Last week I was invited by Creative Morning’s Brisbane as a guest speaker to talk alongside Dr Mahdi Mason and Jamie Marloo Thomas (Wayapa Wuurrk) on this month’s theme, Nature. I was asked to (virtually) speak on how nature inspires my artwork and working on the amazing collaboration I undertook with Dr Mahdi Mason on her incredible book Earth Healing: Healing the Earth to Heal Ourselves.
Let me just start off with saying how much of an honour it was to talk firstly with a whole host of creative talents when I am a newbie in sharing my work with the world – I won’t deny that a little hint of imposter syndrome snuck in for a moment. When you come late to the game in following your passion as a creative, there is a lot of catch up to be done. I am enjoying discovering this vulnerability of sharing with fresh and passionate eyes, and a mindset of a beginner; eager to see where my artistic voice will take me. Creating is all I want to be doing and when I am not, there is a frustration that builds in me that needs to be released. Sure, I have no idea what I am doing… but who does? Am I right? So, I relish in the joy of where this creative path leads me and I look forward to seeing how my work and style evolves over time.
And secondly, what a wonderful team the Brisbane sector is, led by the beautiful Hillary Wall; who is so incredibly talented and gracious; I don’t know how she finds the time to be a mother, run several heart-led businesses and host Creative Morning’s Brisbane each month! What an absolute super star!
Creative Mornings is a free global initiative for creative minds. Its motto is “Everyone is creative. Everyone is welcome”! A beautiful mission particularly in a time where inclusivity and equal rights are so truly needed the world over.
How nature inspires my work
For me it is quite simple, nature brings me joy! When I see a sunflower in bloom I’m instantly happy and like many the beauty of nature and her abundance is what leaves my camera roll constantly full of images from my daily walks with Winston, my little French bulldog. I find as far back as I can remember that when I sit and mindlessly doodle it is always flowers and botanicals that I am drawn to drawing. It is intuitive… it is joy! But it was an early love of photography and the likes of flicking through old National Geographic magazines that encouraged adventure, to see the scenes first hand and to travel the world.
Growing up on property was likely an early influence! I grew up with a menagerie of animals from horses, ducks, chooks, dogs, there were a couple of cows at one point and the odd rescued bird! From a paddock converted in to a veggie garden, the daily collecting of eggs and the fishing adventures we embarked on. My sister and I were spoilt; our lifestyle growing up was rich with connection to Mother Earth. Evoking memories of adventures both here and abroad. Yet beyond the physical experiences it is how nature makes me feel that I try to convey in my artwork, the moods. Calm, connected, safe, happy and yes, constantly in awe! But she can be equally wild… and raw! We know that only too well here in Australia!
When you stare in to a lion’s eye, it is not fear that has you shake… it is awe! It’s the rains after a mammoth draught and the rebirthing of growth following a fire. It is that feeling, the awe and the respect, that drives what I care about and how I see things around me. Equally nature has been a great healer for me, freely giving of her resources and empathy!
Since I was 25, I have had cancer in my life personally. Longer if you consider the teenage years I grew up with my father experiencing his own. In these last 14-15 years I have been poked, prodded, operated on, radiated on, scanned, injected… and walking from one sterile hospital room to another. Feeling lost, fractured and out of control! But one thing always was evident to me; that moment when I stepped outside in to nature I could BREATHE again! Nature has a beautiful way of listening with no judgement, she calms a troubled mind and embraces you with her warmth. To honour her and my healing, she inspired a mindful approach to life which resulted in The Naked Gardiner.
Being a self-taught artist, Nature has been a great teacher and muse to my work. Teaching me about:
- respect of the scene or the subject at hand
- the materials I use
- colour palettes
- texture
- understanding shapes, lines and patterns,
- mortality – the circle of life, and
- the natural connections that develop.
When you have lived through trauma, you want to be surrounded by beautiful things; always looking towards the positive that make you feel uplifted and brighten your life!
Working on Earth Healing with Dr Mahdi Mason
Mahdi is such a gorgeous and generous soul and as I have mentioned in an earlier blog post, it was Mahdi that gave me the gentle push towards this creative path. She was an absolute dream to work with giving me full artistic freedom, a clear brief and a vision that aligned with my own values.
Mahdi’s voice is really strong in this book. I like to say; this book is like sitting having a conversation with Mahdi because her words are genuine and unique to how she talks. She draws on many personal connections and symbology and it is how I derived the illustrations to tell the story that Mahdi was sharing through simple detail, that was impactful enough to stand alone and grab attention.
To get in to the mindset of creating the theme illustrations, I took myself outside; hand drawing in my sketch pad, listening to guided meditations from Mahdi’s website and the sounds of nature, with my dog Winston always close by.
How can you bring nature in to your creative work?
I am by no means an expert on this, but some areas you could explore are:
- Set yourself a creative challenge.
- Create a drawing or craft circle set outdoors. If you have one, let me know, I’d love to join!
- Explore eco solutions to the materials you use.
- Learn about the land and local habitats around you.
- Read and educate yourself. A few books I particularly love are:
- Rise and Resist: How to Change the World by Clare Press
- Botanicum by Katie Scott and Kathy Willis
- Lonely Planet’s photographic guide Beautiful World
- The Inspired Travellers Guide Series particularly Spiritual Places by Sarah Baxter and illustrated by Harray Zanna Goldhawk.
- Peppermint Magazine is a wonderful source of current information, resources and makers to support.
- The Green Hub online by Kira Simpson provides beautiful insights into sustainable living tips and ethically led consumer directories.
- Go on a guided nature or bird watching walk. Here in Brisbane there are loads of local opportunities and tours that you can participate in.
- Participate in community art project and events. I am currently working on one with Reverse Garbage here in Brisbane, a not for profit co-op and charity that reuses industrial discards for art workshops. I am participating in their Rescue a Barrel Community Art Campaign with 25 other Brisbane artists.
- Align yourself with brands and clients that share similar values and strive for change.
- Reuse waste in your art projects. A great artist/activist that comes to mind is Marina DeBris who is on a mission to eliminate waste and cruelty to all species. Check out her work at @marinadebris on Instagram. She collects waste from around Sydney and recreates fashion pieces! Brilliant!
- Donate towards charities and give back programs from the sale of your work.
Lastly get outside, work outside, play outside and explore and learn about the environment around you! And as Dr Mahdi Mason said, get your feet dirty… get grounded and connect with Mother Earth!
