I head off today to fill my cup with inspiration. I will be soaking up all sorts of beauty, faces, architecture, sculpture, paintings and who knows what else.
I will come home bursting at the seams to create new work.
Follow my story on Instagram if you want to travel with me
The year is now well under way and February is coming to a close. I never really feel as if the year gets started until about now. Having said that I've spent a lot of time in my studio in the last two months and in case you haven't noticed I am still painting flowers!!! It started early in my painting life (the flowers) and then there was a big break whilst I painted mostly pure abstract works. Being so extraordinarily happy last year it seemed appropriate for me to return to flowers. Although in all honesty I actually seemed to have very little say in the matter, as the flowers just seemed to keep appearing on the canvas. Here's the reason why! Last year was one of the most beautiful, challenging and transformative years of my life, our younger daughter Jessica became the recipient of a double lung transplant. Jess being well has changed life for her and for us her family, it is truly miraculous. It has also meant that I now have more time to paint and be in my studio doing what I love.
On the weekend I was reading an article about Ai Weiwei the Chinese artist who's work is highly political and changing the world. Ai Weiwei has been tortured and imprisoned for his outspoken views, I have to admit it made me feel a little inadequate. As I paint yet another flower I think how I too would like to change the world. Could painting flowers possibly change the world for the better in some small way? Well I'm hoping by creating something beautiful I can perhaps uplift someones spirit or distract them temporarily from something that's hard to look at. This week I will deliver two paintings to Westmead hospital in Western Sydney. It's a hospital with very little art in it and one in desperate need of cheering up.
The two paintings I will take to the hospital are a thank you for all the care that the Cystic Fibrosis team bestowed on Jess and also on us her family. They are a thank you for the emotionally and physically exhausting work that they do, day in day out 365 days a year. I am hoping that my flowers might brighten a moment in their day. and perhaps do the same for a patient or a visitor who may pass by the painting during their time lingering in a corridor, waiting for a relative who may be in theatre or treatment. There's a lot of waiting in hospitals, patients waiting for results, waiting to go home, and in some cases waiting for a new set of lungs. So I am never going to change the world in the way that artists like Ai Weiwei do but I'm hoping that I can make a small difference with a flower or two or three or twenty.
I am very excited to be able to introduce you to my dear friend and amazing sculptor Takis Kozokos. We are having a joint exhibition where each of us explores the philosophical influences of our cultural heritage upon our work. Takis, a renowned sculptor in Greece has been living in Sydney for the past eighteen months. We formed a strong friendship when he was here as the artist in residence for Kogarah council and was living in Carss park which is almost my back garden! We found, although we have lived very different lives we have many common interests that inform our work. This will be a very special exhibition and the first time Takis has had an exhibition with another artist in Australia.
an exhibition of Sculpture by Takis Kozokos
&
Paintings by Tracey Levett
Kogarah Cultural Centre - Kogarah Library
Join us for opening night
RSVP talevett@gmail.com
Exhibition concludes 24th July