Perfect partnership

It was almost a decade ago that Casey Manson returned to her roots – being creative.

“After our third child Willow was born, I began creating again – by the time she was in kindergarten I had somehow created a ‘job’ out of it,” Casey said. “Early off with small original works painted for locals, then with more gusto as things progressed so I have probably been doing this full time for eight or nine years now.”

And safe to say it has been a successful return to her art, working under the banner of Grotti Lotti.

“The name originally given as a nickname to our messy, divine first born has somehow become my alter ego and business identity,” Casey said.

The Hamilton local was in the spotlight last week when she was in store at Linen House Mount Gambier, where her stunning range of linen and homewares are prominent.

It has been a collaboration that works perfectly for both parties.

“Linen House reached out to me via email – I actually thought it was a hoax to begin with,” Casey said. “I have always wanted to see my artwork on fabric, linen, homewares but didn’t have the capacity to undertake it myself, so the collaboration with Linen House has actually been the perfect pairing. They have great values and a brilliant product – something I’m very mindful of when working in collaboration with anyone.”

The beauty of it is that from her commercial collaborations to her own originals and prints, Casey has been able to maintain a South West Victorian regional homebase.

“I grew up here, moved around about a bit in my 20s and late teens and then came back home to raise children,” Casey said. “To be honest I haven’t found living regionally difficult as an emerging artist, if anything I’m inspired by where I live so it’s probably given me the space I need to create.”

Being creative is something Casey can trace back to her childhood.

“I actually spent a lot of time as a child outdoors, making magic potions and lost in imaginative play,” she said. “Creativity and the arts and music was nurtured and not seen as a ‘mess’. Gosh, my poor teenage bedroom, now with teenagers of my own I’m not sure how mum did it – turning a blind eye to the million craft projects and dried up paint tubes scattered on my bedroom floor.”

In the end though, that creative chaos from her childhood fostered a deep connection with all things artistic and the Grotti Lotti empire.

“I like to sit with small watercolours when I need to relax or be still but acrylic and ink on canvas would be my go to though – I like to paint big, use a long brush and my hands,” Casey said. “The studio floor is covered in paint and no surface is safe in there. I think while the weathers still good I’ll get out and tackle some plein air. My pace will always change.”

Turning her passion into a career has been a learning curve, involving trial and error, but given her art education was also more self-taught than formal, Casey is used to problem solving and working her own way through the task at hand.

“My art education is minimal,” she said. “I did a l lot of arts subject in secondary school and began a fine arts degree but only lasted a semester.

“I’m probably more of a constant creator, self taught, attending a few workshops but with the innate want to figure things out for myself. I like to know how things work and will pretty much experiment until I get to where I want a something to be.”

So far, Casey seems to be making the right moves and while she admits she sometimes has to pinch herself that art has become her career, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Confidence still eludes me sometimes, but initially I think the confidence and belief (to become a full time artist) came from the interest that other people showed in my work, and the willingness to just give everything a good crack,” she said.