In 2020, amongst COVID restrictions, I found myself immersed in a much needed reprieve and inspiring art course 'Breathing the Land' at my local community college. The focus was 'art from contemplation of the land', whereby we would walk in silence through bushland in the mornings taking photos, sketching and meditating; before returning to the studio for an afternoon's art practice including monoprinting, plant dyed papers (from locally gathered bush flora) and collage.
At the time I was homeless and very much seeking a permanent home. With all the uncertainty of COVID I was more than ever aware of a need for stability and a secure roof over my head for at least a couple of years. I was also feeling a call to return to the land, as though I wanted to sink into it, dive deep into it, and rest.
From my daily contemplations and this calling I created a small series of background monoprints, to which I added collage using plant dyed paper and cotton thread, and found objects. I titled the work - Penitusque Terram - which in latin means - deep within land.
I also found myself inspired to write this prose from my contemplation and experience of sitting in the bushland of the Simpson Creek at Brunswick Heads in Northern NSW, Australia, near where I live.
Deep within Land
Bright green cottonwoods
Tall white lanky gums
Popping yellow wattle sits on the bank
Whilst fringed large ferns look on
Blackedned Banksias tumble in
To the slow dark quiet water
Only a distant rumble of surf
Ovelaid by a copious variety of bird song
reaches out
The wind casually breezes through
Fluttering wind chimes of gum leaves
That seem effortlessly chilled and in tune
as if to say
Just stay, hang, let the mind wander,
Feel the earth beneath your feet
Burrow into the warm sand
Lay back, and let it have you
Let the earth and sky have you
Let the birds and trees have you
Let the dark quiet water have you
And rest - deep within land.
All works are on vintage paper, mixed media of mono printing, collage, found objects and plant dyed paper and cotton thread, 21x28cms.
A limited number of this series are now available online through Bluethumb Art Gallery.
At the time I was homeless and very much seeking a permanent home. With all the uncertainty of COVID I was more than ever aware of a need for stability and a secure roof over my head for at least a couple of years. I was also feeling a call to return to the land, as though I wanted to sink into it, dive deep into it, and rest.
From my daily contemplations and this calling I created a small series of background monoprints, to which I added collage using plant dyed paper and cotton thread, and found objects. I titled the work - Penitusque Terram - which in latin means - deep within land.
I also found myself inspired to write this prose from my contemplation and experience of sitting in the bushland of the Simpson Creek at Brunswick Heads in Northern NSW, Australia, near where I live.
Deep within Land
Bright green cottonwoods
Tall white lanky gums
Popping yellow wattle sits on the bank
Whilst fringed large ferns look on
Blackedned Banksias tumble in
To the slow dark quiet water
Only a distant rumble of surf
Ovelaid by a copious variety of bird song
reaches out
The wind casually breezes through
Fluttering wind chimes of gum leaves
That seem effortlessly chilled and in tune
as if to say
Just stay, hang, let the mind wander,
Feel the earth beneath your feet
Burrow into the warm sand
Lay back, and let it have you
Let the earth and sky have you
Let the birds and trees have you
Let the dark quiet water have you
And rest - deep within land.
All works are on vintage paper, mixed media of mono printing, collage, found objects and plant dyed paper and cotton thread, 21x28cms.
A limited number of this series are now available online through Bluethumb Art Gallery.
2020 | uncurling
monoprint and plant dyed paper collage on vintage paper
Wandering through the local bushland at Simpson Creek, Brunswick Heads, I noticed my eye was continuously drawn to the delicate uncurling of the lush green ferns in the undergrowth. Each new frond seemingly a reminder of my own internal uncurling and reopening to life after a recent painful separation. I gathered a few samples and brought them back to the art studio for monoprinting on rice paper.
The collage placement was quite simple and playful, often using my preference for a 'zen like' three pieces of paper: a fern monoprint on rice paper, some random abstract gel print on cartridge paper, and my favourite, the velvety black Australian gum leaf plant dyed watercolour paper. Sometimes using the placement of text from the background vintage paper to add a twist or clue to the underlying meaning of the piece.
All works are on vintage paper, a collage of monoprints and plant dyed paper, unframed.
This beautiful small series of artworks are available for sale. Please contact Melinda for details here.
The collage placement was quite simple and playful, often using my preference for a 'zen like' three pieces of paper: a fern monoprint on rice paper, some random abstract gel print on cartridge paper, and my favourite, the velvety black Australian gum leaf plant dyed watercolour paper. Sometimes using the placement of text from the background vintage paper to add a twist or clue to the underlying meaning of the piece.
All works are on vintage paper, a collage of monoprints and plant dyed paper, unframed.
This beautiful small series of artworks are available for sale. Please contact Melinda for details here.
2020 | ikebana vessels
monoprint and plant dyed paper collage on vintage paper
These seven works came together as a play with left over plant dyed papers. I am often drawn to the simplicity of 'three'. In this case, only using three pieces of paper, cutting abstract shapes and juxtaposition placement to form an image.
What appeared to emerge to my eye was a series of vessels or ikebana like creations, hence the title 'Ikebana Vessels'.
At times, even the text on the vintage book paper came into play when using the word 'Contents' inverted on the page, or the letter 'I' as a pointing to self-awareness, and the book acknowledgement of when and where it was first published in 1952 in London.
All works are on vintage paper, monoprints and plant dyed paper 21x28cms, unframed.
This beautiful small series of artworks are available for sale. Please contact Melinda for details here.
What appeared to emerge to my eye was a series of vessels or ikebana like creations, hence the title 'Ikebana Vessels'.
At times, even the text on the vintage book paper came into play when using the word 'Contents' inverted on the page, or the letter 'I' as a pointing to self-awareness, and the book acknowledgement of when and where it was first published in 1952 in London.
All works are on vintage paper, monoprints and plant dyed paper 21x28cms, unframed.
This beautiful small series of artworks are available for sale. Please contact Melinda for details here.