Like so many things these days, it is so easy to do something and then move straight on. Well my time in Beijing had a big impact on me and so I did not want to overlook the opportunity to document it here.
The truth is being by myself in a foreign country, where the language gap was much greater than I anticipated, gave me some moments of intense anxiety and I sharply felt my distance from home. I had to really dig dip to quell that feeling, trust I was meant to be there, (which I always felt I was) and get on with the job at hand.
I can’t say enough how very grateful I feel to be a “real” artist, and to be getting paid to paint. The Beijing job was really was a dream come true. This feeling of overwhelming gratitude for my life is a great antidote to any fear that comes my way (and a storm blew in that week).
At the end of my time there I also lost my phone, this turned out to be not so bad, as it made me go even deeper into myself. It was also a great reminder of my reliance on technology and where I waste time because of it. It was a strange feeling though to make my way home back to Australia phone free and to do everything “old school”.
I also drew small works on board in my Hotel every night. These will form part of an upcoming exhibition reflecting on my Beijing experience and other insights from this year.
I have quite a few people to thank, Royal Stacks (Dani Zeini) for the trust. The Royal Stacks China staff Langsi and Terri, who made me feel at home, even though I was a thousand miles away. I used my Hong Kong brand “Eico Paint” and was supported so well by them all throughout the project. Thanks also to Shirley and Andrea from Studio 8 in Shanghai for the encouragement half way, and to the amazing team of tradesman on the ground who helped in every way possible.
Next time you are in Beijing make sure you stop by! (Or you can just check out Collins St in Melbourne or the Chatswood Westfield in Sydney!).
Here is a write up/review of the store with a mention to me included. http://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2018/09/20/australias-top-burgers-we-put-royal-stacks-to-the-test
