Earth Art Offering - introducing Ochre
Image: “Earth’s Flow” 2022 by Melissa McDevitt Weston.
This piece was inspired by how Mother Earth creates such beautiful images in the shapes, colours and textures of the land and waterways. The dots represent our connection to waterways and Country. This connection is hard to explain, it is spiritual, it is a flow, it has many layers. The red ochre in this painting is from Phillip Island and was gathered in a Cultural and respectful way. The ochre has been applied using a natural sea sponge from a local beach. Artistically, the image holds the vibration of the sea sponge and it’s environment. In this artwork, some of the paint is also applied by pouring, so it is able to flow in its own natural way. This relates to water, and the importance of letting it be unrestricted, healthy and able to flow in its own way on its journey.
Melissa McDevitt Weston
Melissa McDevitt Weston has kindly offered to facilitate her new workshop at the 2023 Creative Mental Health Forum and Self Care Retreat:
“Earth Art Offering”.
Melissa is a proud Boon Wurrung Woman, local Traditional Owner, and contemporary Aboriginal Artist.
In this workshop, Melissa will introduce you to the Cultural significance and uses of the Earth pigment ochre, and she will gift you the experience of working with Culturally sourced ochre from Boon Wurrung Country and support you to make your own Earth painting.
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Melissa joins us on Sunday 7th May at the 2023 Creative Mental Health Forum to facilitate this rare fireside educational painting workshop.
About Melissa
Melissa McDevitt Weston is a Boon Wurrung woman, a contemporary artist and permanent resident of Bass Coast.
Melissa’s experience as an artist covers 35 years and innumerable exhibitions including a Solo Exhibition in Gondwana Gallery, Alice Springs in the 1990’s, and training through Frankston Tafe’s Associate Diploma of Visual Arts.
Amongst other art projects, in 2016 Melissa collaborated on a mural for a kindergarten in Wonthaggi and in 2018, she was commissioned to create a work for Orange Door Gippsland, the Domestic Violence resource hub.
Westernport Water commissioned one of Melissa’s artworks, and she chose to paint about the importance of connection to Country and Water. This artwork can be seen on their vehicles driving around Bass Coast. Melissa’s work has been exhibited annually in Reconciliation Art Exhibitions in Inverloch and Wonthaggi.
Melissa describes her Artistic Approach:
“Cultural understandings inform me, as a Traditional Owner, that my ancestors lived along the waterways and I continue to occupy these areas through spirit. This knowledge is substantiated by the uncovering of artefacts along waterways, buried skeletal remains and indications of sacred sites. In this regard, I have a responsibility to continue to care for traditional land and waters. The representation through my paintings of these areas aims to fulfil some of my obligations. It is my desire to impart the same sense of responsibility, care and understanding to the viewers of my paintings.
I use a non-figurative, contemporary style in natural pigment and acrylic colours. The foundation of the work is applied using natural materials and plant life found locally, thereby allowing the land and my ancestors to dictate the image. The deep red-brown Ochre in my artworks is a natural pigment that I have gathered on Boon Wurrung Country. My concept of colour suggests that the use of the colour Gold, expresses the great worth and beauty of Mother Earth. Green, represents the creator and the vibrational colour of love. White, the colour of spirit and denoting the ongoing presence of my ancestors, apparent along the course of the waterways. Aqua, symbolising the waterways across Bass Coast lands. Finally, Yellow, the soil and sand supporting all waterways.”
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WE ARE THRILLED TO WELCOME MELISSA
AS A PRESENTER AT THE
2023 CREATIVE MENTAL HEALTH FORUM
AND SELF CARE RETREAT.
WE WELCOME
CREATIVE THERAPISTS,
ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
AND EDUCATORS WHO:
want to learn more about creative mental health,
be inspired by holistic and diverse workshops and presenters,
and “refill your well” with time in a beautiful nurturing environment and space for self care.
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