A new series exploring connection, memory and the quiet strength of trees.
There’s a certain kind of silence you only hear when you’re deep in the bush, not the absence of sound, but a presence. The rustle of leaves, the creak of trunks, birdsong in the distance. That’s where this series began.
The Ties That Bind is my love letter to the trees that hold us. The ones that grow beside childhood homes, stand tall at family campsites, or line the road back to the place we call home. The ones we don’t always notice, but somehow never forget.
This series has been simmering in my mind for a while now, years really. It all clicked into place while camping with my family earlier this year. There were these incredible lemon-scented gums lining the campsite and I couldn’t help but think of the stories they could tell and the events they have witness. What are they storing, how are they sharing that collected energy?
Not long into starting the body of work I really significantly broke my ankle, spent two weeks in hospital and have been hobbling around on crutches since. This experience only amplified my longing for time among trees and helped solidify in my mind the direction everything was going.
Over the last few years I’ve found myself drawn more and more to trees, not just as beautiful forms to paint but as symbols of something deeper. I began noticing the way their branches intertwine like arms, the way their limbs seemingly defy gravity striving for light. The way they bear their scars. How they hold and share their energy. It felt like they were keeping stories, mine, yours, all of ours.
Back in the studio, I reflected on past works as a starting point. Namely the tree works from my 'Daytrippers' series as well as my more recent ‘Finding My Way’ exhibition at Lon Retreat at the end of last year. I wanted to capture both the structure and vitality. The strength of trunks, light refracting through leaves and most importantly, the in-between spaces where memory lives. Some pieces are quiet and contemplative. Others feel more energetic, windswept, alive with movement.
The name The Ties That Bind comes from a piece I reworked to be a part of this series. I was imagining a world if these ‘ties’ went beyond human kind. The title speaks to connection and belonging. To the invisible threads between people, places, seasons, and selves. To the grounding force of nature when life feels chaotic. And to the ways we’re shaped by where we’ve come from and who we’ve grown alongside.
This series is personal. Not in a grand, confessional kind of way, more like a gentle nod to the kindred spirits in our daily lives. I hope when you see these works, they stir something familiar in you. A tree you climbed as a kid. A path you walked a hundred times. A quiet moment where everything felt still and right.
Thanks for coming behind the scenes with me. I can’t wait to share this series with you. There will be opportunities to engage and view these works in a number of ways. Kicking off this coming weekend at the Surf Coast Arts Trail 🤩 Here are the deets:
Surf Coast Arts Trail,Torquay, VIC
2 - 3 August
Soft launch of the new collection including originals, limited edition prints and framed reproductions.
Torquay Wine Store,Torquay, VIC
From 2 August
A selection of limited edition framed reproductions
Meet Gather Collect,Aranda, ACT
7 August - 4 September
A selection of original works and prints
Online Collection Launch
14 August
All. Of. The. Things.
Nat x
