My Highlights From East Fremantle’s George Street Festival

Isn’t it delicious to do something you’re not usually allowed to do? Isn’t it just as wonderful to spend time with people you really admire? Most of the time I’m in my studio and it is the same for many artists I admire. Now and then our paths cross and that’s a real thrill for me.

Last week-end I exhibited and helped out at the George Street Festival in East Fremantle. It was a really pleasing event to be involved in. I got to spend time with artists that I’ve known for quite a long time like the very talented Camilla Loveridge. I’ve seen paintings by Camilla I regard as world class.

One of the event organisers, the sculptor Tony Jones, has lived near me for thirty years. He’s somebody who is very well regarded professionally, for good reason. His affability is also something that really stands out. That is one of the characteristics of people I most admire because I see it as courageous.

I don’t have a lot of vocabulary to talk about sculpture but I find that I am particularly pleased by the level of perfectionism that I sense in Tony’s work. When I look at his pieces I feel like a farmer looking at well-fed cattle. It looks healthy and it makes me feel good.

At one point in the afternoon, I was left in charge of the artworks on display. I found this a highlight because I got to pick up one of Tony’s pieces and hold it and rotate it in my hands. This is something you wouldn’t typically do in a gallery. I enjoyed that because it gave me a greater understanding of what I was looking at.

I’m very interested to hear about the tools people find useful in their work so I asked Tony. He nominated his sheet metal shears and his old forklift. Chatting with Tony and his wife Pam as well as Camila made last Saturday an afternoon to remember. I feel grateful for the opportunity to be connected with these people as they mean a lot to me.