(Above, images of student artworks and the Masterclass led by Penny Burnett)

When a professional artist comes into a college environment, vulnerability and uncertainty may not be what you would expect but that is exactly what Penny Burnett, Arts Tasmania artist in residence, felt coming in to the Don College art department.

These are not feelings that hindered Penny’s art production, but rather fed them over the six week immersion within the school. Penny said she likes to place herself in uncomfortable positions.

“It brings something out in my work… I normally work in a solitary studio environment at home so coming into the school space pushed me out of that.”

Penny, who lives at Dodges Ferry in the south of the state, said she noticed her own emotions in a new environment reflected some of the experiences that the students themselves were having, transitioning from high school into the college education, trying to find their feet.

“I could feel their uncertainty and so at first, I took a back seat while they were still building relationships with each other and with their teachers.”

Penny set up a space within the college studio to paint, and brought an artwork she had already commenced to work on. Gradually, students became used to her presence and became more inquisitive about her practice.

“We were able to work together more collaboratively and explore painting and the process of creating an artwork, which is vital.”

“The students I saw wanted things to be perfect, but that uncertainty within the process is incredibly important.”

To demonstrate the potential of this uncertainty and searching, Penny created two iPad drawings of the same subject. The first was created by using a photograph as the source material and in the second, was drawn in situ, in a natural landscape setting where the the light constantly shifted, and it was a more immersive and immediate, trying to capture what you see as quickly as possible.  

“The thing with trying to create a perfect copy of an image is that it cuts out the emotional response. Students agreed that the second iPad drawing although it was of the same subject, was more dynamic, powerful and interesting.”

“It’s about finding happy little accidents within the process”

"This is when you find that sweet spot, to find something you can work with and develop," she said. 

It was not only Penny and students new to the art department who found themselves in a challenging situation during her residency. The Don College Art Department staff were treated to a workshop with Penny in which they were able to explore the medium of painting. For teachers Lisa, Courtney and Sonia, painting is not their specialised discipline within art. 

“I gave the staff a masterclass experience and we looked at using paint in different kinds of ways. They found themselves again being a little uncomfortable and finding that vulnerability and challenge within their own practise, the same things their students feel.”

“It was an excellent team building activity and there was a lot of laughter in there too, and the staff will be able to modify their process to take back to their own students”

While Penny was able to share and give a lot through her presence within the department over the six weeks, she said the residency had been of benefit to her too on a professional level.

“I really enjoyed that peer to peer conversation and I really respect [the teachers’] practises.”

I came into the residency with the attitude of curiosity and an attitude to serve too, and I’d like to be mentored by them, especially Lisa who is such a talented photographer.”

Penny has also completed residencies at Cradle Mountain, Poimena Art Gallery and was the 2018 inaugural Tasmanian Artist in Residency at Jeju Island, South Korea.

Penny is currently curating the Paint 2022- Relationships and Limitations, an exhibition which will come to Devonport in December this year. 

You can check out her blog here: https://www.pennyburnett.com/new-blog