the last linoprint from the empty nest “my empty nest” 2026
well hello dear ones i am back, all year i have not written, have not even debriefed my FIRST SOLO show back in January, due to the stars that doth align for me the day after the show went down i embarked on a little occupation at a lovely school down the road. being in a new place of work requires a lot of concentration and learnings of new ways of doing paper work and systems etc… so therefore i have been very focussed on that for most of this year, now being in the 4th term i am feeling more at home in this place and can see that my own creative life has been a little bit on hold, up until now…. life is a funny little adventure you never know what is around the corner. But i do feel its just getting better….
The debriefing…
my first solo, “the empty nest” was so much fun and milestonic…. such a plethora of works i did make , if you didn’t see it you can on Instagram “@tashabuttonart”, i modernly videoed it so i can venture back in time…. its not like the real thing, but its all i have left of the experience. (plus a few nest drawings and paintings lying around my place) thank you to everyone who came and supported my art, my musings and encouraged me so, it was only positive. i even managed to make a couple of sales to many of you lovelies out there. but i must say i really was in my element, looking after the gallery, talking to all the people, sharing my stories and even tears for some… what i realised is that nothing comes without hard work and solid commitment, and if one has that, one can only go forward, sharing my journey is what it is all about for me anyways. i so do not know where things will lead in the next few years, but can only do little bits here and there and focus and it will be a life of creative spirit. my empty nests have closed their eyes now, it was good to have this focus and movement of what i am, have been, have done and have experienced in the form of motherhood love and loss of place, by creatively expressing my feelings, having shared where i am at through my art i now feel can kind of move on to this new era, the change has come, well it beginning…i am me and that is all i can be. i am hoping to make a little book about the empty nest on SNAPFISH, so if you would like one when i make one, let me know….. oh my goodness, i did love my nests that were inspired by Japan, i hope i retain that freshness, like a lime or a lemon spritz that the Japanese just generate, so neat, so quaint, so much kindness, so bloody polite, and most of all so creative. oh and did I mention about the food??? ****Sideline…. Whilst talking of Japanese food, a new Japanese restaurant literally opened up the road from my home and studio, have been going there every week, it is so GREAT!!! it is called Table 81 because of the phone area code for Japan in the world is 81. I love that too, so much. Anyway, if you are reading this and you are a North Shore Local to Turramurra area in Sydney, you should go there! @table81.sydney it is very nice. the food is very good, the atmosphere is fine and it outlooks to our splendidly lean and lovely eucalyptus trees which i think makes it very special ****
so many things to look forward to, places to go, people to meet and all that jazz. some very cool exhibitions i have seen of late was one of my old mates from art school, (The Julian Ashton Art School), is such an inspiration- in the last 30 years he has had like 30 shows (probably more) and has such a distinctive arts practice and vibe, he is Michael Muir , The Shape of Colour, and he is currently showcasing a big retrospective show at the Manly Art Gallery, so very great!!! i went to his artist talk the other day and was so inspired, he is truly doing what he loves and that is so important that in life you find the thing that you love to do. it was so nice to visit Manly again, as a youngen i spent many a weekend eve there… i do love to make art, teach art, talk about art, look at art, dissect art, be with artists and all that kind of thing. the next exhibit i would like to discuss is Margaret Olley at NAS, Australian Intimiste , intimiste is a new word for me and i do like it alot. oh my, only stumbled across this in the holidays with a couple of friends and was blown away, have seen her work before, but this was next level, so loved her rooms, it made me want to paint interiors forever, her colour palette so vibrant and intentional, her rendering fine yet expressive. her persian rugs…Olley was just herself , painted her flowers, her rooms and that’s what she did. this exhibition is on until the end of October. recommend totally if you are in Sydney.
presently i am making a front garden so can bring flowers into my home at various stages, had two daffodils and a whole lot of foxgloves coming up, smelling scented roses , this has been my creative focus of late. garden design…love love love…. the wildlife, nature, the butterflies and bees, the unique beauty, tremendous!!!
the final thing i would like to talk about is the great experience of the incognito art show that helps Studio A, i experimented with some pastels and was able to render some lovely little bush views of Wentworth Falls, NSW up in the mountains where I visited earlier this year . now a couple of lovely people have these works in their homes. so thanks for making me feel like i can bring some colour and connection to place into your world, dear purchasers, i hope to do more landscapes of more local areas to my home in the near future, so exciting and enveloping my life….
well thats about all for now, thanks for reading my artblog
tasha x