The Garden Curator · The Garden Curator

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Garden: A place where plants are grown for pleasure
Curator: from Latin: one who cares, from curare, to care for

Pretty shadows in the studio today over a spring i

Pretty shadows in the studio today over a spring inspired piece destined for an exhibition in, you guessed it, spring!
It was a good day to be tucked up inside. Outside it snowed and sleeted and blustered. Winter grumbles at this time of year, as though scolding the vivacious spring nipping at its heels, reluctant to let go of the white knuckle hold it has on the landscape. Spring is coming, there are signs, and I can't wait!

GIVEAWAY TIME! While the covid roller coaster prev

GIVEAWAY TIME!
While the covid roller coaster prevents many in Eastern Australia from meeting in person, friendly garden gatherings are off the agenda. Now though is the time when we need these connections the most, so I've decided to bundle up a snippet of my garden to send with love to someone facing challenging times.
I have a selection of dahlia tubers from the garden here - most unnamed but a happy bunch nonetheless - ready to post to someone in need of cheer. There will be a Cafè au Lait included, the queen of dahlias! These bumpy lumpy tubers may be ugly now, but they are the perfect embodiment of brighter things to come.
If you know someone in NSW currently affected by the covid lockdown who would be encouraged by this gift, please tag them in the comments below, along with a note about why you would love them to be the recipient. At the end of this week a winner will be announced, and the tubers and a note sent on their way with the postie.
The best garden is a shared garden, don't you think! x

Gathering the last of the paper plant specimens th

Gathering the last of the paper plant specimens that will become the big commissioned work heading to New York City!
Each plant is made of paper. Every little part is drawn in fine pigment, given shadow with watercolour, cut with embroidery scissors, then drawn and painted again, embossed, and assembled, then more painting. It's a long and painstaking process requiring patience, stillness, and care. I often wish I could work quickly with big bold colour, bumping out work with speed, but it's just not my thing. Each to their own, right?! My thanks as always to those wonderful people waiting patiently on my commissions list. I'm so grateful.
I'll have news soon about exhibitions later in the year, including another solo show, stay tuned!

Sound on for this one to hear Arlo singing in the

Sound on for this one to hear Arlo singing in the studio today. Not sure what prompted the howling session, but it added a little something to my day!

What does your ideal Sunday morning look like? Th

What does your ideal Sunday morning look like?
This photo, taken a few months ago by the fabulous photographer @emwollencreative (she's wonderful), captures some of the moments I treasure most in the garden. They are:
Companionship with my sweet boy Hugo, always by my side.
Early morning light and soft velvety colour.
Picking fresh blooms to enjoy inside.
And, our view to the paddocks and hills - quiet and still they speak of home.
This is my perfect Sunday morning, but not today - it's cold, drizzly and windy outside so we'll stay in for now and wait for kinder days. Edward and I have plans to make rhubarb and apple pie, Sunday comfort of a different form.

At this time of year the garden is a tangle of bar

At this time of year the garden is a tangle of bare branches, spindly stems and the toppling remains of last season's growth. Amongst the grey there are a few tenacious blooms, hanging on in there like ornaments on a long-faded Christmas tree.
After days and weeks of wet weather here the ground is sodden, too wet to be trampled over - heavy feet over saturated soil does it no good (imagine a loaf of bread at the bottom of a loaded shopping trolley!) As soon as the sun shines it will be all go, chopping and snipping away the tangled layer to make way for a new season.
I'm excited to roll into August. It can be our bleakest month, but also one peppered with days that smell like spring, and with just enough sun to warm a face beneath a beanie. It's one of my favourite months for that reason - it's hopeful.
Happy Saturday all, I hope it's wonderful 🤍

It has been such a treat teaming up with @annabel

It has been such a treat teaming up with @annabellehickson 's wonderful Galah magazine to release these limited edition, signed archival giclee prints. These are the only prints of my work available, and exclusive to Galah!
It's not easy capturing the details and depth of my work in two dimensions, but the brilliant @cie_elledigital in Sydney are the best of the best and have used advanced scanning technology to make the feathers seem as though they lift off the paper.
Issue three of Galah is about to be released, and you can order it, these prints, and other beautiful things via the website @galah.press.
#buyfromthebush