empowerment
In Our Hands, 2026 (detail) pulp paper painting
How to hold the duality of both grief and joy as a human and an artist? It’s a question I ponder each day, especially when life can feel overwhelming. I’m looking at my latest body of work which is not only about drowning, but resurfacing. Or in philosopher Donna Haraway's words "to stay with the trouble".
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Arise (detail) - paper pulp painting still wet on the screen
Art connects directly to emotions. Art is personal. Your own essence somehow finds a way into what emerges in your art. The rising tide of powerful emotions playing out in the world and within ourselves affects us all on some level. It surprised me when it appeared so forcefully in my recent work, leading me to reflect on the nature of art itself and why we need it in our lives.
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Hearts, Hands & Bodies (work in progress) - charcoal & ink on rice paper
What does it take to change public opinion? To change a government policy and advocate for protection rather than destruction. Drawing a visual representation of the hearts, hands and bodies of passionate advocates for change helps keep my hope alive. I take heart from the 1970s protest movements to stop the whaling industry. Whale watching rather than killing, forest bathing rather than old growth forest clear-felling. Change is possible.
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Tidal Drawing 2023 (detail) - in hindsight I should have exhibited this
Do we truely value what we do? If the answer is no, is this about the ‘tall poppy’ syndrome or living ‘under the radar’ as a woman, to not draw attention to yourself? This undervaluing can translate into how you value your own creations and artworks. What do you choose to exhibit or share?
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Validation - Artist Susan St Clair introducing another artist during the Success Your Way workshop
Picture yourself at your own art exhibition. Someone you admire is introducing you and your art works to an audience. It’s like having a magic mirror reflecting back at you. You feel validated as an artist, whether someone buys your work or not.
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Elevating an artwork on an easel for a photoshoot. “The 44” and me .
How do you price your artwork, especially when you are starting out? Valuing yourself for where you are on your journey means embracing all your perceived ‘failures’ and keeping on going. I know now that the more I exhibit, the more I value what I do and why I do it.
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Daily ink drawing inspired by lava flow of Iceland’s erupting volcano (detail)
How much do you value yourself? Do you give yourself permission to go on really wild and scary adventures? I have given myself permission to take a helicopter ride to view the active volcano in Iceland, if it is still erupting in April 2022. It is something even a year ago I wouldn’t have contemplated.
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Vincent Namatjira in front of his Archibald prize winning painting Stand Strong for Who You Are, 2020.
What is the purpose of art? Is is it to be pretty or to challenge our notions of who we are at the deepest level? Today is the start of NAIDOC week and we are called to have a “deep challenging national story” around how our Indigenous art and artists can lead the way we see ourselves as Australians.
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At the Ardlethan tin mine, 1978
Stories connect us on a heart to heart level. I look back on my time as a young journalist in a rural town and realise how lucky I was to be able to peek into the intimate lives of the women who lived in the district, empowering them to share their stories.
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Into the Light (c 2007) ~ inspired by the Yamba lighthouse and headland.
I love lighthouses.These powerful beams of light are a metaphor for connection, across the seas and lands. Having an online business is a bit like that. Shining a light from an online platform to inspire others.
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