I have always maintained that getting out into nature is a perfect (and usually free) way to improve mood and general mental health, so I was really pleased to see this exhibition at Belco Arts that propounds the same theory.
Jennifer Adams has a long term mental health disability and has been painting for over twenty years. The catalogue notes, "Mental Health treatment is often viewed as a clinical activity, taking place within four walls. This exhibition challenges that narrow view to see our experience of nature as vital for mental health."
It continues, "This exhibition is her first solo in more than ten years. In ths exhibition, Jenny has the freedom to celebrate nature experienced locally in Canberra, in nearby farmland that has been returned to its natural environment and in other locations around Australia."
"Jenny has a distinctive approach to her subject, drawing out shapes, adding vibrant colours and decorative elements, to express her response to the natural world... The exhibition is designed to be experiential, so that the viewer is wrapped around by the colours, designs and positive imagery of the art displayed. This way a viewer can immerse themselves in the way Jenny appreciates the natural world for her own mental health."
I enjoy the vibrancy of these images, and the calming feeling of the greens and blues of the water. I would happily hang one of these on my walls, but am equally happy that the rash of red dots below the artworks means that they have already been sold.
