Time for Drawing is a workshop retreat about creating space for reconnecting and remembering your creative selves.

Our architect Luisa, is currently in Fowler’s Gap for the workshop retreat with Rena Czaplisnka, exploring the natural beauty of the land through drawing and paint.

Here in Luisa’s words on her experience:

Exploring the Desert Landscape: A Journey of Inspiration

The desert’s landscape is truly a marvel, alive with vibrant colors and rich textures. There is something captivating about the way the land reveals itself—whether it’s the intricate formations of rocks, the dry creek beds, or the sweeping, open spaces that seem to stretch endlessly. Each element offers a unique story, and as architects, we find inspiration in observing these natural patterns.

During a recent exploration, I was particularly drawn to the rocks. Over time, they move in harmony and opposition, their colors shifting from earthy browns to deep oranges and even hints of blue. Their quiet stillness evokes a sense of calm that lingers long after you leave the vastness of the desert behind.

We were a small group—four women from various creative disciplines: architecture, landscape architecture, and art. Rena, our guide, encouraged us to dive into abstract representation in our work. We drew inspiration not only from the landscape itself but also from renowned Australian artists like Elizabeth Cummings, John Peart, Roy Jackson, and Idris Murphy. We also found echoes of greatness in the works of Cézanne, Van Gogh, and Picasso.

One particular quote from K.S. Malevich’s Essays on Art resonated deeply with me:
“For art is the ability to construct, not on the interrelation of form and color, and not on an aesthetic basis of beauty in composition, but on the basis of weight, speed, and direction of movement.”

This sentiment aligns with our architectural practice. We seek to not only create beauty but to understand and respond to the forces.

Both seen and unseen, that shape our environments.