"The world is blue at its edges and in its depths…the blue at the horizon…is the blue of distance…and the deeper the water, the deeper the blue.”

 

Rebecca Solnit, A Field Guide to Getting Lost.

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The works in this exhibition are based on observing and painting the constantly changing blues of three different bodies of water; the Georges River, Sydney Harbour and The Great Lake in Tasmania, and were produced during two Artist Residencies.

 

During 2024 I was a recipient of a Georges River Council Artist Residency at Carss Park Artist’s Cottage overlooking the Georges River, close to Botany Bay. I am currently a North Sydney Council 2025 Artist in Residence at Primrose Park Artist Studios, situated at the end of Willoughby Bay in Middle Harbour.

 

Having back-to-back studios located on the water provided an unparalleled opportunity to immerse myself in two urban locations dominated by water and sky. This led to an obsession with painting the natural elements of water, clouds and reflections as well as objects that suggest human presence, such as racing yachts or a yellow canoe breaking the surface at dawn.

 

The third body of water featured in this exhibition is The Great Lake in the Central Highlands of Tasmania, where I spent time between the Residencies. Unlike the Georges River and Sydney Harbour there was no human presence on or around this vast expanse of blue, particularly when it froze over in winter. My full focus fell on dramatic cloud formations, reflections and swiftly changing colours on the surface of the lake, particularly at twilight, also known as the blue hour.

 

Regardless of the location, looking at water, particularly when still and reflecting back like the surface of a mirror, invited contemplation and self-reflection. The deeper the blue, the longer I felt inclined to pause, to breathe, to reflect.

 

I would like to thank the North Sydney and Georges River Councils for their Artist in Residence Programs and to acknowledge and thank all the staff who administer them.

 

 

© Annabel Butler 2025