(23) Carolyn Roberts – Hedgerow Imagined (Australia)
(1101) Julia Suptel – Honeysuckle (Germany)
About this Artwork
PRICE: $400 AUD
During the early days of lockdown, whilst struggling to accept that I was trapped in Melbourne for the foreseeable future, desperately wanting to be in my other life in France, my Door to Door project page arrived in the post.
British Wildflowers; the same flowers that flourish in the hedgerows around my house in Normandy.
In this work I am mindful of the yearning and nostalgia for the familiar landscape of home, felt by the migrant, the displaced, the exiled and the dislocated.
My usual method of working is to draw from life, but here I have had to reimagine and remember what is unfolding in spring on the other side of the world, by reworking my previous studies of wild flowers. There is a layer, a barrier of time and distance between me and the subject matter.
I am also thinking of the fact that nature, of course, carries on regardless and cares not whether we are present to experience, observe and document it.
About Carolyn
My studio practice can be described as multimedia. Having worked in ceramic sculpture, installation, mixed media and photography; most recently I have returned to my first love of watercolour and drawing as the most suitable medium for my current work.
My concerns as an artist have always been subjective and revolve around questions of identity, dislocation and sense of place. I am also interested in time and memory, The concept of circular time seems very relevant when living in a rural environment.
Now I find myself living half of each year deep in the countryside of Normandy, and the other half in urban Melbourne. My latest works are in response to these two very different environments. In particular I am thinking of a moment in time and being witness to the passage of time.
Informed by, but without the constraints of scientific and botanical illustration, these works examine the small things that together make up the whole.
Link to Carolyn’s Art Aviso profile
Carolyn was supplied with the following page from Newnes’ Pictorial Knowledge Encyclopedia:
Volume 1
The Wonders of Plant Life in Forest,Field and Garden.
British Wild Flowers Plate 4.
About this Artwork
PRICE: 85 EUR
I was overjoyed when I received my copy of the encyclopedia’s page, all filled with flowers. I had tons of ideas and made a few dozen research sketches. My ideas ranged from featuring a blooming meadow, arranged bouquets in vases or cups to abstract pieces. But since the format is quite small and limited to A4 size I decided to emphasize the beauty of one flower and make its portrait and, thus, draw attention to the beauty of its form and colors. I chose honeysuckle because it was interesting and challenging to draw, it posses inner dynamic and delicateness at the same time.
The artwork is drawn with soft pastels on professional acid-free sanded paper that conveys the textures beautifully. Textured blue background adds a certain mood and contrast to the portrait of this flower. Although, soft pastel is very long-lasting material it has to be handled with care when framed or transported because the layers can be easily smudged with accidental movement.
About Julia
Julia Suptel was born in Ukraine and now lives and works in Dresden, Germany. Her main area of interest concerns the interaction of human spirit and art, her own and that of the viewer. It is her insight and firm belief that art does not need to be ’useful’ because people have turned so many concepts and even relationships into practical matters already. It is crucial for Julia to transmit states and moods through her artworks while the scenery or technique play an important but secondary role. Julia works mainly with soft pastels and her works feature scenes from everyday life, landscapes and floral arrangements.
She hasn’t received any formal art education per se but she has a Masters degree in Cultural Management from the University of Amsterdam and BA in Domestic Design from School of Form in Poznan, Poland. Her drawing and painting skills are constantly developed through self-education and online courses. Pastel as a main drawing medium appeared as a result of experiments and further courses during the lockdown year 2020. Her works are in private collections in Germany, Ukraine, Russia, Ireland and Poland.
Link to Julia’s Art Aviso profile HERE
Julia was provided with the following page from Newnes’ Pictorial Knowledge Encyclopedia:
Volume 1
The Wonders of Plant Life in Forest,Field and Garden.
Bristish Wild Flowers Plate 4