AmeliaHerbertson

Ever since I was little I have been creative, fashioning objects (toilet roll phones, newspaper handbags) out of anything I could get my hands on. As my dexterity developed, Mum’s pantry was saved when she gave me a crayon. My life so far is documented in a series of sketchbooks which contain everything from mindless doodles, to snapshots of my travels.

Working primarily with water colour and gouache, I create colourful artworks with a botanical theme, depicting flora and bird life in an illustrative style. Preferring to work with fine tipped brushes, my aim is to create intricate works of detailed patterns and lines.

Painting is my creative outlet, and a means of expressing myself. I am motivated by the challenge of capturing the images in my head on paper.
Part of my process to gather inspiration before I begin painting is to collect specimens, take photographs and study the natural patterns found around me.

I am interested in the life cycle of plants, and the natural process of life, death and renewal. I am awed by how a mighty oak is born from a tiny acorn, the way that bees and other insects pollinate flowers which then turn into fruit, and the fact that all living things will eventually die and replenish the soil. In nature, nothing is wasted. Every creature and plant has a significant role to play within its fragile ecosystem. My art has been influenced by my growing acknowledgment of the need for sustainability in a disposable society.

I’ve been told that my work communicates the unique way I see the world which I think is a nice way of putting it. I have a collection of old children’s books which I continually flick through which could explain some of the characters within my drawings. The visual stimulation readily available through magazines, the internet and film inspire me to create my own pretty things.