Indigo Interview: A love of drawing and painting

Patricia Doughty was born in Sydney and has lived there most of her life. She has divided her time living between Sydney and Beechworth for the last four years. “The only time I lived away from Sydney was when my husband, Alan, and I went overseas to Oxford, England, for his post-graduate studies. We also had our first child, Ethan, while we were over there,” Patricia said. What’s been your career journey? I started out as a cook, which is how Alan and I met. I also worked in a jewellery shop in the City of Sydney and in our family business. Around that time, I had my second child, Ginger. Later on, I began working as an extra in TV and film with Allsorts Casting. These days I spend most of my creative time painting, drawing, and writing songs. What do you love about what you do? I love working on set – being part of TV series and films has been a real privilege. The hours are long and call times are often early, but the team around you from crew and cast to hair, makeup, and wardrobe are all highly trained and wonderfully helpful. The food they serve is always delicious too. It’s such a fun gig, especially dressing up in period costumes or modern attire. With a love of drawing and painting, I wanted to learn more and studied at the Julian Ashton Art School in Sydney. I work with most mediums but prefer oil paint. Is there a community issue you think needs addressing? Where we live in Beechworth, we have a wet area, drain, or gutter that is quite overgrown. It is spring fed and is home to many species of frogs. However, the council comes along and sprays the overgrown grass and weeds, leaving everything looking burnt, brown, and unsightly, although the frogs still manage to keep living there. What would you do to solve change or improve that situation? It would be good to find a way to help it work for drainage without using the herbicides. All our neighbours agree that something needs to be done to keep the habitat alive and thriving. What do you see as one of the most important current world issues? Misinformation is a major concern. When people say, "I’ve done my research," it drives me crazy. Just look at how climate change or the weather news is presented today. Big money is not helping the current state of our world. I think it’s crucial to educate oneself and not simply take the word of someone who is just looking for votes or wanting to influence public opinion. You only have to look at the damage big money is doing to our global environment. We all have a duty to keep the Earth healthy and protect nature and civilization for the future. We need to do better, think better, and be better. If the person you would most like to meet came to Indigo Shire (past or present), or was already here, who would that be, what would you show them, and why? Marilyn Monroe. I would love to have her sit for a portrait. The Nicholas Hotel in Beechworth would be a fantastic place for her to visit, and the stage at the pub would make a wonderful venue for her to sing and dance. It would be incredible to bring a group of local artists together to sketch her and capture her movements. What a star! What book are you reading? I’m reading a book from my daughter Ginger, called ‘The Artist’ by Lucy Steeds.

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