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ARTIST STATEMENT

As an artist and farmer, Wendy McDonald's creative life would struggle to exist away from the property near the Murray River in Southwest NSW, which she shares with her husband and their two children. The mixed farm on Thule Lagoon feeds inspiration for Wendy’s painting and printmaking by providing a true sense of how the landscape works. She admits she couldn’t be an artist without being a farmer and vice versa - that one could not function without the other. Her work
draws from the ecology of the local environment, the ebb and flow of the creeks and rivers and the dramatic changes of the seasons. She is honoured to tell the story of the ephemeral floodplain and the joys of belonging to a small
community, through her art. 

 Recent works are deeply embedded in the story of the restoration of the wetland known as The Pollack Swamp, a significant ecological and cultural heritage flora reserve, found in the Koondrook Perricoota Forest (one of the five Murray Darling Icon sites). Creating awareness of the history and geography of our precious inland waterways, McDonald seeks to introduce audiences to these places, in all their fragility. 'Under current water policy, globalisation and corporatisation of our precious water resources is impacting severely on our floodplain environments and communities. Introducing people to the story of these landscapes can be the first step in a conversation about place and how we manage our floodplains going forwards.'

Wendy’s country hospitality can be glimpsed in her still life work and through Glencoe’s farm gate. Known for her open-door philosophy, her kitchen, garden, skills and creative space are shared on a regular basis. An idyllic artists’ retreat

for adults and children is offered at the cottage studio. Creative types of all persuasions take refuge at Thule Lagoon, the ancient bed of the Murray River, and soak up the inspiration and rawness of the surrounding natural canvas.

BIO

Wendy’s work has been shown in galleries across NSW and Victoria and in Sydney and Melbourne, with pieces in private collections around the world. Her works have featured in both Home Beautiful and Australian Country Style Magazine. She was honoured to be included in the 2018 Thames & Hudson publication 'A Painted Landscape' by Amber Creswell Bell. Wendy has been a finalist in numerous awards including The NSW Parliament Plein Air Painting Prize (2016, 2017 & 2018), the Paddington Art Prize, The Calleen Art Prize, and The Swan Hill Print & Drawing Acquisitive Prize.