Ash Frost is an artist and artworker who is passionate about everyday creativity and arts processes that bring communities together. A perfect fit for The White Bluff Project and its underlying principles.
Her own practice, mainly in watercolour and mixed media, has a focus on the everyday - gorgeous and delicate interpretations of domestic scenes and objects with an emphasis on native flora and the use of colour. Ash uses creativity to move throughout, and respond to, space.
Ash's involvement with White Bluff has been mainly in on-site collaboration sessions. Working not just with other artists but with the landscape itself. Her collaborations have culminated in a number of works with fellow White Bluff Project artist Tori Donnelly. Their works focused on the flora and fauna on the top of the Bluff, primarily focusing on the shapes of banksia cones and leaves, with colours relevant to the bluff site, where both Tori and Ash liked to spend time.
As with many of the White Bluff artists, some of this collaboration took place at the height of Covid restrictions. Consequently, the collaborative communication between artists often needed to be written and artworks handed over and handed back and worked and reworked. A note from Ash to Tori gives an insight into how this process worked: “Hi Tori, please feel free to do what you wish with these works - paint over them, add things, rip them, collage them. I’ve just drawn on the landscape on top of White Bluff - sitting with the Coastal Banksias which I find to be delightful curious plants that are nice to observe and draw. From these we may be able to choose a style and make a larger work.”
The Coastal Banksias that formed the subject of Ash’s work are currently in full bloom along the coast and at the White Bluff site itself. They support a vibrant community of nectar eating birds. Known scientifically as Banksia integrifolia, but commonly known as coast banksia, they are one of Australia’s most widely distributed Banksia species, of the 170 species in the genus. Known historically as honey suckle, the banksia was used by indigenous people as a natural sugar. It’s flowers were soaked in water to produce a sweet drink that relieved sore throats.
Working on the collaborative pieces for The White Bluff Project, Ash has commented that participating with so many incredible local artists inspired and challenged her in her arts practice.
“But most importantly to me, it created a community around a significant site, deepening my connection to this magical place on Gumbaynggirr country.” Ash said.
Before moving back to Coffs Harbour several years ago, Ash was working in Western Australia in community arts, particularly with indigenous artists and groups. In a recent profile piece in the local magazine, Bellbottom Community Arts and Culture Guide you can see how a project like White Bluff fitted so well into her existing art philosophy.
“The work I was doing in Perth and WA in general especially with the Noongar mob down there, was in community arts,” Ash explains. “When we talk about place, for me it’s First Nations first, so I was working with some incredible communities for the last three years that were based on local Noongar place names and language. Each community had a different arts outcome, but they all have this undercurrent of local history. It’s creating change through art. I’m always looking for those opportunities.”
Having crossed the country in the pursuit of art and community outreach, and crossed back again to her home town of Coffs Harbour, Ash joined The White Bluff Project team of collaborators and gifted it with a youthful diversity.
As she explained in her Bellbottom interview: “ I think there’s some really established artists here, but there’s a chunk of demographic missing, and that’s a lot of people from high school age to thirty. I kind of miss that group and wonder where they are. I haven’t seen many opportunities for younger artists and art workers within Coffs, and part of me moving back was about looking up what’s happening with the Cultural and Civic Space, which is a huge opportunity. I think we need a hub, some space people can go and really experience contemporary offers that are experimental and engaging.”
For a taste of Ash’s White Bluff artworks be sure to check out her Instagram feed. It is a vibrant collections of colour and images, many of them being photos of her works in progress for the final White Bluff Project exhibition which will be held at the Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery from October 30, 2021 until January 15, 2022.
