Personal Meaning and Survival through Artistic Expression; Country Women in Regional Victoria

This paper assists in connecting, voicing and investigating how countrywomen sustain a meaningful life in often-isolated circumstances through their aesthetic expressions. Regional countrywomen are living in an environment, which constantly changes, where the rain never falls or the rain never stops and where the uncertainty of austerity and prosperity prevail. The isolation, distance and living in the farming business set up a unique set of circumstances and influences that are not part of more populated environments. The relationship between artistic activity resulting from the loss of identity and sense of self is explored in a self-reflective account. The countrywomen and environment are intrinsically related to one another. They are continuous within the context in which they find themselves. The women studied are inspired by the surrounding landscape and innately use a palette of readily available mediums often gleaned and improvised, from their surroundings.