Inspiration
Inspiration, from the Latin inspirare, means “to breathe into”. From the historic belief of divine muses to mythical winds, or simply a beautiful piece a music with a trove of one’s treasured books, seeking inspiration has the power to breathe life into our creative dreams to become artistic realities.
Below is a list of books, individuals and organisations that have breathed life into my creative journey.
Books
This was the first of many books on birdlife and nests that inspired my journey to begin an artistic practice exploring the beauty and complexity of nest forms.
From natural history, folklore, to an exploration of art and aesthetics, this beautiful book will appeal to all those who love nature, literature and art.
As an artist honouring birds as artist and architect this stunning book has become one of my most cherished resources.
Sharon Beals’ gorgeous photographs of nests offer a new window onto the life and beauty of birds.
Anyone can create a beautiful home (or nest) by foraging, and salvaging what they find.
Animal Architecture presents a visually arresting tribute to the intersection of nature, science, function, and design.
Avian Architecture describes how birds design, engineer, and build their nests, deconstructing all types of nests found around the world using architectural blueprints and detailed descriptions of the construction processes and engineering techniques birds use.
All over the country, there are words disappearing from children’s lives. Words like Dandelion, Otter, Bramble, Acorn and Lark represent the natural world of childhood, a rich landscape of discovery and imagination that is fading from children’s minds.
Organisations & Individuals
Below is a list of individuals and organisations that have acted as stepping stones to grow my skills.
Baskets from the Garden
This extraordinary online workshop is a journey of discovery! You’ll be encouraged to experiment with plants to embark on your own journey while learning a range of basketry techniques which I utilised in the creation of my nest sculptures.
Basketmakers of Victoria Inc, located in Wattle Park, is a non-profit organisation established in 1986. Whilst principally focused on natural fibre basketry, they also support eclectic interests embracing traditional and contemporary practices and influences (such as my nest sculptures).
Adrienne has lived, created and taught fibre art for close to 20 years. Her workshops were my first introductions to old and new contemporary weaving techniques.
YAVA Gallery & Arts Hub is a creative home for the Arts – where community can experience exhibitions, workshops, live events and community gatherings right in the heart of Healesville and surrounds. This small but dedicated grassroots community has been supporting artists like myself in the Yarra Valley for over 30 years.
Craft’s Maker Membership is designed to help makers and artists learn, explore and connect. Joining the Craft community has offered me the support and resources needed to push my creative practice forward.
Zeph Lyn is a practising textile artist who specialises in making textiles from animal fibres, also known as felting. She has worked for over 20 years in the community sector as an arts therapist in various roles. It was her extensive knowledge and passion sparked my early interest in the history and craft of felting.
Research
Benefiting from advances in the digitisation of natural history archives, I have been able to engage with museum collections and curators worldwide to source images and collection notes as the basis for research and inspiration for current and future works. The use of natural history collections plays a key role in artistic enquiry to reveal the selective use of construction material for specific functions.
I acknowledge and am eternally grateful to the following institutions and individuals for providing inspiration, information and access to their invaluable collections.
My artwork is also informed by intimate encounters and detailed observations of the 35 species of birds that live and nest within close proximity to my studio in the Upper Yarra Valley.
