Bec Stevens in residence

I’m back at All That We Are for a second residency. A week in the bright studio space, amongst the open forest, of the Ridgeline above Pipe Clay Lagoon.

During my first residency I set myself a plan for accomplishing a set of drawings I had been planning to embark on and had my head down in the studio. This time around I am taking time for learning through being within this place as well. Along while ago I did a course on the plants of Tasmania and since then I comeback to learning about them when ever I can. They feel like old friends. At the moment many of the native grasses are in bloom and I have been taking the opportunity to learn more about them, the long stems of the kangaroo and wallaby grasses are nodding with seed and the native cherry is beginning to fruit so I am drawn back to the cherry trees to collect from them each day.

My practice for a long time has circled around my curiosity for plants, I find they speak volumes about our attitudes and ideas and I often use this as the initial point to pivot upon in developing a work. This week I am pulling a few of the local plants into the studio to influence the making, drawing and thinking. All with a gratitude for the space of generous professionalism thatSimon and Victoria have developed here.

Bec Stevens