Always learning

This year I have put a lot of energy in to applying for grants, scholarships, artist in residencies and I am starting to see the rewards for all of my hard work.

Recently I was awarded the Black Rainbow Futures Fund, this funding goes towards professional development for Indigenous LGBTQIA+ community members who are under 35. I have put this money towards upskilling and taking workshops with artists who I admire.

The first workshop I completed was Irit Dulman’s ‘Full Palette’ which was absolutely incredible and has given me a completely new outlook on how to utilise natural dyes and mordants with botanical printing.

I feel like my work has evolved and I am really excited to be getting beautiful results on cellulose fibres, it has inspired me to sew more again!

As I do the rest of the workshops I will create blogposts about them and share the outcomes with you all.

Over the next month I will also be in the Gold Coast hinterlands at Hand Bent Banana Arts and Health Centre doing my Artist in Residency as well as joining the First Nations Artist Camp for the first time.

There is a lot going on but I am so excited!

I listen to creative entrepreneur podcasts hosted by Jai Long and his motto is "“just do the thing” and I have learnt to fully embrace doing the thing!

After feeling a great sense of accomplishment from putting on my first exhibition earlier this year I feel like I can move on from what I’m calling my “Red on White” period and delve deeper in to other dyes and play around with layering prints on to fabric. I feel myself being pulled in new directions to explore.

Thank you for being with me on the journey,

Norton