Our story, 2020

I have been inspired by the impact of the 2019/2020 bushfire season, and the affects it has had on the environment. Particularly birdlife which I am very passionate about and I feel compelled to use this as my inspiration to create an artwork to share with everyone.

My work will comprise of five individual artist books, each book will contain different stages of the regeneration of the bush after the fires. The cover of each book will feature a significant bird or animal from the Tumut region that I personally felt connected or inspired by. This series will show the resilient nature of the birds, mammals, insects and reptiles living in the fire affected areas. I admire their ability to forage for food and survive in the charred remains.

I have created these artist books by firstly exposing the paper to the burnt landscape for several days. I then mono-printed leaves which I collected from the bush, over the top of the exposed paper aiming to create a “birds eye view” of the bush ground cover as it regenerated after the wildfires. I have chosen five animals who inhabit this area and I have featured them as simple line drawings on the covers of my books.

I feel a special connection as I personally experienced the bushfires close to my own home in Moruya, NSW. I empathize with the wildlife as their uncertainty, helplessness and utter fear was exactly how I was feeling during the fires. The bushfires were hotter, stronger, lasted longer and burnt such large areas with such heat and destruction more than a normal bushfire usually does. This artwork expresses my feelings and experiences with fond consideration for the plants and animals who inhabit this area.