Fun, Friendship, and Florals: “Florescence” Exhibition Highlights
A Colourful Celebration of Modern Australian Botanical Art
Get ready to dive into a floral explosion of colour and texture as I take you back to my recent Sydney exhibition, "Florescence: The Process of Flowering".
Thanks to the magic of the Florescence exhibition, my online friendship with Ros (left) and Sami (right) blossomed into a real-life artistic bond. Photo: Jade Warne
When women support each other, incredible things happen: Florescence is a testament to the unstoppable power of unity in art.
I was honoured to be part of this celebration of modern Australian botanical art with six other fabulous female artists.
The Corner Gallery in Stanmore was the perfect backdrop for a magical evening showcasing our vibrant floral art and celebrating friendship. Photo: Jade Warne
In a burst of colour and creativity, we took over The Corner Store Gallery in Stanmore for a seven-day exhibition curated by fellow artist, podcast host, and art mentor Ros Gervay.
Taking a moment to fan-girl with the Art W@nk Podcast hosts, Fiona Verity (left) and Julie Nicholson (right) Photo: Jade Warne
The opening night was a fabulous affair! Friends, family, and art lovers gathered to celebrate our creativity. The Art W@nk podcast hosts Fiona Verity and Julie Nicholson added their unique spin to the evening, captivating the audience with their opening remarks. Photographer Jade Warne of Small Business Growth Club fame captured the evening's essence through the magic of her lens.
Fun fact: Ros, Sami, and I all became friends through Jade’s Small Business Growth Club.
The gallery-style hanging of the artwork looked amazing; all our colours combined in a visual harmony that made both the individual pieces and the exhibition pop! It was a kaleidoscope of blossoming creativity on every wall.
I still love looking at how beautiful our work all looks on display together. My goal is to fill my house with colour like this! Photos: Jade Warne
Create Your Own Gallery Wall at Home
Here's a thought for my fellow colour enthusiasts: why not bring some of that vibrant magic into your homes?
You might be thinking, “But I don't have any more space for art.”
Well, I say, all you need is a bit of creativity!
Let's dive into my top tips for making room for more art:
A cosy corner or a small stretch above your sofa can transform into a stunning gallery wall. Play around with diverse frame sizes and shapes, overlap them, incorporate shelves for smaller pieces, and voila! You've got your very own art corner.
Step one for creating a gallery wall? Find your star player! For each wall, we chose a large-scale artwork to place as a centrepiece to anchor the display.
Now, let's talk colour. Botanical art is a treasure trove of hues. Mix and match to your heart's content for a lively, dynamic vibe. But, if you want a more cohesive look, select art pieces with similar colours to unify your gallery wall. You'll notice in the photos how the blend of pinks and oranges or blues and greens harmoniously tie together our varied styles.
Size and shape matter too! I like mixing things up with big statement pieces and smaller original art or prints. This trick adds depth and keeps things interesting. And remember to play around with your layout to get your composition right. I love how Sami's circle art breaks up the rectangle and square frames.
Pro Tip: Practice your layout by tracing your frames onto newspaper or kraft paper. Then, use blue-tac to experiment with different arrangements on your wall. This way, you can visualize the final look before making it permanent.Fancy more texture and depth? Try overlapping and layering your art to keep your gallery wall from looking too uniform. Using picture ledge shelves is an easy way to achieve this effect. Plus, they allow you the flexibility to revamp your display anytime.
While you're adding shelves, why not take the botanical theme up a notch? Add some extra shelves to display your ceramic art. This also gives you the perfect stage to show off smaller pieces, pot plants, or other nature-inspired treasures.
Last but not least, shine a spotlight on your art. Play with different lights - wall sconces, track lighting, even fairy lights! They'll highlight your artwork's colours and textures and create a warm, inviting glow.
Meet the Fabulous Artists Behind “Florescence”
Making my exhibition highlight list was my 'Brave' artwork finding its forever home! Talk about sprinkling more glitter onto an already sparkly event!
But you know what my favourite part was? Meeting my online friends in real life! Chatting via DM and Zoom is all well and good, but there's nothing quite like connecting with your small biz friends face-to-face.
“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.”
C. S. Lewis
Let me introduce you to the phenomenal artists who made this exhibition so fun:
L-R: Sami Sparrow, Carmel Slater, Rachel Moodie, Ros Gervay, Sandra Gale, Rach Jackson. Photo: Jade Warne.
Carmel Slater: Her enchanting watercolour paintings invite us to admire nature's beauty. Her Thrive series celebrates and honours Mother Earth.
Rach Jackson: Her abstract art is inspired by the wild, wonderful blooms of an Australian springtime.
Rachel Moodie: Her painterly collages explore the essence, light and shadow of blooms using mixed media, creating captivating pieces.
Ros Gervay: Her expressionistic paintings capture the raw beauty of the natural world.
Sami Sparrow: Her art is a vibrant journey into the natural world, inspired by street and tattoo art, printmaking, and minimalist abstraction.
Steph Wallace: Her porcelain vessels feature intricate illustrations of botanical species, reflecting her experiences as a migrant.
And me, Sandra Gale: My art celebrates inner florescence - flowering from within. We can all bloom into our full potential with love and self-belief.
Captured amidst the kaleidoscope of creativity at the Florescence Exhibition. Photo: Jade Warne
Are you ready to ignite your space with vibrant colours and powerful expressions?
Curate your own gallery with the click of a button by visiting our online stores to bring some of that exhibition magic to your space!
Remember, your walls are a canvas waiting for your story. Bring it to life and let your home bloom with colour, creativity, and joy!
My artistic contributions for the exhibition. Click here to shop my original wall art. Photos: Heidi Wolff
