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Bad Art Mother
Good mothers are expected to be selfless. Artists are seen as selfish. So what does this mean for a mother with artistic ambitions?
Enter: frustrated poet Veda Gray, who is offered a Faustian bargain when a wealthy childless couple, the Parishes, invite her to exchange her young son Owen for time to write.
Veda’s story unfolds as an adult Owen reflects on his boyhood in the Melbourne suburbs, and in the vibrant bohemian inner-city art world where his restaurateur father was a king. Meanwhile, the talented women in his orbit – Veda, Mrs Parish, wife of an influential poet, muralist and restaurant worker Rosa – push against gender expectations to be recognised as legitimate artists, by their intimates and the wider world. And almost-aunt Ornella, who declares herself without an artistic bone in her body, is perhaps the closest thing Owen has to a traditional mother. As Owen is encouraged to ‘be a man’, he loses something of himself, too.
Blending wit and pathos, love and fury, ambition and loss, this is an extraordinary novel of love and art, set in the Melbourne milieu of Georges and Mirka Mora, Joy Hester, and John and Sunday Reed.
Enter: frustrated poet Veda Gray, who is offered a Faustian bargain when a wealthy childless couple, the Parishes, invite her to exchange her young son Owen for time to write.
Veda’s story unfolds as an adult Owen reflects on his boyhood in the Melbourne suburbs, and in the vibrant bohemian inner-city art world where his restaurateur father was a king. Meanwhile, the talented women in his orbit – Veda, Mrs Parish, wife of an influential poet, muralist and restaurant worker Rosa – push against gender expectations to be recognised as legitimate artists, by their intimates and the wider world. And almost-aunt Ornella, who declares herself without an artistic bone in her body, is perhaps the closest thing Owen has to a traditional mother. As Owen is encouraged to ‘be a man’, he loses something of himself, too.
Blending wit and pathos, love and fury, ambition and loss, this is an extraordinary novel of love and art, set in the Melbourne milieu of Georges and Mirka Mora, Joy Hester, and John and Sunday Reed.
336 pages, Paperback
First published May 10, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
October 2, 2023
The saying it takes a village is very prominently displayed here. Owen reflects back on his younger years being passed around by several adults who all have a hand in rearing him. There’s his biological mother Veda Gray who is literally put “a bad art mother” a woman totally consumed with her art and becoming a bonafide poet and in her pursuit completely neglects Owen to indulge in her writing. Then there’s the Parishes who are unable to have their own children who unofficially adopt Owen and there’s Ornella his non biological “Aunt” arguably his most constant adult in his life. His father who technically isn’t a bad father but who is a chronic workaholic doesn’t have the time to do any of the actual child rearing relying on all the other adults to step up. The book is mainly presented through Owen’s eyes looking back reflecting through letters to Ornella, he seems reluctant to criticise his mother despite all the evidence of her neglect. There is an almost romanticising upon his reflections, no doubt due to the fact he always had other adults who helped guide him and shield him from the worst of his Mother. It’s a beautiful story that showcases the art world of inner city Melbourne in the late 50’s & 60’s. It begs the question is it possible to be great at art without sacrificing the other important aspects of one’s life. In Veda’s pursuit of greatness and artistic prosperity it comes at the cost of her child and her own peace.
July 29, 2022
If you’ve been feeling like your books shelving needs to sag a wee bit more, then Bad Art Mother would be a very welcomed addition. Personally, I’ve slotted my copy on that one particular shelf, the one at just about eye level, the one strictly reserved for the novels which leave me marked somehow after reading them. The shelf where the spines of my absolute favourites reassure in their visibility.
Edwina Preston’s Bad Art Mother is a story of childhood, of dreams, of hell and disadvantages and disappointments and lessons and redemption. With a side of risotto agli scampi. Preston’s gift is not only her ability to create a set of very real characters, but also her ability to sit back and let these characters do the heavy lifting throughout, leaving the reader fully engaged and invested and involved. From the subject matter of young Owen’s childhood drawings, to the frustrations of womens’ struggles in patriarchal society, to the inevitable passing of time, the novel is shot through with a gentle, wistful melancholy and lashings of humor.
And, like so many of my favourite novels, Bad Art Mother reminded me of one of the final lines from Alan Brownjohn’s Windows On The Moon — “It was odd that the most important parts of life, she thought, the things that changed you forever, went on in the midst of so much ordinariness, so many trivial things.”
Edwina Preston’s Bad Art Mother is a story of childhood, of dreams, of hell and disadvantages and disappointments and lessons and redemption. With a side of risotto agli scampi. Preston’s gift is not only her ability to create a set of very real characters, but also her ability to sit back and let these characters do the heavy lifting throughout, leaving the reader fully engaged and invested and involved. From the subject matter of young Owen’s childhood drawings, to the frustrations of womens’ struggles in patriarchal society, to the inevitable passing of time, the novel is shot through with a gentle, wistful melancholy and lashings of humor.
And, like so many of my favourite novels, Bad Art Mother reminded me of one of the final lines from Alan Brownjohn’s Windows On The Moon — “It was odd that the most important parts of life, she thought, the things that changed you forever, went on in the midst of so much ordinariness, so many trivial things.”
April 27, 2023
Ten years ago I read Edwina Preston's debut novel The Inheritance of Ivorie Hammer and enjoyed it as a lively mystery with a social heart. Preston, however, is a multi-talented writer and musician with many irons in the fire so it's been a while between novels, but Bad Art Mother was worth the wait. I loved this book.
The characters are loosely based on well-known Melbourne identities from the mid C20th century Heidi Circle. This milieu included the art dealer and restaurateur Georges Mora and his artist wife Mirka; the artist Joy Hester; and the art patrons John and Sunday Reed. Owen', the 'bad mother's' son in the novel is based on Sweeney Reed, who was the child of Joy Hester and the artist Albert Tucker but he was adopted by the childless John and Sunday Reed. Readers do not need to know the emotional and sexual entanglements of this Bohemian milieu to enjoy the novel, though it is nice to know the art of Mirka Mora so that you can imagine the mural that makes an appearance on the walls of a restaurant. (See here for the one she did for Melbourne's iconic Flinders St Station.) Owen narrates most of the story, acknowledging right at the start that his memory may not be reliable. He claims to remember his birth, and addressing 'almost-aunt' Ornella, he admits that she doesn't think it's possible to recall things from such an early age. (My earliest memory is from between 14 and 18 months old. This is apparently early: research shows that the average for recall of memories start at about two and a half.)
But Owen remembers that he became his mother Veda's enemy when he was mobile enough to rip pages out of books left on a couch or stored on the bottom shelf of a bookcase. And we see from the other narrative strand — Veda's letters to her sister Tilda — that needing to be alert to Owen's whereabouts limits her to writing only a word or two and it hampers her reading.
Yes, she exaggerates, but all parents know how small children sap concentration even on mundane tasks. How much more exasperating it is for anything requiring thought and imagination.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2022/05/08/b...
The characters are loosely based on well-known Melbourne identities from the mid C20th century Heidi Circle. This milieu included the art dealer and restaurateur Georges Mora and his artist wife Mirka; the artist Joy Hester; and the art patrons John and Sunday Reed. Owen', the 'bad mother's' son in the novel is based on Sweeney Reed, who was the child of Joy Hester and the artist Albert Tucker but he was adopted by the childless John and Sunday Reed. Readers do not need to know the emotional and sexual entanglements of this Bohemian milieu to enjoy the novel, though it is nice to know the art of Mirka Mora so that you can imagine the mural that makes an appearance on the walls of a restaurant. (See here for the one she did for Melbourne's iconic Flinders St Station.) Owen narrates most of the story, acknowledging right at the start that his memory may not be reliable. He claims to remember his birth, and addressing 'almost-aunt' Ornella, he admits that she doesn't think it's possible to recall things from such an early age. (My earliest memory is from between 14 and 18 months old. This is apparently early: research shows that the average for recall of memories start at about two and a half.)
But Owen remembers that he became his mother Veda's enemy when he was mobile enough to rip pages out of books left on a couch or stored on the bottom shelf of a bookcase. And we see from the other narrative strand — Veda's letters to her sister Tilda — that needing to be alert to Owen's whereabouts limits her to writing only a word or two and it hampers her reading.
The 'wild' of Park Orchards is beneficial for Owen, who totters in from the outdoors, tumbleweeded and sunburnt, to eat large portions of bread, dripping, apples from their own trees &c. And that is before lunch! I am not quite so blasé, however, as to forget ponds, dams, disused mineshafts... In fact, I cannot even read contentedly, for I must look up and spot Owen continually, and then put things down (pages flutter, place is lost) to run over and check he is indeed behind that tree and hasn't crossed some boundary line, past which reside snakes, bunyips, men with shotguns... (p. 36)
Yes, she exaggerates, but all parents know how small children sap concentration even on mundane tasks. How much more exasperating it is for anything requiring thought and imagination.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2022/05/08/b...
September 22, 2023
so good…20th century melbourne, feminism, poetry, art, Italian food, letters. I 🩵 women’s literary rage!
March 12, 2023
I love all the ways Preston chose to tell this story of creative life and motherhood, a city and society on the brink of change, migration and love and art. We are shown the story through the eyes of adult Owen addressing his aunt Ornella and through the letters of his poet mother Vera. These perspectives open the book to allow in all the complexities of being torn between motherhood and artistic ambition and being a child raised in a confusing and shifting world. I was completely taken in by this book.
March 19, 2025
I’m so glad I read this book. I was put off by the cover, nearly returned it without opening it. I would have missed some really compelling reading. Owen and his mother make up the story, with a few significant others. It’s the personal voices that get you in, Owen’s thoughts as an adult , plus his mother’s letter to her sister. It’s full of emotion, some shouted, some silent. The position of women in Melbourne’s art and literary world emerges as the most interesting element. The story is reflective of the lives of real figures, the Heide circle among them.
January 3, 2025
Magnificent, complex with such a feast of characters
March 13, 2024
An interesting novel, mainly based around a mother and son and loosely based on the real artists surrounding John and Sunday Reed and their adoptive son.
I was not well when I read it so it became a bit of a fever dream, reading about a mother who was not well herself and struggling with her situation.
Knowing that the real Sweeney Reed took his own life meant that I read this with more trepidation than I needed to. The novel diverges from his real life quite a bit.
I have a copy of Modern Love: The Lives of John and Sunday Reed the biography produced by the Heide Gallery, I'm even more interested to read that now.
I was not well when I read it so it became a bit of a fever dream, reading about a mother who was not well herself and struggling with her situation.
Knowing that the real Sweeney Reed took his own life meant that I read this with more trepidation than I needed to. The novel diverges from his real life quite a bit.
I have a copy of Modern Love: The Lives of John and Sunday Reed the biography produced by the Heide Gallery, I'm even more interested to read that now.
May 23, 2023
Really interesting period in Melbourne- loved the local Richmond, South Yarra and Heidi references, the poetry, restaurant and art scene. Dark in parts but so engaging.
February 7, 2024
4.5. I really enjoyed it - I loved the stories of the women in Owen's life and their struggles to be seen and taken seriously, in relationships, and as artists. A great read and bonus points for the setting!
August 12, 2023
things I have learnt from this: female art is important ❕❕ absorb it or ELSE 👀 and I want to hug my mum
July 14, 2023
I think this is my favourite book so far this year. Inspired by the acrostic poem by Gwen Harwood, this story was a delight! Twists and turns that I should’ve known were coming, but I was too wrapped up in the beautiful unfolding of a grandiose and tragic tale — that of Veda Gray and her son, Owen. This was so much more than I anticipated. Very glad I read this book.
September 23, 2023
Filled with original and highly effective similes and metaphors this book is Owen’s letter to Ornella and simultaneously, the story of his upbringing – on reflection, as a middle-aged man. It reads almost like an apology where Owen feels the need to justify his devotion to his mother.
It’s poetic and beautifully written. Owen’s character embraces the innocence of a child raised in a predominantly adult world where he seems to acquire a wisdom beyond his years.
Through Veda’s letters to her sister Tilde, we learn of her struggles to be both poet and mother to Owen. And we are able to understand her through Owen’s eyes who will always love her despite his early feelings of neglect and abandonment – of not knowing where to call home.
In Bad Art Mother, the reader meets all of the grown-ups that contributed to the rearing of Owen. They each hold flaws and yet, Owen presents them in a way whereby I found them all oddly likable.
I am not familiar with all of the historical figures or the world of art through which this story unfolds but I really loved the perceptive prose that gifts such visual appreciation of Owen’s life.
It’s poetic and beautifully written. Owen’s character embraces the innocence of a child raised in a predominantly adult world where he seems to acquire a wisdom beyond his years.
Through Veda’s letters to her sister Tilde, we learn of her struggles to be both poet and mother to Owen. And we are able to understand her through Owen’s eyes who will always love her despite his early feelings of neglect and abandonment – of not knowing where to call home.
In Bad Art Mother, the reader meets all of the grown-ups that contributed to the rearing of Owen. They each hold flaws and yet, Owen presents them in a way whereby I found them all oddly likable.
I am not familiar with all of the historical figures or the world of art through which this story unfolds but I really loved the perceptive prose that gifts such visual appreciation of Owen’s life.
July 29, 2024
I was reluctant to read this because of the cover but it is good. Told by Owen ,the child of a poet who is having difficulty getting published . Strong female characters involved in various forms of art ,painting ,ikebana , murals all struggling for recognition in a man's world .A powerful and touching story.
December 12, 2022
Exceptional novel of a childhood in 1960s Australia that is at different times poignant, sad, very funny and, ultimately, a most satisfying read.
Veda Gray is the classic artist in agony, a poet no less, and with a son Owen whom she loves dearly while being incapable a motherhood.
Seen through Owen’s adult eyes, and from Veda’s letters, this resonates particularly for those (of us) who lived through Australia in the 1960s. But don’t let the timeline put you off what is very fine writing and a page-turning narration.
It is said also that this is a feminist work. Well and good, but it should not be defined by this.
In Bad Art Mother, Edwina Preston has presented a thoughtful and entertaining portrayal of life with all its idiosyncrasies, it’s nuances and baffling complexities. 4.5 stars.
Veda Gray is the classic artist in agony, a poet no less, and with a son Owen whom she loves dearly while being incapable a motherhood.
Seen through Owen’s adult eyes, and from Veda’s letters, this resonates particularly for those (of us) who lived through Australia in the 1960s. But don’t let the timeline put you off what is very fine writing and a page-turning narration.
It is said also that this is a feminist work. Well and good, but it should not be defined by this.
In Bad Art Mother, Edwina Preston has presented a thoughtful and entertaining portrayal of life with all its idiosyncrasies, it’s nuances and baffling complexities. 4.5 stars.
June 23, 2023
A beautiful start that was captivating, full of symbols surrounding poor motherhood and even poorer fatherhood. The author however lost me in the middle when the prose turned too feminist preaching… I can appreciate the narrative for its period context but I feel like the concept has been done countless times. In many ways, this book reminded me of “The Strays” by Emily bitto - the 1950s Melbourne, feminist, verging on wild art scene. A well written ending, although arguably a little cliche.
July 4, 2022
Totally absorbing. I was concerned this book might be annoying or didactic but the characters emerge as humans not as types.
August 19, 2024
It’s very nostalgic of the Melbourne my parents grew up in.
Also had some really weird dreams when I read it before bed.
Also had some really weird dreams when I read it before bed.
February 21, 2025
Regrettably laborious.
November 19, 2024
Set in historical Melbourne, a young boy is raised by artistic women - poetry, ikebana & painting. But it is the ‘non-artistic’ woman who feels most like a mother to him. For the other women, their art is their creation.
Looks at sexism, women’s rights, the art world, motherhood & what makes a family.
Looks at sexism, women’s rights, the art world, motherhood & what makes a family.
December 17, 2025
unfortunately this book was Very Boring to me. there were so many individual parts that were interesting to me (characters, the cover, the role of mothers and women in society) but it just fell flat. I persevered in the hopes of a satisfying ending, but alas! it did not present itself to me.
July 12, 2023
I wasn’t sure how to rate this book. The content I found, especially at the end highly disturbing, my heart bleeding for every character! How complicated people are and the way Edwina Preston captures this in her writing is striking yet totally subtle. It deserves its nomination for literary awards.
July 18, 2024
So well written and interesting depiction of artistic Melbourne 50 years ago. Well developed characters; great story line; well written (particularly the time jumps).
July 3, 2022
Inspired by the bohemian Heide artists and other bohemian types from 1960s Melbourne, Preston invents new and compelling characters here to explore ideas of motherhood and the creation of art (in this case poetry) in conditions that don't allow for women to have independent intellectual lives.
October 9, 2025
None of the characters are straightforward and that’s what kept me reading through parts I found a bit of a drag. Hang in there for the connection with Gwen Harwood. I learned a bit about Australian poet history which was welcome.
August 20, 2023
I found it very easy to be distracted from this book. Other good books, TV and craft always seemed to hold more appeal. The subject matter was interesting although nothing new, some of the writing on feminist issues was quite didactic and I never really felt much empathy for the 'bad mother'.
March 29, 2023
"It does seem that loving him has not paid off like I thought it would, Tilde. I find it has saddled me with a version of myself that I had nothing to do with."
The best part of this novel is in the letters from our central figure Veda, the "bad art mother" of the title. Veda twists and turns in suburban drudgery: beset by a capricious poetry muse, the endlessly patronising and dismissive views of male literati, a husband who vaguely hopes she and his son are fine as he pursues his passions and a small, loving human who demands her constant attention. Veda's bitterness at her own unhappiness pervades the book but is best when unfiltered. The rest of the book is told through the adult eyes of her son, unpacking his childhood and the various "mothers". Through these eyes, we see the different approaches of women to life and art in the 60s and 70s. This is not all capital A art, Preston includes a flower arranger extraordinaire in an affecting portrait of how female arts are trivialised, and the ways that creation that feed the soul.
The book revels in showing us various perspectives. Owen's Papa is driven by his own experiences of homelessness to perform charity work, and is clearly bewildered by his wife's apparently selfish refusal to support this. Owen nurses hurts from a childhood of being shunted around. A lot is going on here; sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't. Preston has things to say about feminism, art, poetry, the literary establishment, mental illness, parenthood, childhood: in the end, none of these themes felt explored so much as, just, well there . Owen has a lot of mother figures. At times the book dragged a little under the weight of all the storylines and threads, as well as balancing child-Owen, adult-Owen and Veda's perspectives. But despite some dragging plot, the world of the book - Melbourne's art scene from the 1950s through 1970s - feel so real you can taste the gnocchi and see the art. And as a celebration of a generation of women artists, it certainly succeeds.
The best part of this novel is in the letters from our central figure Veda, the "bad art mother" of the title. Veda twists and turns in suburban drudgery: beset by a capricious poetry muse, the endlessly patronising and dismissive views of male literati, a husband who vaguely hopes she and his son are fine as he pursues his passions and a small, loving human who demands her constant attention. Veda's bitterness at her own unhappiness pervades the book but is best when unfiltered. The rest of the book is told through the adult eyes of her son, unpacking his childhood and the various "mothers". Through these eyes, we see the different approaches of women to life and art in the 60s and 70s. This is not all capital A art, Preston includes a flower arranger extraordinaire in an affecting portrait of how female arts are trivialised, and the ways that creation that feed the soul.
The book revels in showing us various perspectives. Owen's Papa is driven by his own experiences of homelessness to perform charity work, and is clearly bewildered by his wife's apparently selfish refusal to support this. Owen nurses hurts from a childhood of being shunted around. A lot is going on here; sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't. Preston has things to say about feminism, art, poetry, the literary establishment, mental illness, parenthood, childhood: in the end, none of these themes felt explored so much as, just, well there . Owen has a lot of mother figures. At times the book dragged a little under the weight of all the storylines and threads, as well as balancing child-Owen, adult-Owen and Veda's perspectives. But despite some dragging plot, the world of the book - Melbourne's art scene from the 1950s through 1970s - feel so real you can taste the gnocchi and see the art. And as a celebration of a generation of women artists, it certainly succeeds.
May 3, 2023
I loved the format of this book. It is presented in memories, letters and ‘present day’ at various points, mainly from the perspective of the ‘bad art mother’s son, Owen. It’s set mostly in the 60s, in the art and food crowd in Melbourne, which I really enjoyed. Reading this alongside my own personal apathy towards potential motherhood, I felt deeply empathetic to the women in this book - those who wanted to be mothers but couldn’t be, and those who were mothers due to societal expectations but perhaps shouldn’t have been. I’m now very interested to discover more about the real people on which this story was based, and maybe I’ll even *gasp* read some poetry.
April 24, 2023
It did take a moment for me to get into the rhythm of this book, but once I did it was compelling. I’m not 100% convinced about the sections where Owen, the narrator, is addressing his aunt Ornella - I’m not sure it really makes sense, to be honest, as Ornella is never really a central character, and yet half the book is Owen reflecting on his life to her. All in all, I enjoyed this book and I suspect I will continue to think about it for a long time to come.
August 5, 2022
I was deeply affected by this book on many levels. It captures the huge love and also huge struggles faced by women (not just mothers) in their life choices. So tenderly told with humour and heart. Profound and yet easy to read. Loved it. Highly highly recommended. Thank you Edwina Preston
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews