About the Artist
Janelle x
I am a self-taught artist living on the beautiful NSW South Coast. For many years, working in tertiary and higher education management roles, my art practice was very much a part time but a constant 'must do' part of my life. I was fortunate to be invited to exhibit my work in Summer and Winter Art exhibitions at the University where I worked and did this for several years which provided a great opportunity to showcase and sell my art. I will always be grateful to those who organised the exhibitions and greatly encouraged me in those earlier years. There is no better feeling than when someone loves your work and chooses to buy it. My rule of thumb has always been to consider if I would be happy to hang the piece in my own home or wear the jewellery myself - if the answer is yes, then I consider it complete and ready for sale. I now focus on my art full time, and it feels so wonderful to have the luxury of having time to try new things and experiment with new materials and styles. A collection of my work is represented at Shop 3 Gallery in the coastal village of Milton NSW, where I am one of five artists and designers in our self-managed collective. Creating art and jewellery and the process of thinking through potential designs, sourcing materials and being inspired by all that surrounds me is a source of great joy and satisfaction (sometimes mixed in with a little frustration like all artists). It is ever evolving, and I am always trying something new which is a great motivator in itself. I cannot imagine my world without creativity of some form or another. How fortunate I am to realise my passion and truly love what I do. I hope you enjoy looking through my art and jewellery galleries. Remember to visit often to see what is new and if you happen to be visiting Milton NSW, be sure to have a look in our gallery. It is small in size but huge in diversity and talent. We constantly are told how eclectic and interesting our gallery is with three wall artists, a glass artist and a retro furniture restorer. Something for everyone. Last of all, remember to always make time to do what you love, whatever that may be!!
About the Art
From as long as I can remember I have always enjoyed creating, drawing, painting and design. In recent years however, my love for making mixed media artworks, especially collages has proven to be immensely stimulating and my favourite medium to work in. The freedom to incorporate fabrics, papers, art prints of original works amongst a host of other beautiful and interesting elements makes creating each piece an exciting process. Using intricate layering and colour to achieve dimension and depth, the techniques used takes cutting and pasting to whole new level. Much of the work has an abstract approach, often with deliberate clashing colours and textures for added interest and impact.
My inspiration emerges from anything and everything around me, particularly natures' palette. Daily walks on the beach and observing the abundant wildlife, constant changes in the seascape and surrounding landscape provides a continual source of creative stimulation and subject matter. Collage art is an extraordinarily economic medium as there is no such thing as wasted materials. The smallest of scraps can be kept and utilised. Paintings that go pear shaped don't go in the bin, but rather are stored and cut to form backgrounds or other parts of the layering process. Negative shapes left from a precise cut shape can be seen in many of my works and often become featured focal points. Watercolours, Inks, Acrylics, Fabrics, Recycled and Hand-made Papers, Wires, Metals and Foils are included in the vast spectrum of media used in my collages.
About the Jewellery
In recent years I have been spending considerable time developing my bespoke handmade jewellery range that often features components of my collage art. I am constantly trying new materials and mixing elements to produce one-off unusual contemporary pieces. Using beautiful Australian timbers and veneers, silver and copper, titanium mesh, collage and resin to name some of the many materials incorporated in the jewellery range, is what makes each individual piece so unique. Semi-precious gemstones and beads as well as freshwater pearls also feature in the work as you will see in the Jewellery Gallery. I encourage you to take a look regularly at this gallery as new pieces are added on a constant basis. All pieces are completely hand-made meaning you will not see two the same - "ever". Even ear-rings that are hand-formed will not be exactly the same as each other - one of the signs that these are truly original pieces. If you love wearing unique statement jewellery or are looking for a special gift for someone I encourage you to visit the jewellery gallery regularly. Each piece comes in its own 'Little Bird Studio' packaging with a brief descriptor of the materials used and unique features.