2013 | works on paper - bali retreat | selected works
fern leaf drawings on watercolour paper
I was gifted a housesit in Ubud, Bali and found myself in a somewhat isolated location tending to the needs of two erratic cats whilst trying to recover from the murmurings of Bali Belly. I decided to spend each morning wandering the lush tropical garden, taking photos of the beautiful plants, and then retreated to the upstairs balcony to paint and draw.
I became fascinated by the decay of the garden's ferns creating incredible patterns of such delicate and fine structure. They seemed to become a metaphor for the 'cycle of life' so apparent in this lush and yet fragile piece of paradise I had been dropped into. I experimented with a number of different pens and pencils and plunged into watercolours with the zeal of a child. It became a playful delight and great distraction from the unwell feelings that were having their way with my body.
After two weeks I decided to move into central Ubud, to a family homestay in Jalan Goutama. It was in this street that I met a young Balinese artist that was involved in the dyeing of fabric in a beautiful organic deep indigo. He was kind enough to give me some dye to play with, adding to the already experimental use of pens, pencils and watercolours. I found Ubud so full of creative expression it was overwhelmingly inspiring. Apparently there is no word for 'artist' in Balinese as creative expression is part of their everyday life. What a wonderful way to live.
I became fascinated by the decay of the garden's ferns creating incredible patterns of such delicate and fine structure. They seemed to become a metaphor for the 'cycle of life' so apparent in this lush and yet fragile piece of paradise I had been dropped into. I experimented with a number of different pens and pencils and plunged into watercolours with the zeal of a child. It became a playful delight and great distraction from the unwell feelings that were having their way with my body.
After two weeks I decided to move into central Ubud, to a family homestay in Jalan Goutama. It was in this street that I met a young Balinese artist that was involved in the dyeing of fabric in a beautiful organic deep indigo. He was kind enough to give me some dye to play with, adding to the already experimental use of pens, pencils and watercolours. I found Ubud so full of creative expression it was overwhelmingly inspiring. Apparently there is no word for 'artist' in Balinese as creative expression is part of their everyday life. What a wonderful way to live.