This month on the podcast we speak with artist OmiLee, aka Naomi Crawford and discuss her work, her processes and her piece entitled Cleansing. We took this piece out into the community and engaged a few people in a discussion about OmiLee’s work, her style and what it meant to them.

Have a listen here:

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The feedback was mostly constructive and everyone enjoyed the discussions we led. We hear more and more how people would love to have more accessible culture in the community and we’d love to hear from you too.

Check out the piece in the slideshow below and let Naomi know what her work means to you. Hit us up in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter, or get in contact with Naomi via her Facebook page.

Not sure how to go about engaging with the work? Check out our feature post from earlier in the month.

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We also discussed in more depth the role our cognitive biases and mindsets play a roll in our lives, and how engaging with art and culture can play a role in helping us be more open, and be happier and healthier.

For more information about Cognitive biases and Heuristics check out the links in the show notes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cognitive_biases

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heuristic

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cognitive_Science:_An_Introduction/Biases_and_Reasoning_Heuristics

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heuristics_in_judgment_and_decision-making

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Availability_heuristic#Judging_frequency_and_probability

The Four Hour Work Week Podcast – A great episode on mindfulness, mindsets, learning and creativity:

http://fourhourworkweek.com/2016/03/23/josh-waitzkin-the-prodigy-returns/ – On parenting [@38:02]

Rationally Speaking Podcast – Featuring the book as discussed: Algorithms to Live By – Tom Griffiths and Brian Christian

http://rationallyspeakingpodcast.org/show/rs-161-tom-griffiths-and-brian-christian-on-algorithms-to-li.html

As always, if you want to join in the conversation, please leave a comment! If you want to get involved send us an email using the contact us form on our Submit page.

And please share!

See you next time,

Ali & Grant 🙂

As an artist, Rob Andrews’ creative mindset is one of growth and experimentation. He works in several ways often reinventing past work or expanding it to offer depth to different concepts and themes. His work ranges from mixed media drawings to abstract paintings and sculptural assemblages.

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Rob invites his audience to be active cultural participants and engage with his work using an open and critical mind. He says “representation, abstraction and symbolism are used to explore ideas about self, the psyche, identity, duality, memory, place, disconnection and/or alienation…All of my work is meaningful to me, as it results from responses to the world around me.” Despite this, the representative nature of his work lends itself to a more a subjective interpretation.

In his less abstract work he has experimented with genres such as still life, self-portraiture and landscape. His self-portraiture often feature layered, surreal elements, with hints of cubism much like his earlier architectural interpretations.

He is influenced by nature as well as built landscapes and space, and says “Where you live and the places you visit always have some influence on how you see (and re-see) the world.” Rob has lived, worked and traveled in many places but he’s “called Brisbane home for a little over 20 years [and] the light, colours and patterns in many of the landscapes in Queensland have always intrigued him.”

One important facet of Rob’s creative journey is his persistence in finding new ways to explore ideas and his courage to be bold about their representations. Throughout his work, he draws attention to our default cognitive settings, encouraging us to be judicious and fluid in our thinking.

“Perceptions of art are very subjective. And succeeding as an artist depends on what you define as success. I don’t think you ever reach a point where you need to stop achieving goals as an artist. There are always new ones to achieve, such as re-thinking how it is you use the media you work with (e.g. acrylics, pencil, collage, etc.) and how you tackle the subjects that interest you. Persistence and resilience are essential skills that will help an artist achieve his/her goals. Success for me personally comes from sticking at it, while knowing that you might fail at times. The art world is very subjective, and success means many different things to different people. If you are happy in what you do and it connects with some other people, then you are succeeding.”

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Embodiment of the growth mindset is arguably one of the most important things for an artist and Rob is a great example of this. Psychology often frames mindset in one of two ways: a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. The latter being more favourable because it assumes a fluid opinion of intelligence and sees failure as part of growth, facilitating development and potential success.

“My philosophy as an artist is based on being willing to experiment with different forms of art-making and therefore accepting that you will sometimes fail in your attempts.  Be resilient and persistent. Keep learning and challenging yourself. Success builds on hits as well as near misses. Someone once said that an important part of being an artist involved being willing to make mistakes – you will have become an artist when you know which mistakes to keep.”

If you want more info on Rob and his work find him here:

Website – Robert Andrews

Email: smartarts111@hotmail.com

Another artist that lets his creativity fuel his growth is Logan artist, Mark Davey. Although he is known for his paintings, Mark doesn’t like to restrict himself creatively. He dabbles in mixing media, adding found objects, drawing, wood sculpture, photography, writing poetry even trying his hand at music despite admitting he isn’t very good at it. It doesn’t matter though, his creative journey is what matters to him. This kind of liberation, the freedom to express ourselves without reservation is something we seem to have forgotten how to do.

“The more I put into my art the more I get out of it. Practice and experimentation are the best ways to learn, just attack it, no restrictions, it is a never ending obsession.”

Mark Davey Acrylic Abstract

This liberating mindset is evident in his work. Mark’s playful abstracts and expressive landscapes feature sweeping, fluid brushstrokes that tell of his confidence to let go of his self- criticism and doubt. Something he earned after more than 20 years creating. And because of this his “style changes and evolves regularly, [he’s] constantly experimenting.”

Mark Davey in his studio

Mark said he is conscious of not being restrictive about the sources of his inspiration, but since he often finds solace in his back yard and the environment around him, it is often featured in his work. In his previous post, he said “There are so many things to paint locally, I am making the most of it while I can, at the same time pointing out the beauty in the area.”

Mark Davey beach cityscape

Having painted in excess of two thousand paintings during his career, Mark’s art has become his way of life. Every crevice of his house is filled with colour, his creativity fuels his ambition and gives him a reason to grow and express himself.

“The further I get the more the thirst and passion grows. Anything is possible in the future. A gallery director once told me I was the kind of artist to become notorious.”

Mark Davey abstract

Get in contact with Mark:

Via email inyourart@gmail.com

Instagram – Mark Davey

Facebook – Mark Davey

You can catch both Rob Andrews and Mark Davey at Miami Marketta exhibiting a range of works.

Miami Marketta – 23 Hillcrest Parade, Miami, Queensland 4220

Find all the details on the Facebook event page .

Sam Randall employs the use of colour, detail and layering to portray fierce images that invoke a feeling of connection, whilst portraying universal narratives. The intensity of her colours are often juxtaposed by dark backgrounds, lending weight to the foreground, but also giving us the sense that there is always darkness lurking within and around us.

Sam Randall Montage 1

Sam describes her work as complexly simple, and it is at times confronting. Her interest in subculture, folklore and ancient Japanese and oriental art shine through in her use of particular plants and animals. Her striking use of skulls, often decorated and layered in bright flowers and plants, may represent stories of impermanence, transition or freedom as in the Mexican lore, Dia de los Meurtos (Day of the Dead) celebrations. We might also see narratives of transcendence via the natural life (and death) cycle, as in traditional Japanese culture.  Sam says:

“Technically, I am influenced by Surrealism, Abstraction, Impressionism, and Pop Art. All these genres influence my work in very specific ways. I’m inspired by life stories, subculture and folklore, symbolism, traditions, particularly the ancient and mythological stories passed down through generations, ancient Japanese art, unusual flora… and all things mythical, dark and oriental.”

Sam has pursued creative work her entire life, saying, “I truly believe if you are a creative personality type you just ‘are’ and must pursue a creative career to be satisfied. All my careers have been creative. I’ve been a hairdresser and beautician, a Children’s experiential play/ art therapist and a painter.” She currently works as a Children’s Counsellor for Act for Kids but has been working with and on behalf of children since 1997, becoming a qualified Social Worker in 2002 and a qualified Children’s Therapist in 2005.

Her signature style reflects her interest in universal stories of love, fear sadness, loss, anger and personal growth, which also comes from her work as a counsellor. We see her sense of wonder in her world, but beneath the layers we also get a sense of the deeper narratives.

Sam Randall Montage 2

“A painting might be my story, your story or a universal story we all experience… My practice is informed by theoretical and therapeutic approaches that allow children to articulate their life stories and express their emotions in safe ways that are typically not verbal. These are called experiential therapies (art, play, music, stories etc). This is also the premise of my art and its processes.”

Sam agrees that art is a very powerful process. Through expression and exploration a person can “process their issues and develop their own life narrative on both a conscious and unconscious level,” but should only be undertaken by a professional with the highly specialised skills. “It has the potential to unlock a person’s repressed trauma history and delve into their fragile psyche. Doing this and not knowing how to work effectively and safely bring a person back to a safe place can be extremely harmful. I often hear of people that (who may have the best of intentions) use art as therapy on others with no qualifications and this both angers and saddens me.”

Art Therapy is not to be undertaken by a novice.

However outside of therapy, art can provoke questions and spark curiosity or provide a sense of calm, which is valuable to many. Having been raised in South Australia with no siblings at home, Sam says she had plenty of time to ponder and explore her imagination. She was a “staunch introvert” and her daydreaming or whimsical stories are still the foundation of her art today.

“For as far back as I can remember I have drawn, painted, written stories and created things. It’s just what I did and as I got older I realised it’s who I am. Not having a creative career wasn’t even an option.”

She has also found inspiration from collaborating in an empowering movement of work created for Warrior Women  – various group exhibitions in Brisbane and Melbourne which expressed powerful images about womanhood and feminism.  But allowing herself to be a professional artist and being recognised as one was part of her dream.  “Everything on top of that is just lovely sweet icing on top the wonderful artist cake!”

Her advice to budding creatives is not to obsess over success, money, accolades and public recognition. “If I could share any wisdom it would be to spend a lot of time both in the beginning and regularly along the journey to fully understand what you create what you do and why. Develop your professional principals early. These can change but are the anchor to come back to.”

Sam Randall Montage 3

Sam’s philosophy?

“To create paintings that share a powerful story, evoke a strong feeling in the viewer, inspire others to think deeper thus live a life more vibrant.”

If you want to learn more about Sam and her work, please use the links below:

Sam Randall Art on Facebook

Do you have a fav artist, musician, writer or creative you’d love to see featured here? Please send us their details. If you’d love to see more features like this – please hit subscribe on the sidebar on the right!

We’ve hit the ground running this year and there is already so much exciting stuff going on out there, and behind the scenes here. We’ve been madly curating the first few months of exciting features for you, talking to some mad artists, setting up creative challenges and tying it all together with one hell of a bow. And we are excited to finally announce our official blog launch!

Our regular posts and podcasts will all begin on Monday 29th February, get in and subscribe to the newsletter now, so you won’t miss a thing!

Before you groan… “We have to wait another month?” We have a little sneak peak of stuff going on locally in February to share, just to whet your appetites.

With a background in textile and design, OmiLee, a local emerging artist, has a unique style that transforms acrylic into textiles, plays with colour and abstraction, bringing refreshing depth and dynamism to local art culture.

Since making the decision to practice her art full time in 2010, she confesses it wasn’t until 2013 that she really came into her style with the palette knife, and by early 2014 she began work on creating pieces to complete two artist residencies, a solo exhibition in Helsinki, Finland and another in Logan. To avoid the excessive costs of transporting large artworks overseas, she began working on a much smaller scale, exploring new ways of manipulating her preferred medium, acrylic.

“Ever since I started painting, I had been collecting the dried skins of paint from my palettes and hoarding them for some unknown project down the track. I could see they had unexplored potential, and as most good things do, it just fell into place that this project was the right time and reason to experiment with them. It began with cutting and collaging skins to make images, then moved onto painting imagery within the skins and from there the sculptures formed.”

And she created a 30 piece exhibit, entitled ‘Exchange’ that fit in one suitcase: 24 skin paintings attached to paper, 3 framed, 1 collage and 2 sculptures.

OmiLee uses acrylic skins to create sculpture

During her 6 week residency, OmiLee made time to discover and be inspired by Finnish art and explored new methods of creating. Admitting that “my professional and personal growth far exceeded my proposed outcomes.”

It is clear to us that OmiLee embodies the very elements that make up a good artist: The ability and confidence to push yourself, to be open minded, the ability to keep trying new things and… patience!

Even before leaving for Finland, OmiLee spent years experimenting with paint and media before she came into her signature style and even now, the use of acrylic skins can be a long process, taking up to 200 days to create a single sculpture.

“I am the kind of person who believes in the long-learning route, rather than the shortcut…” OmiLee.

Spark of Life – acrylic on canvas using her palette knife technique

OmiLee’s work will be on display at the Able Gallery in Loganlea until 24^th February and we sincerely recommend checking it out.

Another artist that embodies these key elements and is influenced by our landscape is Dr Merri Randell.

Merri is a digital artist who has a current exhibition at the Logan Art Gallery featuring some of her work from her recent Logan BushCare residency. Her works are predominantly audio-visual installations, animating images of local bush land to create an exaggerated experience of the vegetation and wildlife. The animation is subtle, but effective in mythologising the trees themselves. Instead of the usual photography where we typically see branches and leaves sweep romantically against the blue above, her images focus on the depths of the bush, the tangled roots, the grassy undergrowth. Highlighting the importance of viewing our landscape as a whole, bringing the viewers’ attention to the natural and sometimes chaotic and disgusting mechanisms that make up the entire ecosystem.

Merri uses animation and exaggerated sounds to make her pieces come alive

“I celebrate diversity by creating worlds full of beautiful, hybrid monstrosities that seduce, beguile and disturb… Maybe if mainstreamers can appreciate the reality of my monstrous trees, they might appreciate other things outside the norm – that these trees, places, people or cultures have value.”

It is easy to see her influences in her work. Her love of trees and the need to protect them. Her love of visual mediums, including dark cinema such as ‘Videodrome,’  (Cronenburg 1983) and shocking sculptures such as those from Sarah Lucas. Her work has an element of something wildly different and it excites and disturbs me.

The roots of the trees almost look and sound as if they are straws, sucking up water and nutrients…

There is no doubt that Merri’s work is effective in generating discussion about our surrounding environment. In our hectic, mainstream society we often take for granted everything that is going on around us. We recommend getting over to the Logan Art Gallery and checking out her work until the 20^th February. You can watch them online at merrirandell.com but experiencing her installations in person are really worth the effort.

Uncanny Nature Exhibition – Logan Art Gallery

If you’d like more information about OmiLee you can visit her Facebook , Instragram and Tumblr pages.

Or find Merri at merrirandell.com or on Logan Bush Care residency page.

Ali.x