Nature’s Patterns – Carley Bourne’s Contemporary Botanical Abstractions
What inspired you to start creating art?
I have always loved creating art from a child, I was obsessed with colouring books then drawing cartoons and on to still life and people. I got distinction in Art Class but somehow never thought I could turn art into a profession.
I always loved the beauty in nature and the outdoors, as well as a follower of fashion, design and patterns or colour. All of this gives me so much inspiration for creating, and a love of travel.
How did moving to Australia, from England, change the way you create?
Just from being in Australia backpacking gave me an even greater love of nature and flora, and so I went back to college in UK to learn floristry. Then moving permanently to The Sunshine Coast gave me so much inspiration from the colour of the beautiful clear aqua ocean, the intense green rainforests, and the patterns and forms of the
native plants. The art here is alive and in abundance,
just everywhere you are surrounded by inspiration
that transition into ideas or ways of thoughts.
What do you love most about living and creating on the
Sunshine Coast?
I love how we have everything we need in a modern society
with lots of variety. But also how we can still find so many hidden gems and be the only one around. It has got busier since emigrating 17 years ago, but I can still find magical spots on a beach or forest with no one around, just surrounded by nature and untouched beauty.
Do you have favourite plants that keep recurring in your paintings?
I have a long crazy love affair with tropical beaches and palm trees, even Palm trees in rainforests too, so they do feature heavily. But I also have a huge appreciation and fondness for many Australian natives, including the many varieties of Banksia’s and Grevillia’s. Ah, and I also love desert plants like Cacti and Date Palms. It depends on the place and habitat I want to give the impression of but generally its these that often show up!
How would you describe your art style in a few words?
Contemporary, intuitive impressions, of a botanical
landscape abstraction.
Your art is both detailed and abstract, how do you mix
the two?
My style and technique is a mixed bag, that comes together when complete. Mixing them is really defined by each stage of the painting. I love keeping the first base layers very loose, very flowing and very abstract. This base creates the palette that follows but also the paint or brushes loose marks made. Then I build on this, using definition, details, textures. I mix abstract random placements of say, a seed pod and the shapes of them, with more organised layouts. This keeps it both abstract with defined forms, layers and movement to blend the two together to work as one.
Is there a colour that feels like you? One that reflects
your personality?
I like a variety in everything in my life, including colour!
A real mix up of colour is probably a perfect reflection of my personality! I’m a bit of everything, and like to enjoy a bit of all, from food, music, fashion, and style! I love a big night out with my friends, dancing, drinking a few Margaritas all dressed up!
Then equally love a quiet beach weekend away with my family, no frills, camp cooking and chilling. I’m a bit of all the colour wheel depending on what’s happening!
Your process is described as intuitive and expressive.
Can you explain?
It’s intuitive in the sense that I take a scene with nature
or a place that I have experienced then bring it to life through paint and a canvas. For example, I am not
painting a seed pod how we visually see it, but from my emotions or feelings that they give me, and use either the colour, texture, tools or how my hand moves or body moves around the canvas. I move to music and the flow of the intuition, it’s not a planned out process. Those first base layers of colour, usually a thin wash of a few colours, start the process. These marks are very expressive, raw and what my mind and body needs to do, rather than what the subject or end result needs to be. The end just happens, from stages of what I want or feel works, using a knife
flick sporadically, or leaving drips and splashes of paint.
It feels a cliche to say, but it is like a meditation, a total freedom from everything and just working with my intuition on what I do next. Leaving my emotion to do
what it feels, and allowing to move with huge brushes of colour. Then I can see the impressions of flowers, a stem,
a leaf, and build on that.
Is your home filled with your own art or do you like to collect others’ too?
I do have a few of my own paintings around, but I really love collecting other artists’ work. I usually save art purchases for special occasions or meaningful moments, like anniversaries or birthdays, which makes them even more special. Some of my favourites are a small still life
of flowers by Nicole Reed, a thick oil painting of a sweet little budgie by Mia Oatley that we gifted ourselves for Christmas, and a Jai Vasicek girl I got for my 40th. Over
the years, I’ve also gathered quite a few beautiful ceramics and pottery pieces that I treasure.
Favourite way to unwind after a day in the studio?
Chilling with my family, I love to cook especially a curry, and enjoying a nice glass of red wine.
What’s your favourite childhood memory related to
nature or creativity?
Anytime I went to the beach and seeing the sea was a special favourite moment. I never wanted to leave. I also loved visits to my grandparents in the Summer, where
they both had beautiful English floral gardens.
What has been your most meaningful collaboration so
far and why?
All the collaborations I have had are very meaningful,
to have both big and small businesses want to work
with my artwork that I have created just blows me away. The biggest collaboration to date, was O Hui, a Korean cosmetic company of LG which took almost a year of networking and emailing! Receiving the luxury beauty
gift boxes full of exquisite bottles of creams and lotions
was incredible. I love little extras like packaging, and
I found myself holding embellished gold detailed gift
boxes adorned with my art, just like the original painting
I created, that felt like a dream come true.
Is there a quote you love that reminds you to keep creating?
I never remember any! What keeps me creating is the enjoyment of the physical and mental aspect of painting, playing with colour on canvas, the visual dopamine effect.
What’s the most surprising thing art has taught you
about yourself?
To let go of what you cannot change or control! And at
how resilient and determined I actually am!
