Art Lab is an eclectic group of Brisbane artists who come together once a month. Art Lab has been a safe, supportive space to reflect deeply on creative practice among peers. As a natural introvert, I struggle to speak about my work and often dismiss it to mask insecurity. Through honest discussion and encouragement, I’ve come to value my practice, recognise its worth, and let go of the shame and self-doubt that hold me back. My own “Ah Ha” came in resolving a long-standing struggle to write meaningfully about my work. Each panel incorporates text, title, and number along the deep sides, making language an integral part of the artwork, no longer separate, but embedded.
Documentation has been my personal bete noir; I find it tedious. At a deeper level, my glib attitude masked my insecurity. If I didn’t take it seriously, then no one else would. I had a habit of finding one title for a series and numbering the pieces. Except I wouldn’t number the physical pieces, much confusion and frustration ensued. Why did I engage in this bizarre act of self-sabotage? That’s for a blog post
Pictures of You, Pieces of Me is a series of 15 paintings and one panel of text. Each panel is one vessel and flora. The vessels and flora have personal meaning and evoke people and/or places which have meaning. The series was an extension of my 2025 still life collection, which explores identity and personal narrative through possessions.
Each panel is A4, 20x30cm, which represents a sheet of paper. We do a lot of writing at Art Lab as part of our process of reflection. I numbered each piece in 3 different ways: Roman, and binary. Each piece has its own title, which is written on the side. Each piece has its statement written on the side. All the documentation is physically present on each piece.
The collection title refers to a song by the Cure. The band were the theme of my student days. I have used this title in the past. It references the idea that images hold meaning and narrative, memory and solace, which is wholly personal and individual. Panel 16 is only text. The collection statement is handwritten on it plus the lyrics of Pictures of You and a thank you to Robert Smith and the band
The brown and white jug is really old, and I am sorry I can’t remember where it came from. It was at my parents’ house and is now with me in Australia. The flowers are buddleia. I was surprised I could grow them in Queensland, as they grew happily in the dank north of England. The smell is divine, and they grow really well from cuttings, which is a bonus
