This is a still life painting by Margaret Olley, a much-loved Australian artist, who died in 2011 at the age of 88.
I love her style of realistic painting, her colours glow. But she famously hated house work. This is very evident in the reconstruction of her home that has been painstakingly recreated, piece by piece, in a specially built extension at the Tweed Regional Art Gallery. (see another post I did about this remarkable woman)
It was carefully catalogued, thousands of articles, the exact position noted, then all brought from Sydney to be displayed here.
You walk round the outside of the house peering in through the windows and doors at a conglomeration of articles that made up the creative person that was Margaret Olley.
As the gallery is only a short drive away I’m lucky to be able to visit regularly and this was where we came after the delicious lunch at Teavine House.
To me it looks like a life times collection of eclectic junk, but Margaret insisted she knew where everything was and would not let anything be moved. Everyday the gallery staff put fresh flowers in the vases, as they were when she painted them. Classical music plays softly in the background.
I visit this gallery every few months to see the ever-changing exhibits and always enjoy looking at this still life recreation of an amazing artist. So much to look at I notice something different at every visit.
It had been an enjoyable days outing and as the day faded we had one more cup of coffee, being the only ones in the café, it was almost closing time, it was quiet and peaceful and as the sun went down a stillness surrounded me. Life is good…
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Ailsa (where’s my backpack) ask us to create our own post and title it Travel theme: Stillness
What an amazing commitment by the museum staff to keeping this space ‘alive’! Thanks for introducing me to Ms Olley!
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What a wonderful colorful and creative space. Loved this.
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This artist is one of my favourites. She was painting right up to the day she died.
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All well, Pauline? I presume you’re just having a little ‘down’ time 🙂 Sending hugs!
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All’s very well Jo, just been combining 2 loves, exploring and art. More coming soon. Hugs right back to you.
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Oh what a beautiful artists she must have been, and that gallery is amazing to replicate everything how it was.. ❤ Loved this x
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I love her art and she was very prolific. Her rooms fascinate me
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Eclectic junk…..
Ahhhh!
Wonderful art and I was feeling the smoothness with u at the cafe at closing time – that enriched feeling art brings!
Peace
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Nice stilleben’s.About a decade ago (or more actually) I used to paint and draw. The my living room looked like a mess: paintings, books and newspapers all over the place, with just a tiny spot where I could sit in the sofa and with a small clearing on the table in front of it.
The rest of the place was just an artistic mess.
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Artistic mess is a good description of Margeret Olley’s place. Do you do all your artistic creation on the computer now? I guess that wouldn’t be so messy
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This is a wonderful post – so many still lives, and thank you for the intro to Margaret Olley – light out of chaos it would seem, and all the more spectacular for it. Looks like you’re having beautiful skies too at your end of the planet.
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You spotted all the previous still life’s. They even had the decaying pomegranates that she had once painted then just left to rot. A fascinating place to look at
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Wow amazing recreation. I didn’t know about her, how wonderful to recreate a “real” space. Makes me feel better about mine now lol.
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That is really cluttered but in a way artistic too.
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As an artist I always enjoy getting a peek at the studios of artists. It gives one a great sense of the person and inspiration behind the pieces.
Beautiful still life.
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I find art galleries so inspiring. What sort of art do you do?
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I absolutely love her work. As for the house? Creative people are so orderly in a totally disorderly fashion. I bet she could find everything she wanted and if someone cleaned up, all would be lost 😀
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Life is very good and we are blessed to be able to find stillness. My desk at work was always cluttered and I knew exactly where things were. My secretary would clean and file for me……and, not being a ‘filer’, I could never find what I wanted. It takes many to make a world. Happy days Pauline.
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Margaret Olley had a house keeper as she got older. I feel sorry for her, the house keeper, as she was not allowed to move anything. How she did her job is beyond my imagination
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Now I see my home is faaaaar from this cluttering even if I feel it is cluttered…But what beautiful paintings…..Thank you for taking us!
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Her place fascinates me as I peer through the windows. There is also a video interview taken in her home a short while before she died. A very remarkable woman
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Remarkable people are interesting.
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Whenever I clean up my house (which doesn’t happen very often), I can’t find a thing so I understand her thinking. I enjoyed seeing all the photos of her home and I can see why you enjoy visiting! It is does give new meaning to orderly chaos! Lol! 😉
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I do prefer minimalist living. I feel sorry for the house keeper that came in a couple of times a week. Where would you start?
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Pauline, thank you SO much for this post, which makes me feel that my house is positive orderly! 🙂
janet
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When I go back home after a visit my house seems quite minimalist in comparison
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When I get home after a visit my home feels quite bare
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I’m with her on hating housework, but couldn’t live with all that clutter. I did read recently that clutterers are often highly creative. You have been having some spectacular sunsets lately.
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Her art is so beautiful. What a jumble in her house, but she probably knew where everything was until some kind person tidied it away. 🙂 Love your ‘stillness’ photo. Perfect for the travel theme.
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Jack always complains when I tidy his stuff saying he can’t find a thing
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I think all men are the same.They understand their chaos better than tidy. 🙂
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Wow – that’s great work.
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She was a very prolific artist. Now she is dead I assume her art will be a great investment
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What a glorious muddle, Pauline 🙂 🙂 Happy Sunday!
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Oh my, everything about that is beautiful. We were at an exhibition of Scottish women artists in Edinburgh yesterday. The modern art gallery also features a recreation of Eduard Paolozzi’s studio and I’ve seen (can’t now remember where) Francis Bacon’s too, both similarly chaotic. Great idea and a labour of love.
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I guess a creative person lives in the right brain and doesn’t even notice the mess around them
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A nice visit Pauline. I struggle a bit with clutter because of a desperate lack of space. Other peoples is fascinating but in an ideal world I’d be a very tidy person 🙂
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I’m a minimalist Gilly. It comes from living in small places. Remember Matilda? That was very small for 6 years.
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Indeed a remarkable artist, Pauline. I once had a boss whose desk was complete chaos, buy as with Ms Olley, he knew exactly where to find things, even from 5 years earlier. Thanks for the reminder – must get to that gallery sometime. Cheers, Ken
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It is certainly worth a visit and of course it is surrounded by beautiful scenery
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I’m more of a minimalist than Ms. Olley, but I’ve also never, ever created anything nearly as beautiful as she did so I’m guessing that excess of stuff fed her creative side. It’s nice that you live near. 🙂
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I think creative people tend to be creatively messy. I’m also a minimalist and tend toward being an organising type of person.
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beautiful
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I agree. Google her to see more of her work.
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“Life is good”….great to hear, Pauline! Woman after my own heart, focus on the good stuff 😀 I enjoyed my virtual wander around this museum
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She was an amazingly eccentric sort of person, but brilliant and so prolific. I think her art is now going to be worth investing in. I wish….
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😀😀
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