Wendy Fraser
I have always been a “maker” but my desire to paint only came after 30 years as a Maths teacher in Sydney. Since then, I have benefited from several workshops in Australia and online but I am largely self-taught.
I work in watercolour, goache, acrylic and oil in varied levels of representation. The subject will often determine the medium and the approach that I take. I enjoy the variety in my practice and if my style is recognisable, it is probably through my colour palette, which is often unsaturated and a bit moody.
When working with watercolour and gouache, I have come to enjoy the vibrancy of colour and unpredictability of outcome that a non-absorbent surface provides, and so, I often use Yupo paper, a polypropylene surface that allows erasures but is tricky as well.
When working with acrylics and oils, on either stretched canvas or board, I predominantly use palette knives rather than brushes. I enjoy the abundant and controlled sweeps of paint it gives, the simplicity of using the one tool for both mixing and application and also its exciting capacity for scraping back to underlying layers.
I hope you enjoy this glimpse into my painting life.
Batlow, my painting home, is a small and welcoming town nestled in the picturesque Snowy Valleys area of NSW between Tumbarumba and Tumut on the south-western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in Australia.
Renowned for its apples and for its miraculous survival from the devastating Dunns Road fire in the first week of 2020, Batlow has a strong community spirit, a proud heritage and an enlivening artistic presence. In 2022, the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail, instigated by the successful Sculptures By The Sea organisation, was installed as a permanent attraction in and around Batlow, Adelong and Tumbarumba. It showcases the work of local, national and international sculptors and will continue to grow over coming years. The annual Batlow Ciderfest in May (3rd Saturday) celebrates the harvest and the productive enterprise in the region, especially in cider production.
I split my time between our family home on the Northern Beaches of Sydney and my Batlow studio, where I live and work in what was once a shop in the centre of town.
The commute between Sydney and Batlow is long but enjoyable. The late stages of the journey, towards Tumut or Adelong and then on to Batlow, are always uplifting. The road meanders through green pastures that are framed by hills on either side. It then sweeps up through dancing curves to reveal the ranges beyond, before easing its way between beautiful apple orchards and down into the township. There you fill find Batlow to be either snugly nestled, blossoming, verdantly fresh or abundant and aglow, as the distinctive seasons dictate.