A studio visit with Jaq Davies
It's easy to see why Jaq Davies has an intense love of the Australian landscape. Jaq grew up in Wilcannia and now lives with her family out at Clifton Grove, just outside of Orange, NSW, one of the more beautiful parts of the world. The drive way is lined with large industrial looking sculptures made by Jaq's partner Glenn Hoyle where I am greeted by a very friendly Jack Russel named Ronnie Barker. Jaq then leads me through an amazingly lush tunnel of grape vines into an open space just outside the kitchen. Four horses roam and graze around the clothes line amongst more of Glenn's sculptures.
Inside, the kitchen is covered in portraits drawn by Jaq's teenage daughter Bella, I'm starting to think this artistic thing is genetic.... I'm handed a cup of tea and toured through the high ceilinged house to the studio where Bella sits making a top out of some fabulous looking ethnic material. The living area is decorated with a number of Jaq's paintings and her sister Ruby's sculptures which hang in the ceiling, definitely genetic.
Jaq's studio is set up more like a gallery. White walls surround the room which is covered in a plethora of paintings, mixed media works, sculptures and other paraphernalia. This random array of things, Jaq tells me, is inspiration for a future exhibition in which the objects will be displayed next to the paintings, for example, a child's xylophone, stuffed toys and clothes.
Jaq's palette is largely made up of neutral greens and browns with the occasional pop of bright colour. She incorporates mixed media materials such as sand, string, feathers and sticks into the paintings. Jaq works on several pieces at once while she talks to me about her process. Roughly applying paint to one work on paper on the bench top she then adds colour to another piece on the wall above, letting the liquid run down the paper. It's clear there is much work to do and this very talented multi-tasker won't be running out of stamina any time soon.
The avenue outside Jaq's studio
Cubby house Jaq and Glenn built for their daughter Bella, Fancy!
Bella's drawings in the kitchen
See the xylophone and painting in the top right corner?
Odds and ends
The view from outside the studio