Talking Practice: Wendy Black
Wendy Black is a sculptor based in the Hunter Region of NSW and is also a teacher at Tom Bass Sculpture Studio School. We chatted to Wendy about what she’s been up to since the COVID pandemic hit.
“I have been very grateful live where I do over the last 4 months, there has been plenty to do on the land and in my studio - the time has flown by!
Our resident wombats who have been very busy renovating their burrows (big time) have had enough of me putting flaps on their burrow entrances but it's the only way to keep mange at bay at the moment. So they will be very happy that some of the flaps have disappeared down river in the recent flood water, saving them the trouble of having to tear them down.
In the studio I have worked on and almost finished a couple of alabaster carvings that have been hanging around for some time. My self portrait (pictured top), wire dog and wombat (both pictured below) are in the Clara Street Gallery exhibition all made in the last few months, although the dog I started before the fires. All a bit surreal considering that as I’m writing this we're flooded in.
I also started a Regent Honey Eater (pictured bottom). This critically endangered bird has a nesting ground close to us and a few pairs captive bred birds have been released to join the few remaining wild birds. This spurred me on to make one in wire as yet unfinished. All while listening to a number of excellent art related podcasts - several times - and singing loudly to some old favourites. You have to do something to drown out the Wonga pigeon or you go crazy!”
Wendy Black
