Natalia Jastrzebski:  Creating Art Through Outdoor Observation

En plein air is French for ‘in the open air’ – what sparked your love for painting outdoors? 

I must confess I haven't painted outdoors yet which is why I wanted to challenge myself with this residency. I love being in the bush and walking trails but painting outdoors and from life, as opposed to a photo, is not an easy feat!

You’re using your residency to paint en plein air in native bushland reserves cared for by the Macclesfield Bushcare Group – how did this collaboration come about?

I’m not from the area so when I was researching the town I found a lot of information about the bushcare group. It was so impressive to learn about the decades of work the group has undertaken to restore natural bushland and habitat. I thought it would be an interesting idea to paint these areas.

What are you learning about the environment thanks to Macclesfield Bushcare Group members – and how is that influencing your art?

I’ve started to appreciate how plant biodiversity has changed since logging, grazing and land clearing began. I also have a sense of the continued commitment by volunteers to look after the land and how powerful this is over time to rehabilitate and restore natural habitats.

How much responsibility do you feel to the environment - painting what you observe and not letting your imagination get in the way?

I’m reading a couple of books at the moment on landscape painting which describe being faithful to the feeling of a scene without being photographic. This is part of creativity in composing a picture; I’m not sure I’ve quite mastered this yet!

What are your goals for your residency at The Stable?

To connect with a new community and get painting! I did propose to paint out in the landscape but that’s yet to happen. I hope to just explore the painting process with landscape compositions and maybe it will lead to something bigger in the future.

What do you want these new Macclesfield works to say?

That the work the Macclesfield Bushcare Group does is seen and valued by someone not from the area, and that I’ve observed the bush care sites, walked through them and recognised the contribution of the volunteers.

What can people expect to see when they come to your exhibition?

They will see a working studio and a display of the work I’ve made. Some of these will be finished paintings, others will be little studies, sketches in my journal and a glimpse into my process and ideas. I welcome anyone who would like to come browse and chat! I’ll also have a selection of other works on display and for sale.

What does success as an artist look like to you?

To me, this is a life-long learning journey. Success comes from both having the technical skill to realise my ideas, which are many and varied, and making work as often as I can. That requires looking after myself physically and mentally because the creative process demands your sharpest focus. If I can connect with others through what I do then it will be a meaningful career. Being able to support myself financially would be rewarding - it’s a goal but it’s not my sole definition of success.

Australia is a sports-dominated society - why do the arts deserve just as much attention?  

Sport is one aspect of our society that creates connections and a sense of community. The arts is another. A culturally rich society is one where different forms of engagement and expression coexist together. The arts is about storytelling and expression with subjects as diverse as humankind itself. It takes the form of music, comedy, film, literature, design - so many things! There’s something for everyone.

Which artwork – across all artforms – do you wish you created and why?

Although I’ve never felt that I wished I’d made a painting that already exists, I love so much work by so many artists! Especially Robert Hannaford and Hans Heysen who are both masters. I study their paintings regularly. I also love the Australian impressionists.

Members of the community are invited to an exhibition of Natalia’s artworks at The Stable between 2pm and 5pm on Sunday 4 January.