Beauty of Brown Water, 2020
The Beauty of Brown Water (2020)
The Beauty of Brown Water was the last body of work I completed before the Mill in Castlemaine closed on opening night during the COVID shutdown—a moment that nearly ended my practice. In 2026 I have returned to and expanded this series with renewed purpose, shifting my focus toward the local landscape: the aftermath of mass fire and the patient, stubborn regrowth that follows. In many ways the land’s recovery mirrors my own.
These works are built on collaged papers and mixed media, forming a textured drawing surface that emphasizes depth and tactility. The layered grounds—paper, charcoal, pigment and mark—invite close looking and touch the material history of place, making visible both loss and persistence.
Connie Burns Artist 