lavender

What inspires you ?

Serena: Other painters and artworks. My Favourites are AidaTomescu, Anish Kapoor, Joan May Campbell (Albany), Margaret Olley, Mirka Mora, Rosalie Gascoigne and many more. Most are women and some inspire me for more than the works they produce – more often their attitudes about making and protecting their cultural endeavours.   The challenges of raising children and maintaining a contemporary arts practise.

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.

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.

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..........

David Edgar - New Zealand Christmas Tree

Dear readers, do you want to find out more? Here is how you can connect. 

Visit the website here: www.hotchingallery.com.au

Become a follower on Facebook here: 

www.facebook.com/HotchinStudioGallery

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