My Australian Adventure!
25
NOVEMBER, 2024
Fellowship Travel Art
It’s been quite a year and I appreciate it’s been a while since I’ve updated to blog, however art has very much continued to be a part of my life no matter where I am in the world.
This year, I took the huge leap of living and working in Melbourne, Australia for six months to undertake a shoulder and elbow Fellowship with the Epworth Healthcare Group. As I have officially completed my surgical training, Fellowships allow individuals to pursue opportunities in specialties specific to them, work abroad or undertake research activities prior to taking a Consultant post. When the opportunity came to go to Melbourne I jumped at the chance.
Nylex Plastics, Cremorne. 2024.
With a supportive partner holding the fort in Scotland, I moved to Melbourne and I fell in love with the city. It is quite simply one of the loveliest cities in the world. I moved to an area called Cremorne which was outside the central business district and it had many old converted factories and warehouses which provided ample inspiration for some of the urban landscapes I started painting.
I was particularly inspired by one building formerly belonging to a company called Nylex Plastics which was just around the corner from my flat. It was a brutal, industrial, and dare I say conventionally ugly building but I saw beauty in its balance of sharp lines and curves forming the structure. I painted it twice – one vantage point from the ground and the other from the upper floor outdoor seating area in the building I lived in.
Bryant and May Building, Cremorne. 2024
“An artist’s studio is in the mind no matter where you are in the world”
Next, I ventured round the corner to see a lovely early 20th century converted match factory called the Bryant and May building. This has gorgeous brickwork and looked like a time capsule among the converted warehouses and newer architecture of the area.
Melbourne is a city of contrasts. It has beautiful expansive open parks, a busy central area and an abundance of culture. It is a wonderfully walkable city with fresh air and a food scene that rivals, and surpasses, many of the other major cities in the world like London, Dubai or New York. The wonderful thing about being an artist is that no matter where I am in the world, all I need is a canvas, brushes and paints and I am home. An artist’s studio is in the mind, not a physical place. I will never forget my time in Melbourne and the beautiful country that is Australia and I vow to return one day!
