Within my new Eye Spy collection is this special little trio I've dubbed 'Banksia Blues'. These three prints are a bit unique to the others because $10 from the sale of each and every print in this collection will be donated to Beyond Blue, an organisation that supports Australian mental health and wellbeing. Beyond Blue provide support programs to address issues related to depression, suicide, anxiety disorders and other related mental illnesses.
I painted these during a stage 3 lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic here on the Surf Coast in Victoria. Face masks were (still are) compulsory and the whole world seemed to be vibrating in uncertainty. There are of course all the immediate health issues during a crisis such as this but I couldn't help thinking of the long term effects to our mental health.
I drew a comparison between the fragility of fine porcelain, such as Delft Blue or traditional Chinese pottery and our seemingly robust Australian native flora. The banksia in particular have a resilience and presence to them - not unlike the Australian spirit. I wanted to highlight the fact that we are all fragile, whether we paint ourselves as strong or not, and at this point in time it's more important than ever to be conscious of that.
