​

2013-2018 Visual Art Collection, 'Industrial Composite'. (click link for catalogue)

Initially NO met her life-partner, Glenn Floyd and moved from St.Kilda East to Seddon (Melbourne, Victoria). She had just completed a diploma in Transpersonal Art Therapy (Phoenix Institute). Her works of art in this collection are about the changes in landscape. She was still going to open mic poetry sessions, and MC one locally, while she worked parttime as a lived-experience social worker, with administrative tasks as well as group facilitation. Still publishing her own books, and through Chipmunka Publishing (London) and assisting others with desktop publishing and editing, she opened to the public, Longbourn Gallery, and laid down the foundations of understanding for the Australian Sagacious Art Movement.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

2011 Visual Art Collection – ‘Out There’ (click link for catalogue)

This collection is all oil paintings, not large in size of canvases, but visually very strong. The attempt to capture a waking nightmare, is more obvious in this collection of work than any other collection. 

​

Initially NO was accepted into fine art, Illustration, at NMIT (Fairfield), in 2010. This meant more than 2 hours travel every day on public transport. She started not getting enough sleep, and ended up with tactile hallucinations, delusions and horrifying debilitating migraines. ​​​​​​​​​​​

 

2010 Visual Art Collection – ‘Crowds and Characters’ (Click here for catalogue of this collection)

There is a shift in style for this collection, that focuses on crowds, people, and what they do to protest something, or to protest nothing at all, where people gather, and what people do to entertain themselves. But it is also a return to early work, in 2001 where black outlines of characters were part of the style.

​

The artwork of Initially NO, is always about looking outward, and influenced by gatherings of people, and why they agree or disagree with each other, but this collection makes that more pictorially obvious.

​

Large canvases, and a sense of cartoon, that was also in her smaller black and white ink on paper images she made at the same time (to be published in her BEINGS coffee-table book series).

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

2009 Visual Art Collection – ‘Reddening’ (Click here for catalogue of this collection)

This collection was a delve into carved styrofoam sculptures and artworks that had a tint of red, the old story, the gothic, magical leaning. The book, ‘Wolfing it down’ was published and made part of the exhibition of this collection of paintings and sculpture. Song-writing by Initially NO was performed at the opening. Most of the paintings and sculptures were coated in shellac.

​

Initially NO was still composing and performing original songs at open mic sessions, going to poetry sessions, and this was her first published book, outside handmade zines. She designed the cover and did all the layout, design, typesetting and editing. Social media and the internet had become far more elaborate, and Initially NO made short animations from her artworks that she published on youtube, as well as mixing her tunes in a rough up with home studio equipment.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

​

2008 Visual Art Collection – ‘Containers’. (Click here for catalogue of this collection)

Concerns about how to be sustainable as an artist, how to reuse every piece of plastic, wire, paper, and other junk that might otherwise be thrown out – was the focus of this exhibition by Initially NO. The otherworldly still an influence, but there was a more symbolic approach, and a want to do the task of zero waste, which included strategies with paint disposal, and paint water.

​

Music still was an influence, as well as poetry.

​

2007 Visual Art Collection – ‘Faceted’ (Click here for catalogue of this collection)

9 mixed-media paintings, 1828mm x 1218mm, on canvas stretchers, as well as ceramic sculptures. The fun, quirky, otherworldly landscapes of Initially NO, that suit a big exhibition space.

​

2007 Visual Art Collection – ‘Phantastic Voyage’. (Click here for catalogue of this collection)

Slightly different from ‘Monsters in the landscape’, but certainly an extension of that collection. Sculptures and ceiling mobiles, as well as experiential ground to walk on (that were not photographed, though may exist in a phone-based movie). Many paintings coated in shellac. Love of Phantastic art, while knowing this isn’t quite the art movement that is Initially NO, whom wants a less scary, less stiff, more fun kinetic, quirky approach to the otherworldly.

​

It was in 2007 that band Lunadenta broke up, and Initially NO was seeking other options for music, composing new tunes and trying them out in open mic gigs, running home with guitar and sometimes trumpet as well in her hands. Social media kicked off in a slow way around this time, and meant a network of musicians, writers and visual artists could promote their gigs to all whom wanted to turn up. The images in Phantastic voyage are very music orientated, and have a nightlife sense about them.

​

Malvern East was the location of the visual art studio, and it was open 24/7 for artists, and sometimes Initially NO would walk or take a tram to the studio and spent all the small hours painting.

​

Writing and illustrating was still of interest to Initially NO, and she was looking at ways to publish her books beyond making zines.

​

2006 Visual Art Collection – ‘Monsters in the landscape’. (click link for catalogue of this collection)

Bold colourful and interesting collection by Initially NO.

Art Studio space moved to Malvern East, which has a different landscape to South Yarra.

​

2005 Visual Art Collection – ‘But what is it?’ (click for link to the catalogue of this collection)

31 paintings, mostly sold. This exhibition at the Muse Bar, was focused on abstract art, but still making certain there was a sense of movement and emotion in that, and finding out the image. The exhibition by Initially NO, was shortly after finishing her diploma in Professional Writing and Editing (RMIT), and playing gigs with band ‘Lunadenta’.

​

2004 Visual Art Collection – ‘Warehouse in Chapel Street’. (click link for catalogue of this collection)

This collection is the year Initially NO decided to sign all future artworks with her condensed version of her birth name, she had been thinking about this for a number of years already. These works of art are paintings, though there were also sculptures and black and white A4 works as well.

Initially NO was very interested in found object work, collecting objects that would create part the art of work, she had been working this way since 1997. A laptop computer she had used since 1996 was torn apart and made into many different works of art.

This collection of circa 2004-2005 was created while Initially NO was studying Professional Writing and Editing at RMIT, and had a studio space in Chapel Street, South Yarra, and had joined a band, ‘Lunadenta’. She recorded songs with this band, composed, and played paid gigs. She also attended open mic for poetry readings (mostly at the notorious Dan O’Connell poetry), and had started making handmade zines of her poetry illustrated with her b&w pen drawings, with her new writing, desktop publishing and editing skills she learnt at RMIT. These printed zines were sold at places such a Polyester and Sticky, as well as given away.

Many works were not photographed prior to being sold, however, there was some attention put to this task.

 

Prior to 2003, all visual art by Initially No, signed Nerissa Ockerby (birthname, changed in 2006). (click link for catalogue of this collection)

Most of this collection has already sold, though there are some works left, that can be purchased through The Painter And The Writer Gallery. These works focused on youthful recreations such as dance parties and professional dancing, scuba diving, mythology, the page and the pen. Initially NO studied acting and worked as an actor, in her 20s enjoying the theatrical community.

​

Only a few works from 1998, in this collection, most are 2001-2003, when she was able to access a studio to practice her visual art.

 

In 1990, after finishing year 12, Initially NO was accepted into fine arts painting at Ballarat and Bundoora, but chose to do a Bachelor of Arts at Monash (Clayton) and commute to Caulfield to do a unit in fine arts (painting), but midyear got a job in a touring theatre group, and deferred studies, which were later completed in 1997, while still working in and studying performing arts. Artwork between 1991 and 1997, was mostly given away, destroyed or lost. Creations made while talking on the phone often amused colleagues at workplaces, where Initially NO worked gifting to the art to people whom liked her creations. Initially NO also made sculptures from found objects and old stockings at this time. The works were much like theatrical props, such the artwork titled ‘Meat’ (no photos available). At the time Initially NO has become persuaded to be vegetarian. She spent many hours walking home, learning to speed walk, getting adrenalin kicks in the last hour or so of the walk to increase speed.

Indoctrinated from youth into the idea of less is more, Initially NO, didn’t really eat enough, so not to be ‘greedy’, and didn’t sleep enough, so not to be ‘lazy’. She was burning herself out. In 1998 Initially NO, decided she wanted to become better at script writing, and was persuaded by another person whom said they didn’t sleep at all, that she had to learn how to do this. Of course it was madness inducing, and given her childhood with having to protect a suicidal mother as well as pressure to earn money while still practicing creative arts, the lack of sleep caused disastrous hallucinations and false beliefs and a suicide attempt.

​

Initially NO travelled around Australia sleeping very little, walking and sketching a little. It didn’t occur to anyone to tell her that sleep deprivation causes not only hallucinations and delusions but also brain damage. If that had been said, Initially NO would’ve understood why sleep was essential, sooner in her life, and that a full night's uninterrupted sleep was necessary. Understanding that she had to eat a certain amount of food was there, because she noticed that the fainted if she didn’t, and wanted to avoid that, still, she would forget to eat, and was vegetarian, which comes with nutrition challenges.

​

In 2001, she got accepted into Swinburne Tafe, fine arts (painting), but couldn’t afford the fees, she was also accepted into a studio in Prahran area that suited her budget. Her prolific work, at this time, reflected the happiness she now had in the studio space, and she sold many works of art, including ceramics, though, she still thought sleeping too much was ‘lazy’. When she got accepted into a fine arts Professional Writing and Editing course at RMIT, in 2003, she made a conscious effort to sleep enough so she didn’t fall asleep in class and gave up the idea of ever doing acting again. Still was interested in performing she joined a band, ‘Lunadenta’ playing trumpet and singing. She had composed songs on guitar since 1999, but was getting more understanding of how to do this, on both instruments, as well as doing home recording and mixing of her songs.

​

In 2004, she asked everyone to call her Initially NO, and signed all her artwork with this name, and completed the diploma of Professional Writing and Editing in 2005, with high distinctions.

​​​​​​

​