Autumn Preparations

On the first morning of March, my 16-year-old daughter sat at the kitchen table over her cup of tea and declared with a sigh, ‘Finally it’s autumn!’ On the brink of a heatwave with stifling humidity and scorching heat, it certainly didn’t feel like summer’s end.

When I think of autumn I see dusks filled with dramatic cumulus clouds, bright yellow and brittle red leaves on my liquid amber and chilly morning dews. I imagine creatures everywhere slowing down, preparing to rest, gathering nuts and seeds for the lean months ahead. It is a time of harvest and preparation.

This autumn I am doing my own preparations. With only 4 weeks until my desert residency in the Northern Territory, I am considering what materials and equipment I need to gather and contemplating what I may experience in that alien environment.

Having grown up in Cape Town surrounded by mountains and the sea, and now living in the Blue Mountains, I feel at home in rising mists and clouds. I love being in and around water and the solace of tall, still trees and bushland. Even as I hear the call of the desert to immerse in its open spaces and intensity, I wonder if I will encounter dislocation and confusion as I bring my artist’s gaze and brushes to that vast and dry landscape.

And the word that comes to mind is trust.

I am reminded of the many times I have taken a path with no definitive end. The quickening excitement and apprehension.

I can no more control the outcome of this venture than any other.

All I can do is lean in… be present and trust the process.

Corinne Loxton

Corinne Loxton is an Australian artist who paints oil paintings that evoke the landscapes and atmospheric skies she experiences. 

http://www.corinneloxton.com.au
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My Desert Journey

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Summer Show 2024