WCG ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

BIG NEWS
I am the new Artist in Residence (AIR) at Wollongong City Gallery!
I had my interview yesterday morning, received the phone call at 4.25pm and had the keys to my new 75+sqm studio by 5pm.

I was pretty impressed the studio was already decked out with a bar fridge, kitchenette, comfy sofa, easel, tables, bookshelves, chairs and a very important storage room to keep everything clean and safe. I also get the morning sun and a view overlooking the park and theatre. A welcome note from the 2011/2012 AIR Jenny Tubby made it that much more special and looking around the space I noticed names, quotes, little drawings, feathers and more from the previous 21 AIR’s before me. Lovely!

This could not have come at a better time for me as many of you know myself, along with 1899 other Fairfax employees, have been made redundant. Oddly enough my residency officially starts the first week of my redundancy – could not have planned it better myself. So after sitting in a cubicle for the past decade working as a graphic designer, I have decided to use my redundancy payout to support myself for a year while I work on a 13 piece, 715 print, series of work. The work will be created using a mix of illustration, stencil art and screen printing techniques.

I will be showcasing the series in the solo show that is part of my residency at the Wollongong City Gallery in mid 2013. Then if all goes according to plan, I will be touring this exhibition both nationally and internationally…. yes, I will be getting on a plane…eek

As part of the residency I will be holding various workshops for all ages throughout the 12 months, mostly in the medium of stencil art. The first 4 stencil workshops for students have already been booked in for early August 2012. I also plan to keep you up to date with the progress of my art series via this website/blog and through video diaries that will be uploaded to YouTube. My studio will be open regularly for the public to come in and see what I am working on and I hope to hold discussions at the gallery on the topics of street and public art.

If you want to keep up to date on studio open days, my artistic meltdowns, joyous creative highs or general arty updates follow me on Twitter @poncho_army or on Facebook or keep an eye on this website.

Wooooooohoooooooo!!!!