Today is World Rainforest Day!
World Rainforest Day is a global initiative aimed at raising awareness about the critical role rainforests play in our planet's health and the urgent need for their conservation. These magnificent ecosystems are often referred to as the "lungs of the Earth," as they absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, mitigating climate change.
An award-winning, full-time artist, Libby Derham is a fourth-generation watercolourist. She won the Annie Tan Memorial Watercolour Award (Queensland Regional Art Awards) (2021) and has been a finalist in multiple local and national awards. She completed art training at Surrey Institute of Art and Design in the UK (1996-1998).
Pushing traditional into experimental watercolour, Libby looks for new ways of working with the medium’s dynamic fluidity and transparent qualities, mixing with pigment. An appreciation for the natural world informs Libby's practice. The work seeks to capture her sensory experience within it and the immersive qualities of En plein air.
David Reynolds is a botanical artist from Melbourne who teaches in Canberra and Brisbane with NatureArt Lab.In this article talks about his art practice and the importance of getting to know your subject. He also asked the question about botanical art and gender. Hopefully more men will join this creative pursuit and enjoy the productive meditation the art of botanical painting provides.
Last month, we had the incredible opportunity to explore the captivating world of one of Australia's most iconic species. Snakes and lizards, often misunderstood or overlooked, took centre stage as we delved into their beauty and uniqueness in the course, Illustrating Australian Reptiles with Zoe Lawrence.
Over the course, our students were given the rare chance to intimately interact with live reptiles, gaining firsthand knowledge and mastering techniques to accurately capture their essence through coloured pencil illustrations. It was a harmonious fusion of art and science, allowing us to raise awareness and foster a deep appreciation for these magnificent creatures and our native fauna as a whole.
Hive Studios is an exciting new arts space founded by local artists Lena Tisdall and Sandra Pearce, and is located in Banyo in the northern suburbs of Brisbane. The Hive Studio space houses Sandra’s printmaking and papermaking studio Art from the Urban Wilderness, and is also open to the community and local artists to use for art workshops, studio hire and community events.
