During the last week the word tenacious has been mentioned to me a few times. Basically in the context that my tenacity will pay off in terms of success etc. I replied to one person by saying 'Yep, my name is Kathryn Tenacity Brimblecombe-Fox'! We had a laugh together. I love what I do...I love painting and I love thinking about a work in progress or ideas for new works. Much of my thinking time is spent 'creating' in my head and I work consistently. Is this tenacity? I suppose it could be described as such, but I don't think it is all of the story. An artist has to be tenacious about pushing forward to gain recognition, critical and commercial success. This means constantly looking for opportunities to exhibit and promote oneself. This means time is taken up with writing proposals, entering competitions and attending functions. The latter may seem a bit odd to someone outside the artworld. However, being an artist ie: a painter working in my studio, is a lonely activity...although I do love the solitude! If I did not have children to pick up at the end of the day I could go for days wthout talking to anyone. So, attending functions gets me out and about meeting other artists, curators, writers, collectors and others interested in the arts.
I am working on ideas about water at the moment. And I am being tenacious about it too! Constantly thinking, noting down ideas, making quick sketches. My time growing up on a grain farm, time spent in Goondiwindi [where there is a lot of irrigation], observations of water use in the Middle East and looking at how city folk are dealing with water restrictions. All these elements and more are informing my ideas. The fact that a fundamental aspect of human survival has an increasing monetry value is everything from absurd to frightening.
Past and Future Together Gouache on paper 30 x 21 cm
