Ada celebrates a colourful career

Ada Clark has a personality that’s as vibrant as the paintings that fill her Millthorpe art studio.

A working artist for nearly 60 years, Ada, now 93, is about to enter her 30th year of business in the historic Central West village and has decided to open up her gallery for a rare sale of her original works, prints, placemats, greeting cards and more.

“Well, it's to celebrate 29 years in business,” says Ada, “I've only had one little sale in 29 years and I thought I should celebrate the fact… and I thought it'd be a bit of fun!”

Ada moved from her Blue Mountains home to Millthorpe in 1994 following the death of her husband, the classical composer Clifford Abbot.

Looking to make a fresh start she took out a lease on the old stables behind the Commercial Hotel and opened her own gallery.

“I had to clean out the horse manure and I put a stove in and I painted the walls white,” recalls Ada.

“But if I hadn't been able to make money, I would have been pretty hopeless because the rent was only 12 dollars per week,” she laughs.

Twelve years later, when the music from the pub became too much for her, Ada relocated the gallery to her home, Ada’s Place, a few blocks away in William Street, where she has continued to sell her colourful paintings and prints of local landscapes and scenes from her extensive world travel.

“I've painted in Europe, I've had exhibitions in Europe… I used to go overseas every two years and then I’d have an exhibition at the Beaver Galleries in Canberra and then get the ambassador of the country that I painted to open it,” says Ada.

“And I’ve had… I don't know how many one-woman shows.  So I've sort of been selling all my life. I've sold thousands of paintings over the years! I also did masses of pottery.

“And, on my website, I've sold placemats, hundreds of them, all over Australia!”

Ada was just 19-year-old when she left New Zealand to study at the Central School of Art in London. She has not stopped painting since and is proud of being able to continue making a living through her art.

“When I was in my 50s, I thought maybe I shouldn't be doing art, I should be doing something else,” says Ada.

“Then I thought, no. That's my great love. And look, nobody would employ me at 93 and I'm still making money out of it!

“I'm glad that I've stuck with it,” she continues. “I always encourage and help other painters... I say, stick at it because in your old age, you can still do it, you don't have to be employed by anyone. It's a big asset.”

While Ada has painted in dozens of countries, she says there is no inspiration quite like the Australian bush. Her work from the Central West was featured in an exhibition at the Orange Regional Gallery in 2022.

“When you're in the city, it's a frenetic world. The beauty of living in the country, painting, is you've got more time to think and I think it's a great asset to an artist, living in the country,” says Ada.

“And I just love painting the bush. I always paint on the spot and I love being in the bush and hearing the birds and getting the atmosphere of it!”

While a recent hip replacement has her slowed down, Ada is not going to let that stop her art. She is already making plans for a retrospective exhibition of her work for her 100th birthday.

“It gives me an incentive to stay alive,” she laughs. “I probably won't make it but still, there's no harm in having dreams!”

Ada Clark will be holding a sale of her work from Monday to Saturday, February 5-10 at 5 William Street, Millthorpe.