Wow, wow, wow. I am so excited to announce that I am a finalist in the Caloundra Regional Gallery, Local Contemporary Art Prize for 2024. The opening is Thursday 21 March and is on until Sunday 5 May. My piece, Biodiverse, is a culmination of my many hours spent wandering heath and wallum communities on the Sunshine Coast. Heath is primarily an open treeless habitat made up of low growing vegetation on free-draining and acidic soils. Wallum woodland typically neighbours heath and is drier, while consisting of taller plants such as the Wallum Banksia from where this habitat’s name originates. Heath and wallum have become a very special place for me as it is not only just my art muse, but helped heal me emotionally and physically. Spending time in nature should never be underestimated. 

The flora, fauna and fungi within heath and wallum communities is so diverse. Often said to look like waste scrubland by developers, to look once or briefly will not uncover its myriad wonders. Hours of slow thoughtful wandering over all the seasons will start to unlock its beauty and diversity. 

‘Biodiverse’ contains 91 species. This is the tip of the iceberg!  Just like a beehive or food web, the health of this region is dependent on its biodiversity. Embossing and white space draws attention to the hidden or less obvious elements such as symbiotic relationships, support structures and interconnectedness in nature. To find out what each species is, have a look below. Taking around 100 hours, each species was individually hand drawn, carved and embossed or stamped using archival ink on fine art paper. As an edition of 30, if you would like to have your very own, they will go up in my store soon :) 

Biodiverse Species