Artist: Greta Laundy

Her soft, abstract paintings of the Coorong shoreline are beautiful, and it was wonderful to see how much she gained from her time here. I also love seeing her creative posts pop up on Instagram! - Kate

Artist bio:

Greta Laundy is a South Australian artist who lives in the foothills of Adelaide with her family. She has been a practicing artist for over twenty years and has widely exhibited in group and solo shows across Australia. Proficient across a wide range of media, Greta mainly works in acrylic and oils on canvas. Drawing is a fundamental element of her practice and a sketchbook is always close to hand.

Greta’s art practice draws upon memories and experiences of nature to create landscapes both real and imagined which are inspired by her formative years growing up on rural farms. These works celebrate our connection to the natural environment and reflect upon the internal relationship we have with ourselves in the natural environment: a process which is at once highly personal, yet universal in nature. Vibrantly coloured, Greta’s abstracted works feature organic patterns and shapes suggestive of hills, plant forms and geographical elements, all richly significant to the artist. Her work is held in multiple collections across Australia, USA, Germany, and the UK.

Greta holds a Bachelor of Visual Arts (1st Honours) and a Master of Teaching (Secondary School: Art).

Q: What was the first thing you noticed or felt when you arrived at Coorong Life, and how did that stay with you during your residency?

A: When I first arrived I was warmly greeted by Kate and her two lovely pooches, she was so welcoming and put me at ease. Once I’d settled in and took a little stroll to the water, I immediately felt at peace. There was no human made noise, only the gentle wind rustling the trees and the sounds of birdlife settling in for the night: bliss. Throughout my stay, this gentle, reflective calm stayed with me. It was exactly what I anticipated would happen. Nature is such a healing balm for our crazy urban life.

Q: Did you develop any new rituals or creative habits here that you’d like to carry into your practice back home?

A: I cant say I developed anything new, rather my experience just further embedded the importance of experiencing and reflecting upon my connection to nature as an integral aspect of my artistic practice. I undertook a lot of walking, photographic documentation, and plein air painting which I then took back to the premises to explore further in smaller studies. This is generally what I tend to do anyway in my artistic practice.

My time spent at the Art Residency at Coorong Life really reminded me that I need to spend more time alone in nature to just dream and sit with place, and that this should be a yearly occurrence.

Q: Was there a particular spot on the property that became “yours” while you were here — a place you returned to again and again?

A: Not really, I loved it all. I walked for hours along the shorelines noticing the way the sand changed colour, climbing the little dunes to get a better aerial view, and walking in the samphire near the residence (I really loved the colours and reflections in this marshy area).