“Spring drew on . . and a greenness grew over those brown beds, which freshening daily, suggested the thought that hope traversed them at night and left each morning brighter traces of her steps”. - Charlotte Bronte
Spring this year has never been more welcome and more quiet. Ironically against a world struggling with the darkness of a pandemic, nature has been at her vibrant best. Rain in all its different guises has fallen this spring - heavy downpours that flooded waterways, rain falling sideways in strong winds and soft life giving showers. Landscapes are lush, green and teeming with life and gardens are abundant and overgrown. It has been impossible to keep up with the growth this spring, when normally in Australia we have to deeply encourage gardens to grow.
This series of works explores the different guises of spring - tamed in managed gardens, untamed in abandoned untended gardens and the wildness of spring in the Australian bush. This series of abundant, vibrant images has hope at their core- the belief that nature heals and provides us with a vision for a better future. This time will also pass and the future can still be exciting.
This series draws inspiration from classic art, with images that feel more like paintings than photographs. Abundance captured in jewel like images and like spring itself in the abundance there are dark shadows, still parts of life that are not quite ready for the bright summer sunshine.
All the flowers have been grown at home, in local untended gardens or collected from the wild parts of the artists farm in the Grampians. Everything else has been sustainably sourced - nests blown out of trees, discarded feathers and eggs collected on walks, and hidden in some images the first eggs from young hens who have also become part of this years abundance. Individual flowers or the base of arrangements are used in multiple images, these are the threads that run through this series and tie it together in the way that plants recur across gardens and into wild places. This has allowed the artist to deeply connect to and thoroughly explore each subject, reflecting the inner journey many of us have been on this year as we reconnect deeply with ourselves and our lives in forced isolation.
All works are for sale - unframed prices $350 for small fine art prints (approx. 250 x 300 mm) and $550 for medium fine art prints (approx. 400 x 500 mm). Custom sizes and prices available upon request.
