Ancient history is fascinating. I studied the subject in high school and was hooked. As I’m hooked on people’s stories of today. Their lives are quite wonderful. And I love how most times past life experiences indicate how they operate in the present. I reckon this particularly applies to artists and their practice. As it is with me and, if you’re an artist, with you.
It’s curious the situations life presents you with. I had my path all mapped out on leaving school. It didn’t work out quite as anticipated.
I accepted an art teaching scholarship at the conclusion of high school and was able to get an art education, and the means to an income by the means of an art teaching education and teaching career. In the four year training I spent 3 days a week training to be an artist and 2 days a week to be a teacher. I concentrated on the 3 days a week at the NAS concentrating on all things art. I had my priorities.
On my return to Australia after living in Soho and teaching in East End London for 3 years I was determined not to return to the bureaucratic confines of teaching and find other ways to earn a living. On the suggestion of a friend, I started my own cleaning business. I walked the streets of Rozelle and Balmain letter dropping my wares. I built up a solid business of clients from all works of life that included amongst the number David Williamson (playwright) and Judge Kep Enderby (politician and judge). I found cleaning offered it’s own life’s lessons. Conversations with toilet bowls was not stimulating. Those clients who enjoyed my company and shared conversations were much appreciated as often I’d be by myself. After a life teaching and travelling it was at times a lonely job.
I sold the business after a couple of years to follow my heart interest, at the time, to Wagga Wagga. My ‘heart’ miscalculated! The relationship was very short lived but, as I was now in Wagga, I made the decision to stay in Wagga. To earn a crust I answered an ad to work at a silk screen studio at Kurrajong. Got excited about working in a studio setting but what I didn’t know was that the Kurrajong Complex was an institution for adults with an intellectual disability. It was not what I expected. I did not react well. Although they didn’t give me the job initially the selected candidate bailed. They needed a silk screen operator, so with the dilemma they had, they came back to me and offered me the job. Which I decided to take.
It didn’t take me long to realise the adults I was working with were underestimated and could do so much more. My agitation for the clients at Kurrajong to be more involved and gain skills led to a very clear direction from management. There was a vacant Program Coordinators position at Narrandera and it would be best for me to accept. Or, it was inferred, I was in effect out.
After consideration I moved to Narrandera, a further 1 hour west of Wagga and 6 hours west of Sydney.
It was in many ways a good thing for me that management at Kurrajong booted me out. It offered opportunities I wasn’t expecting. It was a new Centre and as the first program coordinator I had a “blank canvas” to work with. It was isolating being in a small rural town and hard work, burn out material, but I have such fond memories of the clients, the things we achieved, the staff I worked with (volunteers and paid), the support given to me. I learnt such a lot. About life love and my own limitations.
I met people who were pivotal to my success in the position. One was Sue Edgar the Community Development Officer for TAFE based in Wagga. She made herself known to me and asked if I was interested in working on a vocational program based on Dorothy White’s pioneering vocational program at Randwick TAFE integrating the clients by attending and undertaking TAFE subjects. We worked to that end and achieved it! With clients physically attending TAFE, doing work experience, holding weekly client meetings so they could voice their concerns. I also undertook my own external diploma studies in Vocational Education at the same time. You could say I was not thinking too much about my art career but learning and experiencing so much.
But there was a facet of my life my friends were concerned about.
People said to me – as a lesbian living in a small rural town if you want to meet someone Ruth you’ll need to move back to the city. Their concern was worth consideration but I was busy and my philosophy was if you work on sorting yourself out “things” like that can come to you. And who would have thought! I was introduced to my life partner Anny in 1985 and we’ve been together since 1986, ever since supporting each other in our ambitions.
We moved to Sydney, saved and after time bought a house in the Blue Mountains. I worked initially in the disability field but never with the same vocational freedom I had at the Cypress Centre in Narrandera. The disability service of the Health Department I was working in amalgamated with the Dept of Community Services. I won a position as Assistant Manager and they gave me one of only two hybrid positions in the state. This meant supervising and responsibility for both Care and Protection and Disability staff. It was diabolical. And it is true, work places have their own cultures.
My disability staff would challenge me in management meeting if they felt we were losing sight of the needs of the client whereas in Care and Protection it was a much more hierarchical, legislative, top down driven culture that didn’t sit well with me. The Dept realized the hybrid position wasn’t working effectively and needed reassessing, and the upshot was I was reassigned a position as a Disability manager
But this was not the ‘work’ I wanted to do. Anny had her own dreams of establishing a business and I was getting despondent. In the late 1990’s Anny and I came to an agreement. I’d continue to work in my job and Anny would leave her job and establish her business. We thought 2 years would be time for Anny to establish the business she’d dreamed about, and after 2 years I could work part time and paint.
It worked. Things were tight but since about 1998 I’ve been able to concentrate on painting. I’d always fitted painting into my life but this made it real, it was serious. In fact we bought our present house to accommodate a studio and enough room for the business. I remember when we had just moved in, I was sitting outside the studio on a milk crate thinking this is ‘heaven on a stick’.
To assist Anny I took on the admin for her business. Most people who knew me were highly amused I’d be doing the logical left brained bookkeeping. My Dad thought it was the funniest thing out. And it was difficult to rearrange my thinking – our accountant was very patient. But when I told friends how exciting balancing the bank statement could be I was generally graced with startled looks, handed another drink and my mental health was discussed. But through the process I’ve learnt to better appreciate numbers, figures and the stories they tell. But I admit to always needing our accountant, as accounting is still a foreign language and my work needs reviewing.
I don’t talk much of my past, and not everyone is aware of it, but my past in all its facets has greatly informed my present. And although my present, or my life’s journey, was not how I envisioned it would be as a teenager, it turned out ok. No need to prove anything to myself beyond being honest with my art process and the painted outcome. I’m enjoying life and believes it shows in my work.
Ruth le Cheminant
May 2025
