Visual Art – Melbourne
I am an artist and art therapist from the northern suburbs of Melbourne.
I have a strong belief that art making connects us to our souls and deepens our awareness of who we are, which in turn can improve lives. With my art practice I use art making for self discovery, emotional processing and self-care/mindfulness. Making art, for me, has always been therapeutic; like pouring out pent-up energy onto the canvas or paper. It is a very releasing and soothing process, which also has helped me to gain mental clarity and more resilience. This is what made me want to study art therapy.
In my works I try to enter a mindful state where I can experience a flow. This usually starts with laying down a background that may look a bit like an abstract piece. Sometimes it is quite messy looking. I then go over this with paint markers, sometimes drawing in faces, characters and mandalas. I try not to plan too much as I want the works to represent my thoughts and feelings at the time. I am definitely influenced by zentangles and graffiti tagging. I love the strange characters that people draw on the walls in alleyways and bathroom stalls. I also love lots of colour and have a hard time sticking to just a few tones. My art making grounds me and helps me to be calm person, but I think it also shows the strain and chaos of a busy modern life.
I also run an art therapy and mental health blog where I aim to explain the importance of creativity for wellbeing, healing and recovery. This is informed by my formal study in psychology and art therapy, and also my lived experience as an artist and human. Instagram: embodyarttherapy