The Contemporary Art Society of Victoria Incorporated Collectors' Exhibition 2005 A selected exhibition of Australian Contemporary Art 6 - 21 February 2005 Steps Gallery, 62 Lygon Street, Carlton, Melbourne information from the artist....

TABITHA BARTON

• Born in 1928 in the North of England.
• Studied for five years art school studies at Southport, Manchester and Liverpool.
• Gained National Diploma of Design in 1947
• Moved to New Zealand in 1955. After having five children started painting in earnest. Had several exhibitions, both shared and solo, in Auckland, Wanganui, Taihape and Hamilton.
• Arrived in Melbourne in March '97 where I've had four solo shows and contributed to several group exhibitions.
• Currently working mainly in oil, with some pastels alongside.

Artist statement

DID YOU SEE THE SKY THIS MORNING?

This painting was inspired by the view from the footbridge leading from the car-park to the main entrance to the Austin hospital very early on the morning of March 9th 2003. The reason for that place, at that hour of sunrise, was to have some day surgery - otherwise I would not have seen the incredible sight - and every person, nurse, anaesthetist, all those people who come along and ask questions and do various procedures said the same thing to me; "Did you see the sky this morning?" "Yes," I said, "I'm going to make a painting of it."

Liepaja is a city on the west coast of Latvia where we stopped briefly at the bus station on our way back to Riga from Lithuania in 2002 and I made notes of some houses I was attracted to.