Featured Artist - JEMIMA SAUNDERS

'The Littlest Birds Sing The Prettiest Songs'

mixed media

2010
 

I met Jemima back in 1997 when we were both studying Printmaking at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga. Thirteen years later we have made contact. I am so happy to see a fellow creative soul still practicing art. Jemima will be exhibiting in The Tea Towel Exhibition opening July 30th at The Serpentine Gallery in Lismore. 

Thanks Jemima for your inspiring answers and of course for your beautiful and stunning photographs of your recycled and natural bush dyed works of art! 

Jemima also runs her own business called Hum & Rattle. Check it out!

http://www.humandrattle.etsy.com

'Rose by Another Name - detail'

recycled paper and mixed media

2010

Tell me a little about your background - what did you study and what path led you to what you’re doing now?

As a child I always wanted to be an artist so when I finished school I went and did a Fine Arts Degree in Wagga Wagga NSW. I met some of my favourite people there and Beautiful Mani introduced us to printmaking, Julie to Dyeing and I was in love. Afterward I floated around for a few years traveled, lived, loved...
 
Later on as physical hunger set in I studied a Dip Ed in Darwin, 
I love the tropics and Darwin has a big piece of my heart.
Whilst I was teaching in a tiny community called Gawa on Elcho island (the closest place to utopia I have ever known) two little girls took me to some special rock pools for a swim and as they washed my feet with tiny shells I was told by one of the girls that there was a baby in my tummy, turns out she was right. My life took a different direction  -called Lulu...
 
I loved being a mumma and a wife but in the back of my mind I kept
hearing this old voice telling me I was something else too. So three
children, four houses and three states later I finally opened myself
up to that old voice. I gradually learned ways create without chemicals and poisons and like women from the "Arts and Craft Movement" in the 70's I adapted, my work got smaller (kitchen bench size) and I could only work with things that could be stashed away and dragged out again. It was a steep learning curve but a great one.
 
I taught myself to sew and started making clothes and dolls for Lulu, we were broke and I don't have mainstream tastes. Lots of excellent results were born out of necessity and once I began I could not stop. The artist was there all along. At the same time I also got back into using natural dyes (minus the harmful mordants) and printmaking with water based inks. I did a workshop with India Flint last year and I was on fire again - it lives...


What is your favourite thing you like making and why?

At the moment it's natural dyes, I love to make Shibori plant dyed
scarves cloths and clothing. I love the unexpected patterns and ranges of colours when you unwrap each piece after dyeing. I am constantly amazed by nature. Each time it feels like receiving a gift, the same for printmaking -- Who doesn't love presents... Also recycling paper into sculptures, I really enjoy re-purposing anything I can and with three small children we have LOTS of paper always and I hate throwing away their drawings, better to give the excess ones a new life. I love to make kids clothing I sell at markets, boutiques and online and I have started to make my own more as well. I basically have some sort of compulsive disorder where I want to make EVERYTHING I can think of, I love that though...

 'Rose by Another Name'

recycled paper and mixed media

2010

Where else do you find inspiration ?

I live in Tumut at the moment in the foothills of the snowy mountains. In the past few years I now look up when I walk and am full of awe of this amazing world, the trees, birds and the mountains, also a playground of natural dyes. My mother is the up-cycle queen, it used to freak my sisters out when we were younger, now it's the new black. I love Peppermint magazine it's sweet and not full of celebrity rubbish, skinny girls and inspires lots of people to tread lighter. My sister gave me "The Alchemist" at the start of the year and it definitely gave me a renewed sense of self worth and purpose.

  'Natural balance - detail'

Shibori -Natural Dye

2010

What are you most proud of professionally?

Hmmmn... when I was teaching at Katherine High School in the NT I resurrected a beautiful old etching press and taught the kids and the teachers how to use it. They had been using it to squish clay, I wanted to cry... 

 'Natural balance'

Shibori -Natural Dye

2010

What would be your dream project? 

My husband and I talk about a million different dreams a week, but I'd love a gorgeous coffee shop with a gallery handmade shop attached and workshop space for kids and adults out the back. I could be happy running that..

What are you looking forward to? 

We are going to Darwin for three months in July to get back to basics, I'll do the markets and Ev will play music, the Darwin festival will be on whilst we're there, such an array of performers and colours. We'll dance and swim and sweat and eat and love.. Our children will see lots of new things and meet lots of different people, can't wait.

 'Natural balance'

Shibori -Natural Dye

2010

Best exhibition you have ever been to? 

Brett Whiteley's studio in Surry Hills when I was 15, the paintings, the atmosphere, the smells, it set my course.

Your favourite place to shop?

Brunswick st Melbourne, op-shops I'm a bit of a junkie, and markets in general I love handmade lovingly created things.

   'Natural balance'

Shibori -Natural Dye

2010

What is you favourite food/meal? Where did you eat it?

Vegetarian Laksa with Chilli from Parap markets in Darwin, but you
have to go to Mary's stall...

What is your ultimate purchase? 

An etching press, it's being made this year.

What's the best thing about living where you live?

We are currently living in the town where I grew up, I love the familiar faces. I love the people at the local fruit market and the butchers and how you run into people you know everywhere, that's what I miss when I go back to the city. Not to mention the incredible view of the sun setting over the mountains from my kitchen window every evening.

http://www.humandrattle.etsy.com

Thank you so much to our first featured artist - Jemima Saunders! 

Comments welcome ........

I will be running a series of featured artists and designers on this blog. 

Coming soon the mesmerizing art and design of Liisa and Ben - designers of the funky Tasmanian label - KISWA.