Jennifer Mills

Thrilled to have “Miracle on Evergreen Terrace I” the first in a trilogy of drawings made with Darcy in this year’s NWOP @mprg_vic. The list of artists on show is amazing and I’m extremely honoured that Darce and I have been selected. Thank you to all at MPRG for all your hard work and for championing works on paper. Great gallery run by amazing people🙏👏🙏

This drawing was inspired by an incredible house in the street where my brother and his family live.

Every Christmas the house is decorated with themed, handmade Simpson’s characters. There’s Homer as Santa stuck in the chimney, Marge poses provocatively on the front porch tattooed with seasonal greetings, and spider-pig frolics on the roof. The characters are beautifully crafted. I love everything about them. A bench welcomes passers-by to sit next to Krusty the clown. How could I resist!

Last year we celebrated Christmas at Dan’s. After dinner, we walked down the street and Dan took a photo of me wearing a Bart Simpson mask sitting on the bench. I had planned my selfie moment and brought my mask with me. You see, we are a Simpsons family too, with a multigenerational love of the TV show. My son Darcy particularly loves the Simpsons. Darcy is 22 and has severe autism. I invited him to add to the drawing. He added Bart with thick, almost impasto, acrylic. Bart’s eyes pop and his long arms extend like a spider monkey. Darcy has written the show title in bold “Simpson’s” yellow. As he writes the letters increase in size and loose the form. His marks are the tonic my marks need.

Congrats to all the exhibiting artists❤️❤️❤️

NWOP runs from 5 September-22 November at the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery

#nwop