Nature’s artist

Drawn in by the ever-changing beauty of the world around her, Bellarine artist Jane Flowers has spent more than two decades creating landscapes and seascapes.

Nature surrounds the artist’s work, featuring inspiration taken from what’s around her.

Working as an artist for more than 20 years, Flowers’ pieces transform the walls of households, expressions of her love of nature for others to enjoy.

“Some people say it’s like I bring the outside into their living area, and they find my paintings are quite meditative and to really express the beauty of the world around us,” she said.

 

Her love of sailing is also deeply engrained in her works, drawing influence from her time on the water.

“I’m just looking at the water and how it works and the colours,” she said.

“Colour changes almost minute to minute in nature, so it’s always kind of a kaleidoscope unfolding in front of your eyes all the time.”

“I’m curious about the world, so it’s always really interesting to explore new avenues of subject matter, colour palettes and things like that.”

 

Flowers specialises in oil on canvas, and enjoys the richness of colour in the oils. Although it is her chosen medium, she enjoys experimenting with other materials.

“I’ve got a stack, like hundreds of sketchbooks, and they’re just full of different drawings and exploring different mediums and things,” she said.

Working on more than one piece at a time, Flowers completes her art in layers, sketching up her idea first, often from a photo reference.

“I have lots of photos that I’ve taken that I will reference the particular scene, moment or whatever I’m trying to capture,” she said.

 

Once her idea is sketched out, she paints her first layer, which is quite textural, before adding wash colours to increase the depth.

Flowers said she often saw her paintings as part of a problem, working out how she was going to capture a moment in time.

“I actually like the process of getting in and working with paint and that’s the best part of it, really.

“When you get in the flow and you’re really enjoying just putting the paint on the canvas and seeing how it will work out.”

 

Before becoming an artist, Flowers worked as a teacher and studied graphic design, which landed her in advertising.

“I was working as a freelance graphic designer after advertising and then decided to concentrate more on my works,” she said.

“I think with the graphics, that I did before, that kind of influenced my artwork to use a bit of simplicity within the canvas.”

Flowers said art had been part of her life for a long time – drawing ever since she could walk, spending summer holidays looking at the waves and trying to work out how to draw them.

“It has been kind of part of my existence all my life, but it was really when I finished graphic design that I did make it my career as such.”

 

Throughout her career, Flowers has won several awards and exhibited across Australia and further abroad, showing in New York and Brussels.

For the first time, she will exhibit at Melbourne’s Victorian Artists Society. Opening on October 27, her collection exploring different technique, colour and texture.

“I’ve called it Journeys because it’s kind of referencing travels that I’ve make, everyday travel just to the beach here, but also travels further afield,” she said.

“I love going inland into the Inland Reds, Broome, the turquoise waters up there, Queensland, I’ve spent a lot of time in the Whitsunday Islands.”

Flowers also works with clients and interior designers to create pieces for living spaces, which she likes doing and hopes to do more of in the future.

“Because I worked in advertising, I’m used to briefs and it’s like ‘yes, let’s explore this’ and it kicks my work often into a different direction and it’s a good challenge,” she said.

 

Through her work, Flowers hoped people feel enjoyment and an enhancement in their lives.

“And also make them really understand how important nature is and the world around us and how beneficial it is to us,” she said.

“Paintings sort of have an energy, they have all the energy that you, the music that you’re listening to, the books your reading, words and thoughts and everything are going into the paintings.

“People may not realise that, so when they have a painting, a real painting instead of a print on their wall, that painting is giving them an energy into their space it’s pretty subtle and they may not even realise it, but it’s actually happening.”

For more, head to janeflowers.com or her Facebook page “Jane Flowers Artist”.