JOCELYN Maughan lifts her brush to canvas.
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The canvas sits on the wall of the Manning Regional Art Gallery in Taree and on it she is painting a scene of Black Head beach.
The beach is filled with activity of people of all ages in conversations, in motion or simply relaxing.
"The people are based on memories, or on people I know," Jocelyn says as she walks and points out familiar figures and the characters that she doesn't know, like a random curious dog.
"The lady, there, I seem to keep painting her, I must like her," smiles Jocelyn as she motions to a woman reclining into a back stretch.
Jocelyn's characters are not identifiable by facial features, rather their stories are told by body language.
"The body language, that's what pushes the drama.
"I might be a realist with my characterisation."
When the Manning River Times caught up with Jocelyn she was on her third day of painting at the gallery.
She is the first artist to participate in the 'On the Wall' project, where artists are given a gallery wall to create an artwork.
Beach scenes have been a life long subject for Jocelyn's art.
"When I was a kiddie we would take a return trip on the train to Cronulla," recalls Jocelyn, who is now 77-years-old.
"I was given pencils and a drawing pad from my mother - I think it was something to keep me quiet at the beach!"
Jocelyn would capture the beach and all its swimming and lazing subjects.
"My thinking was 'I can't bring the swimming home, but I can draw it'."
"My thinking was 'I can't bring the swimming home, but I can draw it'."
Jocelyn says she has kept the drawings she created as a "tiny tot" which still inspire her today. "It's like re-painting my childhood."
But what was a childhood activity, nearly landed Jocelyn in trouble a few years ago.
When drawing on a beach one day, Jocelyn was approached by an out of uniform police officer.
He claimed what she was doing was illegal and said, "if a male your age was doing this, he'd be arrested."
Jocelyn argued his point, "Why would you not arrest me? That's discrimination."
She left feeling upset, and scribed her emotions about her behaviour being misinterpreted to the NSW Attorney General John Hatzistergos.
She received a reply, which is also on exhibit at the gallery. The reply explained it is not an offence to produce artwork that depicts children. Jocelyn was relieved by the response as she never wants to depart from her days drawing on the beach.
Wall project 'a brilliant idea'
"I'M as happy as Larry," says artist Jocelyn Maughan about the opportunity to paint a wall at Manning Regional Art Gallery in Taree.
"I feel like the 15th century artist Ghirlandaio, he wanted to paint every wall in Florence!"
Domenico Ghirlandaio was an Italian Renaissance painter, and Jocelyn's knowledge of him and various historical artists comes back to her time as head of art at Meadowbank TAFE near Ryde in Sydney.
Jocelyn says she loved having fellow artists come in and ask her questions whilst she is painting.
For those interested in her methods, Jocelyn developed a pamplet explaining the 'grisaille' method she uses.
The pamplet details the technique was used by artists Rubens and Van Dyk 400 years ago to underpaint oil paintings and plan compositions. Even those not familiar with art techniques are welcome to query Jocelyn on her work.
"It's a brilliant idea, I'd love to have more opportunities like this."
The On the Wall project is an initiative by Manning Regional Art Gallery where an artist or artists create an ephemeral artwork during gallery hours for a period of two to three weeks.
Emerging and established local artists are invited to submit a proposal.
All mediums are welcome. Further details on proposal requirements and the project can be found on the Manning Regional Art Gallery website.
laura.polson@fairfaxmedia.com.au