JO BERTINI
PAINTER, ART EDUCATOR
The artist divides her time between the city and camel trekking in the outback, but she won’t go anywhere without her tough-as-nails Akubra.
Describe your style. Fairly eclectic and pretty adaptable. Clothes that I can trash if I’m in the studio, and if I’m travelling, it’s practicality, comfort and protection from the weather. What are your wardrobe essentials? I wear jeans when I’m travelling and a long-sleeved shirt for sun protection. And a hat. I wouldn’t go anywhere without my Akubra. Camels eat straw hats, and once they take a bite of an Akubra, they don’t tend to go on with it. What about footwear? I always wear my boots when I’m in the studio or out in the desert. Just Blundstones or Redbacks — Australian outback boots — you pull them on and live in them. What if you’re attending an exhibition opening? I’ll wear a nice dress and a pair of sandals, but they have to be flat. Do you have any favourite clothing labels? I love second-hand stores and op shopping. I think there are too many things in the world, and we should recycle resources first. Where do you love to shop? I love vintage. I’ve just been to a fancy black-tie dinner and I wore a dress that I bought in an op shop nearly 30 years ago — a gold 1950s halter-neck dress — and I had two fashion designers ask me where I got it from. I buy jeans from op shops and they are nice because they are broken in. Any go-to beauty or hair products? I use a natural hair dye that doesn’t have toxic chemicals. I use Australian brand Original and Mineral, and also Tints of Nature. Also coconut oil is the best thing ever for your hair. How do you accessorise? I have a few piercings in my ears, so I always wear a lot of earrings, and I’ve got silver bracelets from India, Tibet, the Himalayas and my travels in America. Do you wear particular colours? If I wear colour, it would be very discreet. I tend to wear blues and naturals quite a bit. What do you never leave home without? I always take a hat, sunglasses and my sketchbook. And I usually take a cross-body satchel to put my sketchbook in. Got any style advice? I think if you have a couple of classic pieces, a nice jacket, or a nice dress, that’s all you need. Visit jobertini.com. Jo Bertini is represented by MARS Gallery; marsgallery.com.au